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158 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant
4. Some patients have figured out that if they pull on rope, remember to remove the end from the bight.
the end, the halter tie comes untied. To prevent this, Give the end of the rope a firm tug and the knot
place the end loosely through the bight. To untie the should untie quickly and easily (Figure 9.16).
A vertical post is stronger than a horizontal post for
securing livestock and horses. A post can actually be
pulled out of the ground. This can cause a whole new
issue as the resulting breach in the fence could release
the patient from captivity and the resulting drag of fenc-
ing material continues to scare the animal as it runs away.
No matter how hard the animal pulls on this knot it
should release quickly and easily even during this kind of
scenario.
Practice makes perfect. If the knot does not untie
easily, you have not tied it correctly. If the animal can
back up and untie the knot by applying pressure to the
standing part, then the knot was not tied correctly. Often
it is because the loop was formed with the end under the
standing part. It is important to be able to tie this knot
quickly and accurately which requires practice.
Square Knot
The square knot is used whenever a knot must remain
secure, without slipping even if tension is applied to
one or both ends. The square knot is the foundation
for the reefer’s knot and all suture knots. This knot is
unique because as tension increases, the knot becomes
tighter, which prevents it from loosening. However, no
FIGURE 9.15 Tightening the knot by pulling on the bight. matter how tight the knot becomes, it can be untied
easily by pushing the ends and standing parts toward
the knot (Figure 9.17).
When this knot is tied correctly, it never slips either
tighter or looser. This is imperative for suture knots and
when going around an animal’s body part. The key to
tying a perfect square knot every time is to remember
the end that you start your throw with is the end that is
used to make all the throws. The square knot uses both
ends and the resulting loop is the standing part.
1. Hold an end in each hand, place the right end over
the left end to make a X (Figure 9.18a). Make a
throw with the right end which now becomes the
left end (Figure 9.18b).
FIGURE 9.16 End through bight. FIGURE 9.17 Untying a square knot.
