To my many equine mentors, particularly my father-in-law ElmerJohnson and my wife Emily. It was Elmer who taught me that nohorsemanshouldgothroughlifeignorantofthebowline.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION:WHYKNOTS?

1.THESQUAREDEAL

2.THEESSENTIALBOWLINE

3.TRAILKNOTS

4.PACKHORSEKNOTS

5.WEBBINGWOES

6.HORSECAMPKNOTS

7.SIMPLEKNOTSANDSPLICES

CONCLUSION:LIFELINES

GLOSSARY

INDEX

INTRODUCTION:WHYKNOTS?

Inanageofdevicesandgadgetsintendedtomakelifeeasierforus(butsometimes having the opposite effect), a horse lover may ask, “Whyknots?”Why, in thisdayandage, is thereaneed for theancientartofmanipulatingapieceofropeintovarioustwistsandturnstocreatethisorthatknot,hitch,orsplice?Can’t itallbedonewithbuckles,snaps,andVelcro?Why take time to practice tying a bowline, a square knot, or ahalfhitch?That question was answered for me many decades ago by a mare

named Rosie and a mentor named Elmer (who became my father-in-law). Rosiewas a powerful quarter horsemare sold to us by a youngwoman headed for college on a budget that didn’t include continuedboardforthehorseinanearbycity.Themarehadbeeninformallyraced,had runbarrels, andwaswell trained, sheneck reinedbeautifully, andshe liftedeffortlessly fromher trot toacantershecouldseeminglyholdall day. Lacking experience with cows, she took to them readily, andalthough a little quirky and spooky, she soon earned her keep on theranch.ThatbaymarebecamethefirsthorseIcouldcallmyown.But Rosie had a fault. She pulled back. She was one of those

inveterate pullers occasionally encountered in the equine world, andshe’dbreakanythingyouusedtorestrainher.Tieherupwithhalterandleadropeandshe’dlungebacksohardandsosuddenlythatsomething—the lead rope, the snap, the halter itself—would break. And, if herhalterandleadropewerestrongerthantheobjecttowhichshewastied,she’d break the post or hitching rail. Then Rosie would calmly startgrazing,makingitclearwhatshe’dhadinmind.Thiswasaseriousfaultforaranchhorse,andthevelocitywithwhich

shethrewher twelvehundredpoundsbackwardalsomade itadanger,

bothtoherselfandtoanyoneoranythingbehindher.HowwouldIkeepher inoneplacewhile I set irrigationwateror fixed fence? In theopenWest,failingtoholdontoyourhorsecanmeanalong,hotwalkhome.Elmerhadseenafewhorses“spoiled”inthisfashionandsaidwe’dtry

tocureher, thoughhewasdubiousabout the result.Heexplained thatsomeone had tied her poorly while she was a colt. She’d probablyspooked, pulled, broken free, found reward in tasty nearby grass, thentrieditagain,eventuallyfindingthatifshepulledhardenough,somethingwouldbreakandreleaseher.(IhavetowonderwhatElmerwouldhavethought of the “breakaway” tying systemsmarketed today that actuallytrainahorsetoberewardedbypullingback—butthat’sanotherstory.)“I’m thinking that if she once came up against something she

absolutelycouldnotbreak,maybeshe’dfigureitoutandquit.I’mnottoohopeful, but we’ll give it a try.”With that, Elmer got into the Jeep andheaded for town, while I continuedmy barn chores. He soon returnedanddisplayedacoilof¾-inchnylonrope.“Thereisn’tahorsealivethatcanbreakthisstuff.Youcanpullapickupoutofthebarrowpitwithit.”“Butdowehaveahalterstrongenough?”“We won’t use one.We’ll tie it around her neck.” I had visions of a

stranglinghorse,andElmerreadmymind.“I’lluseabowline,andthat’stheonlyknotthatwon’ttightenupandwillstillallowustogetituntied,nomatter how hard she pulls.” I’d heard of bowlines, probably reading ofsuchaknotinthebooksintheseafaringsectionofthecountylibrary,allofwhichI’dread.ButIdidn’tknowhowtotieone.Elmertiedthesoft,braidednylonropearoundRosie’sneck,hisfingers

fluid,themotiontooquickformetofollowconstructionoftheknot.ThenheledRosietoasnubbingpostinthemiddleofthecorral,apostmadeofarailroadtiesetdeeplyintotheground.Afterhetiedanotherbowlinearound the post, we both stepped back. Rosie stood there a fewseconds, backed slightly until slack was gone from the rope, thenexploded.Dustflewwhileshesnorted,strained,andrepeatedlythrewherweightandmusclebackagainsttheunyieldingnylonrope.ButElmer,soft-heartedmanthathewas,couldn’tstandit.Afterfifteen

ortwentyseconds,heslippedinquicklywithhispocketknifeandcuttherope.“Icouldn’twatchherdothat.She’dhavepulledeverymuscleinherbody.You’llhavetousethehobbles,Dan.”IwatchedasElmeruntiedtheropefromaroundRosie’sneck,amazed

that he could so easily untie a knot that had just withstood repeatedlunges from a heavy animal, and amazed, too, that the noose hadn’ttightenedtheslightestbit.ItwasclearElmerhadcuttheropeonlyforhissafety—he didn’t want to be between a thrashing animal and thesnubbingpost.No, we didn’t “cure” Rosie. Luckily, she was a sucker for hobbles,

neverlearningtohoporruninthemassomehorsesdo.Icouldsliptherawhidehobblesonherfrontpasterns,fixfenceordosomeotherchore,andshe’dgrazenearby,movingatmostwithbabysteps.ButIlearnedtotieabowline.Withoutit,howcouldIsafelytieahorse

that had lost its halter?How could I tie a rope to the front axle of thetractor topull itoutof themudandstillbeable tountie theknot ratherthan ruin the rope by cutting it loose? TheRosie incident hadmade itcleartomethathorsemanshipconsistsofmorethanhandlingahorseinaroundpen.Ropeskills,knowledgeofthesortElmerpossessed,areasideofthepicturetoolittletaughtbymodernclinicians.Inthisbook,we’llexploresomeofthewaysknotscanmakelifeeasier

and safer in handling horses. Instead of attempting to learn a vastquantity of them (The Ashley Book of Knots contains some fourthousand!)we’llconcentrateonsomeofthereallyusefulones,becauseovertheyearsI’velearnedthatwetendtoretainonlytheonesweuse.We’ll learn to recognize a “good” knot—a knot that holds but can beuntiedafterpressure—andwe’ll look into theworldofhitches (systemsforpackingitemsontoahorse)andsplices(usefulwaysofjoiningropesandcreating loops).After that, it’samatterof practice, frequently tyingtheknotswe’velearnedandlookingformorewaystoapplythem.Andifmessingwithknotscreatesmoreexcusestomessaroundwith

ourhorses,sobeit.It’salltothegood!

1.THESQUAREDEAL

Yourfirstexposuretoknots,totheneedfortyingaproperone,probablycamewhenyoustruggledasachildwithtyingthelacesonyourshoes.Whatyouwerestrivingfor,ifyouwereproperlytaught,wasabowknot,whichismerelyasquareknottiedwiththetophalf-hitchmadewithtwobightsratherthantwoends.Whoa!Bights?So,acoupleofsimpledefinitionsare inorder.Walkover toacoilof

ropeandpickuponeendwithyourlefthand.Theparttoyourright,stillinthecoilorstrungoutsomewhere,iscalledthestandingpart.Theendin your left hand is, simply, theend.Make a loop or curve in the ropebetween theendand thecoilandyouhavewhat’scalledabight.Yes,loopworks,too,andwe’llusebothterms.

Bight.

RopeVarietiesButbeforewegetseriouslyintothisbusinessofknots,weneedtolookatjust what sort of material we’re using to make them, namely the ropeitself.Go to a big hardware store and have a look atwhat’s available.There are colored ropes, drab ropes, twisted ropes, woven ropes—thevarietyseemsendless.Forpurposesofthisbook,andinmyownuseasahorseman,Iincline

toward three-strand twisted ropes. Normally, these have been twistedclockwise,withwhat’s calleda right-handed “lay,” but that’s not alwaystrue.Becauseclockwiseistheusualdirection,ropecoilswellinthesamedirection, clockwise. As a left-hander, I sometimes used to go in theoppositedirection,anditdidnotworkverywell.Finally,Ifiguredouttheproblem.Yes, there are ropes twisted the other direction, suchas lariat ropes

especially built for left-handed ropers. However, off-the-shelf twistedropeswillnormallybeofright-handedlay,andtheonlyreasonthat’sveryrelevanttousisincoilingtherope.Manyusefulropescomebraided,andthey’reofteneasyonthehands

and attractive in appearance. However,my preference for three-strandtwisted ropecomes from theeasewithwhich I cansplice it.Tyingeyesplices in twisted rope is relatively simple. Yes, braided rope can besplicedaswell,buttheprocedureissomewhatmorecomplicated,anditrequiresa few toolsandaccessories (fidsandpushers) thatmatch theparticular rope. In a backcountry camp, you’re not likely to have thecorrectaccessoriesonhand.Splicingthree-strandtwistedroperequiresnotools.

