Horse Trail Chicks

Is your relationship with knots characterized by fear and loathing, or curiosity and delight? I personally love learning new knots and being able to chose just the right knot for every job. I want to share with you my favorite knot for tying your horse to a trailer (or in fact, any object). It’s called the bank robber’s knot.

But first, let’s talk safety. Some people think it’s safest to tie a horse securely so it cannot get away, using a knot that can be untied quickly in an emergency. Others think it’s safest to have some part of the system that can break so if the horse spooks, falls, or throws its head up it won’t be injured.

I didn’t believe that a horse could break its neck just by throwing its head up, until I met a farrier who had witnessed a horse die of a broken neck on non-breakaway cross ties. I also didn’t think this was a problem for my own horse because he is very calm, until one day as I was tacking him up for a trail ride and he thought the other horses were leaving without him; he threw his head up and – fortunately – broke the leather strap on his breakaway halter.

Assuming that any horse, no matter how calm or well-trained, could spook or otherwise decide to get away suddenly, which is worse – the horse getting injured, or the horse getting loose? My answer is that injury is worse. In my experience, when horses get loose they usually just start grazing nearby; even if they spook and run off they typically don’t go far. And if you think you can quickly untie your horse in an emergency to prevent injury, remember that a spook takes place in a split second.  There might be some situations where the balance of risk tips in the other direction, but I encourage you to weigh the risks carefully.

I never tie my horse to anything without some part that can break away if a strong sharp force is applied to it. This can be accomplished by having a breakaway halter, special breakaway clips, or simply by putting a piece of baling twine at some point in the system.

It’s also very important – whether you have a breakaway part or not – to use a knot that you can untie very quickly. That’s why I love the bank robber’s knot – not only does it untie very quickly, but the entire rope comes away cleanly without part of it still in the loop or ring or around the post. Here is a video on how to tie the knot. It’s a little trickier to learn than some knots, but well worth it.

Here is a video on how to use the same knot to tie up to a hitching post:

Note: The information presented herein is the opinion of the author.  Working with horses is inherently dangerous and unpredictable, and you must employ independent judgement in deciding what is best for your horse and use the information herein at your own risk.