RopeMaterialsAs to rope materials, all fall under two categories, natural or artificial.Natural fiber ropes are made of nature’s own materials, grown byhumansasagriculturalproducts.Hemp,manila,sisal,andcotton,amongother organic fibers, have been used to make rope. During the era ofsailingships,hempandmanilaweremajorcropsbecauseasinglelargesailingshipcouldrequireseveralmilesofropeforitsrigging.Natural fiber ropes vary, of course, but they usually are somewhat

rougher in texture than artificial fiber, which can be an advantage—they’relesslikelytoslipthroughyourhand—butalsolesscomfortabletohandle.All natural ropesare subject to rot and toabsorbingwater andbecoming heavier and swelling because of it. Hemp ropes during thesailingerahadtobetarredtopreventrot,anastyjobgiventothelowest-rankedsailors.Whenanaturalropeabsorbswater,itsknotsbecomemoredifficultto

untie.Freezingalsomakesthingstough.I’vestruggledtoremovefrozencotton ropes fromahighlineearly in themorningafterawetsnowand

thenafreezeathighaltitude.WhileIknowpuristpackerswhostillinsiston “grass ropes” and who like the natural friction when tying hitches,artificialropeshaveprettymuchtakenoverbothonlandandsea.Ifused,natural ropesmustbecared forproperlyanddriedandcleanedbeforestorage.Artificial ropes also come in a variety of materials, the three most

commonbeingnylon,polyester,andpolypropylene,thoughDacronropeisalsohighlyvaluedonboatsbecauseof its low-stretchcharacteristicsandresistancetosunlightdegradation.Nylonisthestrongest,butitalsostretchesagreatdeal—goodinsomewaysandnotinothers.Idon’tcaretousenylon for sling ropesonmypacksaddles,because it seemsyoucannevergetahitchtrulytight—thelinejustkeepsstretching.Polypropyleneisseldomusedinthehorseworld,thoughI’veseenhay

netsandsuchmadeof it. If you’reawaterskier,you’re familiarwith it.Sinceropesmadeofpolypropylenefloat,they’rehandyinsomenauticaluseswhentheskippermustavoidusingaropethatwillsinkandtangleinthe boat’s propeller. A ski rope of polypropylene stays visible on thewater’ssurface,anotherplus.Nearlyallartificialropesaremoreslipperytohandlethannaturalones

—again, both an advantage and a disadvantage. They can also bemanufacturedinmanycolors,handyforsailorswhocanuseonecolorforsheets, another for halyards, and so on. But I use this feature as ahorseman,aswell.Mymantyropesareblackwitharedthreadrunningthroughthem,whilemyslingropesareyellow.Perusemy tack roomandyou’ll likelyseemorepolyester ropes than

thoseofanyothersubstance.Allare three-strand twisted types.Nearlyas strong as nylon, polyester doesn’t stretch as much, is abrasionresistant,andisniceonthehands.SomeI’vepurchasedisexcessivelyslippery, but this characteristic seems to fade a bit when the ropebecomeswellworn.One criticism I hear of all “poly” rope, however, isthat when used for picket lines the stuff can give a nasty rope burn ifrubbed quickly across a pastern or leg. However, it’s not alone in thisrespect.Onarecenttripamulepulledacottonropethroughmygrip,andit,too,gavemeanastyburn.

SquareKnotRopes of many types are our materials, and knots are tools for using

themwell.Andoneof themost fundamental knots, thesquare knot, istheplacewherewestartandalsothebasisfortheknotwithwhichwetieour shoes. Although sometimes considered a knot for joining two ropeendsof thesamediameter, therearebetterknots than thesquareknotfor that purpose. Even though the two ropes may be of the samediameter,onemaybeofastiffermaterial,and theknotmay fail.Thus,thesquareknotisn’tthebestoneforescapefromaburningbuildingbytying pieces of variousmaterials together—therewould be better knotsfor such an emergency (and also considerably worse ones). Still, thesquareknotisrelativelystrongaslongasitjoinsidenticaldiametersandtypesofrope,andit’srelativelyeasytountieafterit’sbeenpressured,amajorconsiderationwithallknots.Itsbestuseistosecurealinearoundanobjectsuchasapost,fortyingabuckettoacorralrailoryourjacketbehindthecantleofyoursaddleonatrailride.At sea, the square knot is called the reef knot, because when

shorteningsail,loopsofrope(“line,”atsea)aretiedaroundthegatheredmaterial at the bottom of the sail to make it smaller when the breezebecomes a wind and the sea turns choppy. The loop of rope goingaroundthegatheredportionof thesailhasbeentraditionally tiedwithasquare(reef)knot.Onland,thehaybalesyoufeedyourhorsecamefromamachinethat

holdsspoolsoftwine.Thepersonrunningthemachinerytiesthetwineattheendofonespooltothebeginningofthenextwith,usually,asquareknot, since it’s neat and smooth enough to go through the knottingdevices on the baler. In this case, with twine that’s identical in size,brand,andtexture,theknotholdsquitewell.However,beforetrustingtheknot,theoperatorgivesboththestandingportionsandtheendportionsofthetwineagoodstrongpulltotightentheknot,andhetrimstheendsclosetosmooththeknotforpullingthroughthemachine.Likemany“good”knots,thesquareknotsimplylooksrightwhentied.

Passonestrandoverandunder theother, thenbring theendsup,andgoingtheotherdirection,againpassthesamestrandunderandovertheother.

Squareknot,step1.

Squareknot,step2.

Then pull both strands on each side tight. The knot looks nice andsymmetrical, appearingasa loopcatchinganother loop.Afterpressurethe knot can still be untied, though sometimeswith effort,meeting thatothercrucialqualificationofa“good”knot.

GrannyKnotDoitwrong,goingoppositewiththesecondhitch,andyougetauselessknotwithan insultingname, the “grannyknot.”Note thaton thegrannyknotthetwostrandscomingoutofeachsideoftheknotdonotcomeouttogether—oneisovertheloopstrand,oneunder.Thisknotwillnothold,andif itdoes,pressurewill leaveitvirtually impossibletountie.Asailorprobablynameditincontemptofalllandlubberthings(“Lookslikeaknotmygrannywouldtie”),forgettingthathisgrandmotherinthosetimeswithherknitting,sewing,andotherskillsprobablyknewasmanyknotsashe

did.

Afinishedsquareknot.

Agrannyknot.

SquareKnotwithSlipLoopWorkingonvariousranches,whenropes,horses,andlivestockdominateeverydaylife,themostcommonknotIhaveusedhasbeenasquareknotwithasliploop.Thisvariationishandyfortyingaropearoundanobject,makingforaquickerrelease.Startwiththefirsthalfofaregularsquareknot.Then,on the tophalf, createabight (loop) towrap, rather thanasingle end. Unless significant pressure has been put on the knot, it’squicktountiebypullingtheendofthesliploop.Sinceatsea“shakingouta reef,” or freeing the sail for more area and speed, had to be donequickly,thisknotisalsoknownasthe“slippedreefknot,”becauseitcanbeuntiedquickly.

Asquareknotwithasliploop.

BowKnotNow,backtotyingyourshoes.Youlearnedthisknotasayoungster,butif your shoesperpetually seem tountie themselves, perhapsyoudidn’tlearnwell. Thebow knot is simply a square knot tiedwith two slippedloopsinsteadofone.Theknotbeginsthesameway,butthenyoucreatetwobights.Loopthetwounderandoverasonthefirsthalfof theknot,andyouhaveabowknot.Butifyougowrongonthetophalfyouhaveagrannyknotwithtwoloops.Thisknotishardertountieandlessreliable.

HalfHitchBackingup, thesimpleknotyou tiedas the firsthalfof thesquareknotwasactuallyahalfknot,thoughit’salsoreferredtoasahalfhitch.Pullonthe longer,standingportion,andpushtheknotdownagainst theobjectyou’resecuring,andthehalfknotforms.Putadifferentway,theworkingend of your rope is brought over and under the standing part, and theloadpullsonthestandingpart.Inmanyrespects,thehalfhitchisaningredientknot,makinguppartof

many knots and hitches but having little strength of its own beforeanythingisadded.Ido,however,oftenuseaslightlystrongerversionofthehalfhitchthat’squicktotieandquicktorelease.Itconsistssimplyofasinglehalfhitchtiedwiththeendoftheropedoubled.Youcantieitinaninstantwithonehand.IusethisasthepreliminaryknotforabaskethitchduringpackingwhenI’veputthemantyinplaceandneedtoholditanditsmateontheothersidebrieflywhileIchecktoseethatthepacksbalance. (We’ll delve deeper into this procedure in chapter 4.)

Twohalfhitches:ahandywaytohangabucket.

There’sanothercommonuseforthehalfhitchthatbecomes,withthehelpofa loop,extremelystrong.Theverypopularropehaltersmanyofususearesecuredbyasimplehalfhitch.Howcanthisincompleteknotbestrongenoughtotakeahardpullwhenathousand-poundhorsetakesissuewithbeingtiedup?Thesecretisthatthehalfhitchistiedthroughand around a loop built into the halter.When pressured, the half hitchjams into that loop, tightening upon itself. Lead ropes are sometimessecuredthesamewaytoanotherloopbuiltintoropehalterslyingunderthejawofthehorse.

Aproperlytiedhalter.

Butmanypeoplemakethemistakeoftyingthehalfhitchabove,ratherthanbelowthehalter loop.Nowthestrengthisgone,becausepressuretendstopullthehalfhitchawayfromtheloop,ratherthanjammingintoit.Suchatiereliestotallyuponthehalfhitchforstrength.Tiearopehalterin this fashionandyoumay findyourhorsegrazing in thenextpasture

(which in the West can be miles away). Or, once pressure has beenapplied,theknotmayjaminsuchawayyouhavetroubleremovingthehalter.

Inanimproperlytiedhaltertheknotmayjam.

SheetBendThere’sanother reason thishalter knot is sostrong.Thehalf hitch tiedcorrectly in conjunction with the halter loop is, in fact, another verypopularandusefulknot,thesheetbend.Ifyou’vebeentyingyourhalterin thiscorrectmanner,you’veonlyhadto tie thehalfhitchbecausetheloopisalreadybuiltintothehalter.Butthetwocombinedcreateasheetbend.The name of the sheet bend, like those of many other knots, is

nautical. Anyone but the most inveterate landlubber knows that thesheetsonasailboatarenotthesails,butthelines(ropes)thatcontroltheangleofthesails.Adrunkensailormightbe“threesheetstothewind”—thealcoholhastakenover.He’sgivenupcontrolandjustletthesheetsgo.Theword“bend,”asanoun,hasasoneofitsmoreobscuremeanings

(accordingtoMerriam-Webster),“aknotbywhichoneropeisfastenedtoanotherortosomeobject.”Thesheetbendisanexcellentknotforeitherpurpose, and it’s a better one for tying two ropes together than thesquareknot.Unlikethesquareknot,thesheetbendissecureevenwhenthetworopesjoinedareofdifferentdiameters.Thesheetbendissimpletotie.Step1:Makealoop(bight)intheend

ofonerope.Iftheropesareofunequalsize,makethebightinthelargerone.Thenbringtheotherropethroughtheloopfrombelow,aroundthe

loop,underitself,andout.

Sheetbend,step1.

Step2:Tieitsothatthefreeendsofbothropesemergeonthesameside.Pullittight.Thisknotisverystrong,yetrelativelyeasytountieafterpressure is applied. Inmany respects, it resembles the bowline,whichwe’ll study in the next chapter. I find myself using the sheet bendfrequentlynow that I’ve learned it,wonderingwhy Ididn’tcatchon to itmuchearlierinlife.

Sheetbend,step2.

RopeBuckleTheropebuckleisasimplevariationofthesheetbend,usedwithaneyesplice.It’sthesameknotyouuseinattachingaropehalterandisquickand easy to detach and adjust. A useful variation is to make it quick-release by inserting a bight rather than the end of the rope below therope where it initially emerges through the eye splice. Unless extremepressurehasbeenappliedaquickyankreleasesthebuckle.

Ropebuckle.

CloveHitchTwoknotsthatareveryusefulintheequineworldinvolvetyingtwohalfhitches.Theclovehitchcanbeusedanywhereyouwant tosecure thecenterofaropeagainstpullinbothdirections.Forinstance,youcantiethecenterofalinetoyoursaddlehorn,thenstructurevarioushitchesforholdingpacksonahorse.(We’llpracticethat inchapter4.)Onewaytothink of the clove hitch is as two half hitches that go in oppositedirections,usuallytiedaroundapoleorpost.To tie a clove hitch, (step 1)make a loop in the rope, then another

identicalone.Placethetwotogether(step2),oneovertheother.Or,astheillustrationsshow(andthismightbeeasier),tieitarounda

postorsaddlehorn.Wraptheropeunderthepostorrail,bringitaroundto the left of the standing part, thenback over the rail andback underitselfsothatitheadsintheoppositedirection.ThelanyardonmyMarineofficer’ssword is tiedthisway,probablybecausethestrap(madeupoftwostrands)proceedsintwodirections,onepartuptowardthebaseofthehandle,theotherhangingdowntowardthebladeofthesword.

Clovehitch,step1.

Clovehitch,step2.

Clovehitchonasaddlehorn.

LanyardHitchHowever,theothersimilarknotwe’llexamineistheoneoftencalledthe“lanyardknot,”andit looksneatwhenusedforhangingabucketfroma

corral rail (orawatch fobattached toa ringorbelt).Myother frequentuseofthisknot,whichissimplytwofacinghalfhitches,wastaughtmeonanelkhuntbymywife’soldercousinGeorge,afinehorseman.Buckingwetsnowuptothekneesofmytallhorse,we’dfollowedtracksofaherdof elk that eventually had dived into a patch of deep, dark timber.Weweresure that ifwe tracked them farther, they’d simplyemergeon theotherside,outofview.We hitched on a simple plan. I’d lead George’s horse around the

timberanddownthemountaintoaclearingweknewtobeatthebaseofthehillsideattheedgeofthetimberpatch;hewouldhunthiswaydownthroughthewoods.Withluck,oneofuswould“getintoelk”andacquiresomefinewintermeat.I tied the reins ofGeorge’s horse in some haphazardmanner to his

saddle horn, intending to lead the horse down by its lead rope, butGeorgesaid,“No,tiethereinsupwithtwohalfhitches.”Imustnothaverespondedimmediately,soheexplained,“Takebothreinsupononesideofhisneckandtiethemtothehornwithtwohalfhitches.”Whathe’daskedfinallysankin,andwithhishelpItiedthereinsupthe

wayI’vealwaysdonesince,bothreinsononesideoftheneck(step1),the twohalfhitches tiedso thereinsemergeneatly together,asshown(step2).I’vefoundthistobethebestmethodfortyingreinsupifahorsemust

be led; it’ssecureandneat,and thereinsstay inplacequitewellevenwhenleadingthehorsethroughbrushyareas.

Tyingreinstohornwithlanyardhitch(twohalfhitches),step1.

Lanyardhitch,step2.

Reinssecuredwithtwohalfhitches.

LatigoKnotAnother commonuse of two facing half hitches on saddles iswhatweoften call a “latigo knot.” Originally, the knot was the universal way oftightening the cinch (girth) on a western saddle. This need has beenlargely replaced todaybycincheswith tongues tobuckle,but it’sstill inuse,particularlyonpacksaddles. It’sagoodone for tighteningcinches,becauseyousimplypulluponthe latigowhere itprotrudesthroughthecinchring,pulltheslackintothelooponthefaceoftheknot,thenpullthebitterendofthelatigotight,closingtheloop.Thelatigoknot,madeupoftwo facing half hitches, looks good, lies relatively flat under the stirrupleathersorpackhorseload,andholdswell.

Latigohitchesforcinches,alsoknownaslanyardknots,ortwofacinghalfhitches.

DraggingwithHalfHitchesSeparatehalfhitchescanalsobeusedinaseriestotightenalinearoundabunchoflooseobjects,cinchingthemtogether.Thisishowamantyistiedforpacking(seechapter4),but themethodisuseful inmanyotherways as well. Again, my first exposure to this approach involved amentor, this timemy father-in-law Elmer. I was helping him irrigate analfalfafield.SincetherewasnowaytousetheJeepwithoutcrossingthefloodedfieldandmakingruts,healwaysusedhissaddlehorseBrownietomovethedammaterialstothenext“set,”thenextplaceweneededtodamuptheditchtofloodanotherincrementofthefield.Thedammaterialswereaprettyconsiderablebundle,consistingofa

strongpoleperhaps twelve feet long, ten to fifteen two-by-sixboardsofvariouslengths,andacanvastarparoundsixteenfeetlongandeightfeetwide.Wepulledthedamout,lettingthebacked-upwaterflowdowntheditch. Elmer folded the wet canvas carefully, and slapped it in placebehindthecantleofhissaddle,wherehetied itwiththesaddlestrings.Brownie,well trained for this procedure, hardly flinchedwhen the cold,wettarpwasdrapedoverhim,butwaitedpatientlyforhisnexttask.Elmer then laid a loop fromawell-worn lariat out on the ground (he

reservedhis“good”lariatforotherpurposes),andwestackedtheboardsand pole carefully so that their ends projected into the loop.When theboardswereneatlystacked,Elmer tightened the loop.Thenheworkedthelariatropearoundthebigbundlewithseveralloops,eachhalf-hitchedas shown. I found it hard to believe that this loose bundle of heavyboards would stay together while dragged over the ground, but he

assuredmeitwould.

Draggingwithaloopandhalfhitches.

ElmertightenedBrownie’scinchandtoldme,“Whenyoudothis,whenyoucinchhimthistight,makesureyouloosenitanotchagainafterthepull.”Elmermountedup, and I handedhim the rope.He carefully tooktwo “dallies” (wraps) around the saddle horn, warning me that whendoingthisyou’realwaystokeepyourthumbintheair,neverturningyourhanddownward.“Toomanyropers,”hesaid,“aremissingathumb!”I watched as he eased Brownie forward, taking the slack out of the

rope,thenasBrowniearchedhisneckandloweredhisbodyintothepull.The rope tightened, and then each half hitch tightened as well,compressing thebundle intoaneatpackage, finallybeginning tomove.Then Brownie dragged it the needed fifty yards without a single wetboardescapingthepile.Theseriesofhalfhitcheshadworkedinconcerttocompresstheloadandkeepittogether.Iwasimpressed.Thismethodisanexcellentonefordraggingfirewoodlogstocampor

agroupofcorralpolestoaworksite.I’veuseditbehindaBelgianworkhorsetodragseveralsmalllogs,trimmedofbranches,outofthewoodstogether.Youcanuseitonasinglepoletoteachyourhorsetodrag,oneof thehandiestskillshecan learn forbackcountryuse.Heexperiencestheropeagainsthiship,thesensationofpullfromthehorn,therearwardviewofanobjectmovingmysteriouslybehindhim.Perhaps the ropeatsomepointgathersunderhistail.Whenhe’scomfortablewithallthishe’slikelytobereadytoponyapackhorse.

RollingHitchAlthough I’ve haven’t seen it used frequently in the horse world, the

rollinghitchisoneworthknowing.Itsomewhatresemblestheclovehitch,butitspurposeisdifferent.Therollinghitchallowsattachmenttoanotherropeor toapoleand isstrongwhen thepull is in linewith thepointofattachment, rather than perpendicular to it. So, if you wanted tosupplementthepullofoneropewithanother,therollinghitchwouldworkwell,andit,too,couldbeusedtodragapoleintocamp.Insuchauseitismuchmoresecurethanaclovehitch.

Rollinghitch,step1.

Rollinghitch,step2.

Start bywrapping the line around the object, then doing it a secondtime, each time crossing over the standing line (step 1). These wrapsshouldbeinthedirectionoftheintendedpull.Finally,(step2)wrapitathirdtime,butthistimeabovethestandingline(awayfromthedirectionof pull). Then, complete the knot with a half hitch by tucking the endunderthelastwrap.Pullittightbeforeapplyingpressure.

2.THEESSENTIALBOWLINE

Askaseasonedpackerorsailorwhichknotheorshewouldchoose toretainshouldabraininjurydeleteallbutoneknotfrommemory,andhe’dalmost certainly choose the bowline. It’s been called the queen of allknots,theknotthatwillneverfail,theknotwithwhichyou’dtrustyourlifeshouldtheoccasiondemand.Why is thebowlinesospecial?First, itdoesnot fail. Itdoesn’t come

untiedunderpressure,evenwhenshakenaround,ifit’sbeenpulledtight.Equally important, it never slips. Tie a loop into a ropewith a bowline,throwtheloopoverastump,andnomatterhowhardyoupull, theloopstays thesamesize.And,nomatter thepressureyou’veputon it, youcanalwaysgetituntied.Youcanloopanylonropearoundtheaxleofatruckstuckinthemud,pullitoutwithanothervehicle,andstilluntietheropewithoutruiningit.Thebowlineistheknotyou’dwanttotiearoundyourownbodyinan

emergencysituationoraroundthechestofahorseboggeddowninthemudbeforepullingitfree,secureintheknowledgeitwouldn’ttightenupandstranglewhen thepullwasapplied.Youcouldalso tie theendsoftwo ropes together in themost secure possibleway bymaking a loopwithabowline,thentyingtheotherropethroughthatloopandsecuringitwithabowlinealso—notacompactsetup,butaverystrongone.Shouldyouhavetotieahorseupwithonlyaropearounditsneck,as

ElmerdidwithRosie, thebowline is safeandsecure.Andshould it benecessarytorestrainahorsebytyingupafoot(formedication,perhaps,orafteranencounterwithaporcupine),themethodwepreferbeginswithabowline,thistimeatthebaseoftheneck.

TyingaBowlineThebowlineexists tomakea fixed loopat theendofa rope,a loopof

anysizeyouchoose.Usuallyit’stiedasfollows.Layoutthefreeendofyourlineusingatwisttomakeasmallloop(step1).

Bowline,step1.

Thenbring theendof the lineup through thehole (the rabbit comesout of the hole, step 2) and circle the standing part (the rabbit goesaroundthetree).Thenducktheendbackdownthroughtheloop/“hole”(step3).Finally,pulltheknottight.

Bowline,step2.

Bowline,step3.

Bowline,pulledtight.

Asa lefty, I tendto tie thebowlinetheoppositeway,but theresult isthesame.Imakethesmall loopinmyrighthandwiththestandingpartontop,thenbringtheenddownthroughthe“hole,”aroundthestandingpart,andbackthroughthehole.

TyingupaHorsewithaBowlineAsahorsemanoneofmymostcommonusesofthebowlinehasbeentotieupthehindfootofahorse.WhyandhowdoIdothis?Let’sbackup.Oneofthesafestthingsyoucanteachyourhorseistofreelygiveeachofhis feet,whether toa farrieror toa fence thathappens tosnaghim.Teachinghimtoyieldwithhisfeetcouldpreventaninjuryorevensavehislife.Thus,Idon’tstopwithhalter-breakingourcolts;Ialsoteachthemtoleadbyeachfoot,which iseasierthanitsounds.There’snoneedtopull hardonagiven foot, but just exert a steadypressure.Annoyedat

first,thecoltsoonfiguresoutthathecanreleasethepeskypressurebytaking a step toward you.When he’s good at the first foot (one of hisfronts)Iproceedtotheothers.Usuallyeachsucceedingfootiseasier.

Teachingahorsetoleadbyeachfoot.

Once this training is accomplished, hobbling becomes possible, thenpicketingon trips to themountainswithahobblehalfonone front foot.But the timemay comewhen the horse will have to be restrained, asmentioned above, to treat an injury or to pull porcupine quills. In anycase,holdingafootup,evenifthehorseresists,issomethingthefarrierwill eventually require.Believing it best not towait for anemergency, Iteachourhorsestoacceptrestraintbytyingupahindfootaspartoftheirtraining.Tyingup the foot beginswith a pieceof rope—around twenty feet is

good—madeofsoftcottonifyouintendtowrapitdirectlyaroundhishindpastern.Ifyouhaveahobblehalftousearoundthehindfootandintendto insert the rope through the ring, the texture of the rope is lessimportant.Butcottonisbestfordirectcontact,becauseit’slessabrasiveandmorecomfortableforthehorse.

Attachhobblehalfonpastern.

Forsafety, thecoltshouldnotbe tiedup tosomethingsecureduringthisprocedure—it’s farsafer tohaveanassistanthold the lead rope. Ifyou’re alone, wrap the lead rope a turn or two around a post or poleratherthantyingit,sothatifthecoltshouldspookduringtheprocess,theleadropecouldallowslippageandpreventafall.Startwithabowlinearound thebaseof thehorse’sneck, rightabout

whereahorsecollarfitsonadrafthorse(step1).

Tyingupafoot,step1:placeabowlinearoundtheneck.

Then bring the rope down between the horse’s hind legs (if you’regoingtowraparoundthehindpastern)orthroughtheringofthehobblehalf (if you’re using one). Then bring the rope back up along his sidethroughtheloopatthebaseofthehorse’sneck(step2).Thiscreates2:1leverage,andbypullingyoucanraisethecolt’shindlegupunderhim.However,Idon’tdothatrightaway.Instead,Ijusttaketheslackoutof

theropeandtieitoffwithahalfhitchwithquick-releaseloop(seepage14). The coltmay kick against the rope, testing it, but if you’ve trainedhimtoleadbyeachfootheshouldaccepttherestraintreadily.Whenhequitstestingtherope,I’lluntiethehalfhitchandpullthecolt’sfootslightlyforward,holdingontotheropeuntilhegetsusedtothat.Finally,I’llraiseituntilit’sjustclearofthegroundbeforetyingitoff.

Tyingupafoot,step2.

Again, the coltmay resist, kicking at the rope that restrains him, butsoonhe’llgetusedtoit.Theprocesswillhaveincreasedhisreadinesstogiveafootwhenasked,andyou’llbeconfidentthatyoucouldrestrainhismovement in an emergency. And you can have somewhat moreconfidence in his readiness to stand andwait for you, rather than hurthimself,shouldhebecaughtinbarbedwire.Thebowlineistheonlyknotin which I have full confidence when tying the rope around the colt’sneck,soit’stheknotthatmakestheprocedurepossible.

RunningBowlineJust as the bowline creates a fixed loop that will not tighten, anotherversionofthesameknotcandotheopposite—produceatighteningloopyou can throw around an object to snag it (perhaps as part of theprocedure described for dragging poles in the last chapter) or as animpromptulariatrope.Therunningbowlineisafineknotforthispurpose.Why “running?” Again, the explanation is nautical. The word “running”whenappliedtoknotsandropesmeansthataportionoftheknotorhitchisdesignedtoallowmovement.

A sailing vessel has two kinds of rigging.Standing rigging holds themastandspars inplace.Thestanding riggingstays ina fixedposition.Runningriggingismadeoflines(ropes)thatrunthroughvariouspulleys(blocks) to adjust the sails or other parts of the rig.The term “running”hasstuckwithintheworldofropesandknots.Itreferstoaknotorhitch,partofwhichismadetomove.Tiearunningbowlinebymakingalargeloopintheropebygoingover,

thenunderthestandingportion(step1).Atthetopofthelargeloopmakeanothersmalleronebytwistingtherope(step2).Then,justtieabowlinebybringingtheendoftheropeupthroughthe

smallloop(step3),aroundthetopofthelargeloop(therabbithascomeout of the hole and has gone around the tree), and now back downthroughtheloop.Pulltheknottight(step4).

Runningbowline,step1.

Runningbowline,step2.

Runningbowline,step3.

Runningbowline,step4.

The bowline is acting as the honda of your makeshift lariat. It hassnaggedthemainpartoftheropeinsuchawaythatitcan“run,”soyoucanmaketheloopas largeasyouwish,throwitaroundanobject,andtighten itbyapull.Nomatter thepressure,you’llalwaysbeable togettherunningbowlineuntied.

HondaKnotButifyouonlywishtocreateanimpromptulariat,thehondaknotismorecompact and very easy to tie. Knot guru Clifford Ashley wrote in TheAshleyBookofKnots that he learned thehonda knot from the famouscowboy author and illustrator Will James (whose cabin in the PryorMountainswaslocatedonlyfiftymilesorsoeastofmeasthecrowflies).Totiethehondaknot,firsttieanoverhandknotintheendofyourrope

asastopperknot,asshown,andpull it tight.Theoverhandknot isone

youmakefrequentlywithoutthinking;yousimplymakealoopintheropeandpass theend through it, thenpull tight. It’sprobably themost-oftenused stopper knot, defined as a knot in the end of a rope to make iteasier to hold onto the end should it slip through your hand. Stopperknots are also used as a temporary way of keeping a rope fromunraveling.

Overhandknotasstopperknot.

After you’ve made a tight overhand stopper knot, make a looseoverhandknoteightorteninchesfromtheendofyourrope(step1).Nowbringthatendupthroughonesideoftheoverheadknot(step2).

Pullthelooseknottight,leavingasmalllooptoactasthehonda(step3).

Hondaknot,step1.

Hondaknot,step2.

Hondaknot,step3.

Nowthreadtheotherendofyourropethroughthe looptocreate thelariat.Of course, it’s extremely important never to place a lariat or other

running loop around a horse’s neck and then tie it to something solid.Traditional cowboys who roped horses from their remuda in a corralsometimesusedasnubbingpost,butonlytowrap(dally)thelariatrope,not to tie fast.The ropewasallowed toslipasnecessary,much in themannerof thedragona fishing reel.Also, thehondaon the lariatwasopenenough thatwheneverslackwasgiven in the lariat rope, the looparoundthehorse’sneckalsoloosened.And,asthehorsesbecameusedtotheroutine,theywereineffecttrainedtoberoped;whentheyfeltthelariataroundtheirnecks,theygavetothepressureandavoidedinjuringthemselves.

Hondaknotwithendpulledthroughforlariat.

3.TRAILKNOTS

Nowit’stimetogetinthesaddle,hitthetrail,andusesomeoftheknotswe’vediscussed,perhapslearningafewmoreontheway.Iemphasizethe trail,because ifyouwere thesortwhoonly rides inanarenaoronmanicuredbridlepathsandhasagroom(heavenforbid)totakecareofallequinedetails foryou,youwouldprobablynotbe reading thisbook.Knowledge of knots is for the horseman or horsewoman who getsoutside,goesplaces,anddoesthingswithhisorherhorse.

TyingYourHorseLet’s start with some basics. Your horse, no matter how well trained,wouldbebychoiceafree-roamingcreature,constantlysearchingforthemost delicious bite of grass, ever aware of danger and ready to runshouldsomethingsuspiciouspresentitself.Waterahorseinacreekandyou’ll notice thathe rarelydrinkshis fill inoneshot.Several timeshe’llraise his head quickly, look around, and then resume drinking. Thewaterholeisnature’sambushsetup,wherepredatorspatientlywait,andyourhorse,nomatterhisthousandyearsofdomestication,knowsit.Trainingchangesallthis,atleasttoadegree.Butfundamentaltoyour

use of him is hiswillingness to stand tied, to complywith yourwishesrather thanwith his instinct to run free. And for tyingwe need halters,leadropes,andsomethingsolidtowhichtotie.I emphasize “solid,” because an ill-advised trend is nowmaking the

roundsinvolving“breakaway”systemsfortyinghorses.Thetheoryisthatshould a horse pull too hard it might hurt itself. So, at a certain pointthesebreakawayhaltersorleadsaredesignedtogivewayandallowthehorse to leave thepremises.Onemarketer of such systemshails fromEngland, where, I suspect, a horse loose in a small paddock doesn’tposeahugeproblem.Buttraditionally,inthehugeexpansesofAmerican

West,andeventoday,“beingafoot”couldactuallycostyouyourlife.Bluntly put, whoever came up with this breakaway idea had never

takenPsychology101andhadnevermetahorselikeRosie(whosepull-backproblemIdiscussedintheintroduction).Andheorshehadcertainlyneverhad towalk fivemilesback to thehomeranchbecauseasaddlehorsegotaway.Abreakawaysystemwillsimplytrainyourhorsetopullback.Thefirsttimehefreeshimselfmaybeanaccident,aslightspookthat results inabit of a jerk, a release, followedbya tasteof freedom(positive reinforcement). The next one will be deliberate—that grasstastedsogood.Fromthenon,he’llbeaconfirmedpuller,toyourdistressand to his own peril. (Remember that busy highway or set of railroadtracksnearyourhorsetrailer?)All young horses should be equippedwith a stout halter, then halter

trained in thehandsofsomeonebothstrongandunderstanding. Idon’thalter train by pulling straight forward on the colt’s head—that onlyencourageshimtopullbackagainstthepressure.InsteadIstandtohissideandsimply taketheslackoutof the leadrope.He’suncomfortablewithhisnoserestrictedandmovedslightlysideways,andsoonerorlaterhe figuresout that he canmakehis own slackbyeasing towardme. Ireward him verbally, and then take the slack out again. Soon heunderstandsthatcomfortcomeswithcompliancewiththepressure,andhe’shalterbroke.Further,asdescribedearlier,Iteachthecolttogiveeachfoot,leading

himbyeachinturn.Whenhe’sthatfaralong,understandinghe’stogivetopressureeitherfromthehalterorfromthefoot,heshouldbetieduptosomethingsolid,tiedupfairlyhigh(nolowerthannaturalnoselevel),andwith a short rope (with perhaps three to four feet of lead). Tying hightakes away the colt’s leverage, tending to make his hind legs slip upunder him. Always, though, I tie with a quick-release knot. Very fewhorses struggle very long, because it’s uncomfortable for them.After atimeortwotheynormallyacceptbeingtiedup,andthat’sthat.

Tiehighandfairlyshortforsafety.

TypesofHaltersA “breakaway” system, tying with weak reins rather than lead rope, ortyingtosomethingflimsycan“unlearn”(“extinguish”isthepsychologicalterm) this training. Also, early in training, a horse might spook andinadvertentlybreakaweakhalter or lead rope. If odds seemgood thismight happen, it’s probably best to use the very strongest setupavailable,whichisahalterandleadropewithnohardwarewhatsoever.The modern synthetic rope tied halters are incredibly strong. Add astrongleadropeeitherhitchedtothelooponthehalterwithahalfhitchonthepre-tiedloop(whichcreatesasheetbend,asdiscussedonpage18)orattachedviaaneyesplice,andyoueliminateallmetal snapsorbucklesthatcouldconceivablybreak.Ofthese,Ilikeusingaleadropewithaneyesplicebest,becauseit’s

so easily removable. To attach, simply slip the eye splice through thehalterloop,andthenbringtheendoftheleadropebackthroughtheeyesplice,pullingthewholeropethrough.Ifyouprefertoridewiththeleadropeattached,thismakesanice,compact,andlightattachment,withoutametalsnaptoclickalong,annoyingbothyouandyourhorse.Yet, it’seasily removable.And, ifyoudecideyoupreferasnap,youcanattachthe snap to the eye splice the same way. (We’ll discuss making leadropeswitheyesplicesandbacksplicesinchapter7,seepage164.)Muchas I recognize the superior strengthof tied-type synthetic rope

halters (and I use them a great deal), I actually prefer flat strap-typehalters and lead ropes with strong snaps for riding. Here’s why: Sincetyingwithreinsistabooexceptinemergencies(thereinsareweak,anda

pullonthebitcanhurtahorse’smouth),Itendtoridewiththehalterinplaceunderthebridle.Aflathaltersoplacedismorecomfortableforthehorsethanaropehalter,withitsknotsandcircularmaterial.Thekeyistobuyhigh-qualityhalters.Veryniceleatherhaltersusedto

becommon,andthey’restillavailable.Goodonesareexpensive,butit’struethatthere’sprobablynothingnicerforthehorseagainsthisskinthanleather, themost naturalmaterial of all, and some are also padded orlinedwithsoftlatigoleather.Butleathermustbecaredfor,cleaned,andoccasionallyoiled,andmosthorsemenareabittooimpatienttocareforgearproperly.Thus, nylon has largely replaced leather for halters in everyday use,

butnylonhaltersaren’tallthesame.Theverythinones,oftenpricedaslow as ten bucks, are flimsy, and their hardware is extremely suspect.Spend a little more, and get halters of high quality. These will haverelatively thicknylonordoubledstrapping.Themetal ringson themarelikelytobeofhigherquality.Myreasonforpreferringleadropeswithswivelsnapsratherthanthose

withropesattachedsemi-permanently(thefactoryknotspulledtightarehardtountie)stemsfrommyworkinthebackcountry,whereI’mlikelytouseahighlinetorestrainmyhorses.Thehorse’sleadmusthaveaswivelwhere it attaches to thehighline, since theanimal is free tomove in acircular pattern under the highline. Lack of a swivelwillmeana ruinedropebymorning.Hardwarehighlineloopswithswivelsareavailable,butinmyexperienceaswivelontheleadropeitselfisstillnecessary.Ifthehorsecirclescontrarytothedirectioninwhichtheropewastwistedasitwasmade,aropewithoutaswivelsimplyunravels.Othertypesofropewilltwistintoknots.The snap should not be aweak sliding typemade of brass. A “bull”

snapisstronger,iflesshandy,assumingit’sofhigh-qualityconstruction.I’ve seen a few poorly made ones. As mentioned, a lead rope with aheavysnapatoneendshouldnotbe leftattached to thehalterasyouride.Thesnapwillannoythehorseandevenaffecthissensitivitytotheneck rein. Coil the rope compactly and tie it to your saddle strings,makingsurethestringgoesthroughthesnapitselfaspartofthecoil.Tieitoffwithasquareknot.

Tie-UpKnot

There aremanyways to tie a horse upwith his lead rope attached tosomething solid. Formaximum security, youmight use a bowline, andI’vebeenknowntodothatinwildernesscountrywhenIneedtoleavemyhorseforalongperiodoftime.However,thetie-upknotInormallyuseisanextremely simpleone taughtmebymywifeand father-in-law. It’satypeofslipknot,quicktotieandrelativelyquicktorelease,unlessithaswithstoodextremepressure.Simplypass the lead ropearound thepostor treeandbring theend

backtowardyou.Twisttomakeasmallloopwiththestandingportionontop(step1).Placetheloopontheothersideofthespanofropebetweenthehorseandthepost(step2).

Tie-upknot,step1.

Tie-upknot,step2.

Now pass a loop (bight) through that small loop and pull the wholethingtightagainstthepost(step3).Younowhaveasecureknotthatcanbeuntiedwithonejerk.However,it’seasytopassanotherloopthrough

the first one and even do that several times, creating a chain you canuntiewithaseriesofjerks.Formaximumsecurity,asalaststepIputtheendoftheleadropebackthroughthefinalloop(step4).WhenuntyingI’llneedtoremovethatendfromtheloopbeforeIstartpullingtorelease.

Tie-upknot,step3.

Tie-upknot,step4:afterpullingoneormorebightsthrough,putendthroughforsafety.

RopeTypesontheTrailLeadropescomeinallsortsofmaterial,cotton,nylon,manila,andpolybeing themost common (see chapter 1, page 2). To review, cotton isniceonthehands,andforthisreasonIliketoleadmypackhorsewithacotton rope. However, cotton is relatively weak, so cotton lead ropesmustbemadewithalargerdiametertocompensate,whichinturnmakesthembulkier toknot.Anotherdisadvantagecomes incoldweather. Inafall hunting camp in themountains, I’ve tied a horsewith awet cottonrope after a snowstorm, then tried hard to untie the horse the nextmorningafterthetemperaturehasplummeted.Cottonabsorbsmoisture,

whichthenfreezeswhenthetemperaturedropsduringthenight.Nylon is incredibly strong, and it comes in many configurations. As

mentioned earlier, I tend to prefer three-strand twisted rope, nomatterwhat thematerial, because it’s so easy to splice. But some of the softnylonbraidedropesareveryniceonthehands.Nylonstretchesagreatdeal,agood thing fora leadropesince thestretchsoftens the jerk ifahorsepullsback.Oftheseveraltypesofropenicknamed“poly,”it’spolyesterthatIuse

mostoftenfortheslingropesonmypacksaddles,becauseIpreferlessstretchforthatpurpose,andIpreferitforhighlinesforthesamereason.A highline of nylon rope is certainly strong, but you’ll find yourselfconstantlytighteningit.Manila canbenice on thehands, is relatively strong, and is easy to

splice.Beingofnatural fiber, however, it’smoresusceptible to rot thanmostofthesynthetics,andwhileitdoesn’tabsorbmoistureasreadilyascotton,awetmanilaleadropeisstillheavierandlesshandythanadryone.

TrailHazardsOn the trail, unless you put all your gear on a pack animal, you’ll takesome(hopefullynottoomuch)alongonyoursaddlehorse.Butbeforeweget to details about hauling gear on your saddle horse, a word aboutsafety. All knowledgeable equestrians have an absolute phobia aboutbecoming inadvertently “tied” to a horse. The nightmare most oftenemphasizedisthatoffallingorbeingbuckedoffandcatchingone’sfootinthestirrup.RidinginSpainusingEnglishcavalrysaddles,ourguide“tested”usby

ordering a canter (gallop, actually) up a gravel road the first time wemounted. I hadn’t studiedmy saddle adequately, andwhile galloping Irealized that my right foot was fixed in the too-small stirrup. I roderelatively well, so there was no real danger, but the mere thought ofbecominghungupwasenoughtospoilmypleasure.AtthefirstreststopIwasable toswapstirrupswithawomanwhoseownwereexcessivelylarge.Tapaderoscanhelppreventthathorridscenariobyblockingone’sfoot

fromslippingallthewaythroughthestirrup.Properfootwearhelps,too;agood heel on one’s boot can prevent the foot from slipping too far

forward. I avoid boots with an excessively aggressive traction tread,becausethey’remorelikelytobecomecaughtasyoudismount.And,ofcourse, a gentle, well-trained horse always increases one’s odds ofsurvival!Buttherearemanyotherpossiblepitfalls,thingsthatcould“glue”you

to the horse, and they usually involve ropes or straps. Years ago,saddlingupwithmyfather-in-law,Inotedthatthelatigoonmycinchwasunnecessarilylong,andIaskedElmerwhetheritshouldbetrimmedoff,becauseithungnearlytotheground.“It’sokay,”Elmersaid,“becauseitdoesn’tmakealoop.”It took a while for that to sink in. The strap hanging straight down

wasn’t a hazard, in his opinion, because it wouldn’t likely catch onanything. But if I’d tied it up in some haphazard fashion I might havecreated a loop that, in a “wreck,” could catchmy leg ormy arm. Thatconversationhasstuckwithme.Anyropeorstrapthatcreatesaloopisapotential hazard. These things include a lariat or lead rope too looselycoiled as it attaches to the saddle; a mecate stuck into your belt (acurrentfadpushedbysomecliniciansthatisdangerousfortheaveragetrailrider);evenone-piece(loop)reins,asopposedtosplitreins;allhavepotential tocatcha legorarmshouldyourhorse“blowup”becausehemeetsabearonthetrailorabicyclehurdlingsilentlytowardhimdownamountaintrailatthirtymilesperhour.

PackWeightandPlacementAnother potential hazard I see frequently are saddle packs behind thecantlepiledhigh,bagsthataretoobig,bothtothedetrimentofthehorseandtothepossiblechagrinoftheridershouldheorshecatchalegonthegearwhendismounting.Huge-capacitysaddlepacksarepushedbysomemanufacturers to transporta fullcomplementofcampinggearonone’s saddle horse along with the rider. The problemwith these largepacksisthatpeopletendtofindwaystofillthem.Besidestheelementofrisk,wemustconsiderthewelfareofthehorse.

Horses carry weight most efficiently if it’s near their center of gravity,whichonmosthorses is fairly far forward, justbackfromthe“elbow”ofthefrontleg,andaboutathirdofthewayuptheirbody.Aheavypersonrideswithmuchofhisorherweightbehindthatpoint.Addheavypacksbehindthecantleofthesaddleandyou’reprobablystressingthehorse’s

backandalsointerferingwithhisbalance.That’sasafetyissue.AnotherunwisetrendIseetoday,especiallyamonghunters,isthatof

ariderinthesaddlecarryingaheavybackpackonhisback.Theideaisfortheridertohaveallhisessentialgearwithhimwhenhestepsoffthehorseand tiesup togo look foradeerorelk.Butsuchapackcreatesseveralproblems.Again,itputsweighttoofarbackonthehorse,anditraisesthecenterofgravityonthehorse’sback.Shouldthehorseneedtogoupanextremelysteepincline,weightthishighcouldconceivablypullhimoverbackwards,adeadlyscenario.Here’smy progression for tying on gearwhile I ride, from lightest to

heaviest. For a day ride when it’s not too hot (my Norwegian blooddoesn’thandleheatwell), I justweara lightvestwithmanypockets.Asmallcameracangoinone,afirstaidkitinanother,perhapsasandwichin still another. A canteen or water bottle can be carried on the belt.Nothingneedbetiedonthesaddleeitherinfrontorinback.Next up, when more gear is needed, I use pommel (horn) packs.

Anythingheavy—abiggercamera,waterbottles,extrafood,binoculars—goesinthem.Slippingthebagsontothesaddlehornisn’tsecureenoughby itself, and they tend to bump my leg, so I also tie a saddle stringsecurelyaroundeachwithasquareknotora squareknotwith slippedloop. If your saddle has D-rings on the pommel, you can use cord tosecurethem.(ThemoresaddlestringsandD-ringsonatrailsaddlethebetter, and if your saddle has too few of each, have a saddle makerinstallmore.)Bykeepingheavieritemsforward,I’mhelpingmyhorsebyrememberinghiscenterofgravity.

Quick-Attach/Quick-ReleaseKnotWhen more gear is needed and my small pommel bags won’t holdeverything, I’ll still try to keepweight forward. Perhaps I’ll buy a set oflargerpommelbags—theydoexist.WaterbottlesinsheathsmadewithasnaptogoontoaD-ringcanbecarriedoutsidethepommelbags.Butarainslickerorextrajacketprobablyneedstogobehindthecantle.Rollitas compactly as possible and tie it tightly. I use a secure but quick-releasemethodfortyingobjectswiththesaddlestrings,learnedfrommywife and father-in-law. The method is simply a series of slipped half-knots.Emilystartsbybuildingthefirsthalfofasquareknot(step1)butpullingonestrandasaloop(step2),insertingaloopfromtheotherside

intothefirstone(step3),andsoon.

Quick-releaseknot,step1.

Quick-releaseknot,step2.

Quick-releaseknot,step3.

In each case after inserting the loop within a loop, she pulls on theoppositestrand(step4).Theendresultisaknotshecandetachquickly

by pulling on the strands with both hands, alternately. It’s quicker andeasierthanitsounds.Finally,nowpushingthemaximumweightandbulkIliketocarryonmy

saddlehorse,I’llreluctantlytieonsaddlebagsbehindthecantle.Ihaveawonderfulpairmadeofheavyleatherbyagoodfriendwhoimprintedourlivestock brand on them. They’re extremely well made and durable.However, even empty, they’re heavy. Nylon bags are less classy, butthey’remuchlighter,andsomecomeinsulatedsoyourlunchstayscool.And they’re available in bright colors, a plus during hunting season orwhen riding in remotecountrywheresomesort of disaster couldmakeyourvisibilityan important rescueadvantage.Butdon’tbuy thebiggestsaddlebagsyoucanfind;they’llonlytemptyoutotakealongmorethanyoushould.

Quick-releaseknot,step4.

SecuringFirearmsMuch of backcountry horse use, and in the Rocky Mountain Westparticularly,isconnectedwithhuntingtraditionandthusinvolvescarryingarifleorshotgunonasaddlehorse.Peopletendtowardstrongopinionsabout the proper way of carrying a relatively awkward item and abouthow its scabbard should be tied on. Complications have increased asscabbardshavegrownlargertoaccommodatebulkierfirearmswithlargescopes,bipods,andotheraccessories.Horsebackinthemountains,I’veseenallsortsofvariations.First, it goes without saying that no firearm should ever be carried

horseback with a cartridge in the chamber. Check, re-check, and thencheck again that the chamber is empty before sliding a rifle into a

scabbard. The most common position seems to be butt forward andmuzzledownatabout45degrees,thescabbardridingunderthestirrupleathers. This position is easier on the knee than a straight horizontalattachment, though one experiencedmountain hunter I know carries itthatway,horizontallyrightunderhisknee.Butthen,he’stoughasnailsandprobablydoesn’tevennotice.Mykneewouldcomplain.

Riflescabbardintypicalposition.

Thestrapsthatcomewithsaddlescabbardsareoftentooshorttouseproperly. If you’re lucky, and they’re of adequate length, the front one(towardthebuttendoftherifle)canextendupthroughthegulletonthepommelofthesaddle,andtherearcanreachaD-ring(ifyoursaddlehassuch)behindthecantle.Toooftentherearstrapwon’tbe longenough,however,andyou’llneedtoextendapairofsaddlestringsdowntomeetalooponthestrap.I’drecommendtyingthestringswithasheetbend.I’ll reiterate that if your saddle has no D-rings and/or stingy, short

saddlestrings,haveasaddlemakerfixtheproblem.Ilikesaddlestringstobearoundtwofeetlongandmadeofgood,stoutleatherthongs.

WhatWeightCanYourHorseSafelyBear?Whentravellinghorsebackwithgear,therecomesatimewhenyouhavetoquestionwhetherit’spracticalandhumanetoaskyoursaddlehorsetocarry you and perhaps an entire complement of even the lightestcampingequipment.Yes, it’spossible toassembleabare-bonessetofovernightnecessitiesandgetitallonyoursaddlehorsealongwithyoursaddleandyourownbody,packingitneatlywithproperknots.Butunlessyouweighlittlemorethanajockeyandyou’retoughenoughtogetalongwith extremely Spartan gear, it’s probably time to add a pack animal.

We’ll helpwith that in the next chapter.Meanwhile, aword about yoursaddleanimal’sweight-carryingabilityisinorder.How much weight can your horse safely carry? There’s no easy

answer. The formula used by some riding stables—20 percent of theanimal’sweight—isuselessifnotdownrightdamaging.Therearesimplytoo many variables. Can an overweight fourteen-hundred-pound horsereallycarrymoreweightthanthesamehorse,slimmedandconditionedtotwelvehundredpounds?Indeed, as horses (and other four-legged animals) grow larger, their

efficiency tends to diminish. A Percheron is able to carrymore than aWelshpony,true,buthecanprobablycarryasmallerpercentageofhisbodyweight,becausehemustsupporthisownveryheavybody.Further, the conformation of a horse has much to do with weight-

carryingability.SmallishIcelandichorsesroutinelycarrylargepeopleanddosoata fastclip.Amongtheirotherassetsareverybroad loins.Youcanfeelahorse’sloinmusclebypressingfirmlyonhisbackbehindtheribcageanddraggingyourhanddownonesideofhistorsoortheother.At some point, you’ll feel a drop-off—that’s the end of themuscle. Forweightcarrying,thefurthertheloinmuscleextendsdowntotheside,thebetter.Good bone is also an asset for carrying heavyweight, as is a short

back. Dr. Deb Bennett, an expert on horse skeletal structure at theEquine Studies Institute, believes that the circumference of the frontcannon bone on a saddle horse shouldmeasure aminimum of seveninchesperthousandpoundsofweight.Maturity,whichdoesn’tcomeuntilagesix,isanecessityforcarryingheavyweightsoverasustainedperiodof time. Placement of weight on the horse, as we’ve discussed, isimportant, and so is the ability of the rider. The personwho sits like asackofpotatoes,whomoveslittlewiththehorse,makesittoughfortheanimal,whilethegoodriderunconsciouslyhelpsthehorse.One conformational asset in horses, which helps with mounting and

balancinggearonbothsaddleandpackhorses,isprominentwithers(thehighpoint,justinfrontofthesaddle).Ahorsewithgoodwithersholdsthesaddle better than onewith a sausage-shaped back. But that’s not anexcuse to tiegearon inasloppyorunbalanced fashion. Ifyoursaddlecontinues to list in one direction, and you believe you’re riding in abalanced,square fashion,moveapieceofgear from the listingside to

the other side. Sometimes it doesn’t takemuch: something no heavierthanawaterbottlecandothetrick.

TyingtotheSaddleOneareawhereweactuallywanttoavoidtyingaknotiswhenweponyanotherhorse,perhapsapackanimal,ordragsomethingwithourmount.Nevertiefasttothesaddlehornoranotherpartofthesaddle.Yes,therewasatraditionintheropingworldamongtruecowboys,particularlythoseinMexicanandSouthAmerican tradition, that involved tying theendofthe lariat rope fast to the saddle horn, but few, if any of us, are of thelevelofhorsemanship(withhorsesat the levelof training)necessarytopreventdisasterwiththatapproach.That said, utilizing your horse’s strength and size, as Elmer did in

moving irrigation boards, can be useful in a host ofways.With awell-trainedhorse,youcandragfirewoodintocamporinanemergencypullananimaloutofabog(anadvancedskill Ihopeyouneverneed).Thetrickistohandleropesandknotswithsafetyinmind,sincethepowerofahorsehitchedtoaropethatsomehowinadvertentlywrapsaroundyoumeansseriousconsequencesindeed.Teachyourhorsetopullbydraggingalooseropefirst,thenperhapsa

tire,aroundthearena.Assumingyouridewithawesternsaddle,insteadof tyinganysort of knot, takeadally (wrap)around thehornwith yourfree hand, thumb in the air. (Like all good “using” horses, your horseshould neck rein. If he isn’t so trained, that’s another task to beaccomplished.)Steer ropers consider three full wraps around the horn to be the

minimumrequiredtoholdthepressureofananimalattheendofalariatrope.Butusejustonewrapwhenfirstinstructingyourhorsebydraggingtheropeoraverylightobject.Ifyoursaddlehornisslippery,youcanadda“dallywrap,”purchasedfromawesterntackshop,tocreatefriction,orapproximateonebycuttingacrossacarortruckinnertube.Cutaswathaboutan inchwide,whichcreatesa loop, thenplace itover thesaddlehorn,twist,gooveragain,andsoonuntilyourhornistightlysheathedinrubber.

TimberHitchOneofthehandiestwaystoattachyourropetoanobject,suchasalog

youwishtodragintocampforfirewood,isthetimberhitch;it’ssosimplethatatfirstglanceyoumightbesurpriseditworks.Justplaceyourropearoundtheobject,bringthefreeendaroundthestandingpart,andthencoil itseveral timesarounditself tocreatesomethingthat looksvaguelylike a hangman’s knot. Pull out all slack so that the hitch lies tightlyagainst the log. You’ve now created a tightening loop around the log,similar inappearancetoa lariat loopedaroundthe log,butrequiringnoother knot. The secret to its holding power is pressure. As the ropetightensthecoilpressestightlyagainstthelog.Itworkswellandisquickandeasytoundowhenthetaskisaccomplished.

Timberhitch.

Aproperlypackedsaddlehorse isonethatappearsneatly“dressed.”Nothing protrudes in an ugly or hazardous fashion. No great bundleexistsbehindthecantleof thesaddle tocatcha footwhenmountingordismountingortooverloadahorsewhereitdamageshiscenterofgravityorhisspine.Pommelpackscarrymostoftheheavyitems.And,whentoomuch gear is required, likely to happen on extended trips, on cold-weathertrips(becauseofextraclothing),andonadventuresthatrequirehunting, fishing, or photographyequipment,we turn to thepackanimal(andthenextchapter).Adding a pack animal to your riding group, even on day rides, can

relieveseveralridersofalltheexcessgearthey’dnormallytakeontheirsaddle horses, their lunches, extra jackets, water, and fishing poles,without even coming close to a pack animal’s capacity. More ridinggroupsshouldconsiderit.

4.PACKHORSEKNOTS

Experthorseandmulepackersrivaltraditionalsailorsintheirknowledgeofknotsandtheirmanyuses.Athoroughknowledgeofthevariousknots,hitches,andslings, includingthediamondhitchanditsmanyvariations,canrequirealifelongstudy.Amongmypackingacquaintances,however,mostseemtohavesettledonasystemthatsuitsthemandthatanswerstheir various needs, with further expertise interesting but not required.I’vegonethatsamedirection.

No-KnotPackSystemsOf course, you can begin packing without using knots at all! Packingsystemsaremarketedwhichusetheabsenceofknotsasasellingpoint,perhaps tapping into the modern penchant for instant gratification. It’smucheasierinsomefolks’eyesifnolearningisrequired.There’s nothing wrong with such systems. Usually they consist of a

coupleofsoftpanniers(bagsthathangoneachsideoftheanimal)withweb loops that attach over the crossed wooden slats of a sawbuckpacksaddleor through theD-rings that form the top frameof aDeckersaddle (moreon these inabit).Astrapwithbuckleattachesunder thebellyofthepackanimaltokeepthepanniersfromfloppingaround.Then,bucklesattachatoppacktothetwopanniers.Usealittlecommonsense,keepsofteritemsnexttothehorse,harder

itemsawayfromhim,matchthetwopanniersinweight,andyoucanhitthetrail,assumingyourpackanimalhasbeentrainedtocarryinanimateweight,andhe’susedtothebreechingunderhistail.Butlikemosteasythings in life, such a system has its limitations. First, it allows packingonlywhat fitsconveniently into thepanniers.Second, inanemergency,suchasapackhorsefallingorbecomingboggeddown,itmaybenearlyimpossibletoreleasetheloadandsavetheanimalwithoutcuttingstraps,

an action thatwill leave the system very hard to use after the crisis isover.Withsystemsusingropesandknots,youcanusequick-releaseknots

(whichsometimesaren’tallthateasytoreleaseafterextremepressure)orotherknotsandasharpknifeforsuchanemergency.Ifyoumustcutarope,youcansplice itor replace itwithanextrapicket rope fromyourpacks and be on your way. And, since several packing systems don’trequiremorethanafeweasily-learnedknots,learningmoreabouttheartandscienceofpacking,ratherthantakingtheeasiestroute,willbewellworththetrouble(andagoodshareofthefun).

SaddlePanniersButfirst,awordabouttheseveralsystemsavailable.Thesimplest is tousesaddlepanniersoveraregularridingsaddleyoumayalreadyownasanextra.Theseconsistof twoclothorplasticbagsconnected togetherwithatoppanelofmaterialwithcut-outs,asmalleronetoslipover thepommel of the saddle, and a larger slit to go over the cantle. Saddlepanniers normally have lids to close off the tops of the bags, thoughsomeof them,primarily intendedforhunterswhowishtopackoutdeeror elk quarters,may have only straps. Another strap with buckle goesunderthehorse’sbelly.Thebettersaddlepacksalsohavestrapsthatgoacrossthetopofthebagsjoiningthetwotocompresstheloadandholditclosertothehorse.

Ridingsaddlewithsaddlepanniers.

Saddlepannierswork,butthey’reanexpedient,oftencarriedrolledupbehindthecantleonthesaddlesofhopefulhunters.Thehunter’sintent,shouldheorshescoreonmeatforthewinterfreezer,istopackquarters

inthepanniers, leadingthesaddlehorsetothetrailhead.Removingthestirrupsandplacingtheminthepanniersisagoodidea—otherwisetheybumpthehorseundertheload.Also,tobetterprotectthehorse,it’sbesttouseanoversizedpackingpadunderthesaddletoextendfartherdownalongthehorse’sflanks.ButIhavefoundthatevenifsaddlepanniersarepackedevenly,they

don’t stay inplaceall thatwell.Theslits thatgoover the ridingsaddlehavetoomuchplay in them,allowingtoomuchsidetosidemovement.We’ve installed grommets in the center of the front opening, where itgoesover thehornandpommel, then tiedacord through thegrommetandaroundthehornwithasquareknot,whichhelps.Butusuallywe’veendedupusingabaskethitch to furthersupport thepanniersandkeepthemhigherand tighteron thehorse’sback.Thiscanbeaccomplishedwithsomeridingsaddles,but thesling ropeswouldhave tobebroughtalongwiththerider.We’llexplorethebaskethitchshortly.Also, since the two bags are connected together by the top panel,

they’realmostimpossibletoliftontotheanimalifthey’refullyloaded.Theonlyalternative is toput thepanniersonthesaddleand load items intothemwhen they’re in position—abit awkward if the horse is tall. If thehorse is spooky, hemay take issuewith the appearance and smell ofsomeoftheitemsyouplacethere,andyoumustconstantlygofromoneofhissidestotheothertokeepthingsbalanced.Gettinganactualweightoneachsidewithapacker’sscaleisvirtually impossible,soyou’llhavetowatchhowthepanniersrideandbequicktoswitchitemstotheothersideifonepackbeginstosinklowerthanitsmate.Unloadingsaddlepanniersmustbeapproachedthesamewayandcan

bemorethaninconvenient.Onasolomoosehuntmanyyearsago,Ihadalonganextrahorseandasetofsaddlepanniers,thistimeattachedtoasawbuckpacksaddle. Iwasable to lift the frontquarterofa youngbullmoose into each of the pannierswhile theywere in place onSugar, amoderately-sized gelding. The quarters weighed perhaps one hundredpoundseach;Iprobablycouldn’trepeatthistoday.

Sawbuckpacksaddlewithsoftpanniers.

AllwentwelluntilIarrivedincamp,exhaustedfromanafternoonthatinvolvedskinningandquarteringsucha largeanimalbymyself inplaceontheground.Ifounditutterlyimpossibletostandonmytiptoes,reachdownintothepanniers,andextracttheheavyquarters.Hadthepanniersbeenconventional, separateones, I couldhave removed them,but thetop panel connecting the two saddle panniers made that impossible. Ihadnochoicebut tocarefullyremovebreechingandbreastcollar, thenchecking and double checking to see that nothing would hang up, IremovedthemaincinchonthepacksaddleandrolledtheentireaffairoffSugar’sback.Hewasagood,steadyhorseanddidnotspook.Another limitationof saddlepanniersusedona riding saddle is their

lackofabreeching(often“britchin’”)tohelpthehorseholdbacktheloadon downhill grades. A crupper serves in this regard as well. With allpacking, it’s important to understand that the horse is carrying deadweight.Thepacksdonotcompensateforthehorse’smotioninthewayagoodriderdoes,whichiswhyit’swisetolimittotal loadstoaroundonehundredfiftypounds.Abreechingorcrupperhelpsstabilizetheloadondownhill grades. Either can be purchased separately and added to ariding saddle intended for packing use, but appropriate D-rings mighthave to beadded to theextra saddle, andperhaps it’s better to investthatmoneyinanactualpacksaddle.

SawbuckSaddle

Themost economical of these is the time-proven sawbuck, also calledthe crossbuck. Its names derive from what used to be a commonbackyardfixture,asetupwithcrossedpolesonwhichyoucouldlaylogstosawintoblocksforfirewood.ThesawbucksaddlehasbeenastapleofpackinginAmericaforwelloveracentury,andit’sfoundinmanypartsofthe world. On a riding trek in the mountains of southern Spain I sawpackersusingsawbucksaddles.Thesawbuckismadeoftwowooden“bars,”shapedtofitthebacksof

most animals (though these can be custom shaped with a rasp ifnecessary).Thesearesecuredtogetherbytwopairsofhardwoodslats,fastened where they cross forming two Xs. Normally sawbucks are“double rigged,” having two cinches rather than one, usually fastenedwith latigo knots (two facing half hitches), and they’re equippedwith asimplebreaststrapandtheessentialbreeching.

Mulewithsawbuckpacksaddle.

The sawbuck works well for both the entry-level packer and theseasoned professional. The expert usually slings panniers or boxes oneach side of the saddle andaddsa top pack coveredwith a tarp, andfinallysecureseverythingwithavariationof thediamondhitchattachedto an extra cinch going under the animal’s belly. Most of the variousversions of the diamond hitch require a helper and considerableexpertise,butthey’reworthexploringandmosteasilytaughtbyamentorwhocanwalkyouthroughthevarioussteps.The entry-level packer can acquire a sawbuck and equip it with soft

pannierswithoutasubstantialinvestment.Simplyloadthepannierstobeequal in weight (within five pounds or so of each other), keeping soft

itemssuchassleepingbagsandextraclothingnext to thehorse.Loopthe straps over the twoXs of the sawbuck, fasten a strap underneath,andyou’regoodtogo.Toppacksandtheknotsforsecuringthemcanbelearned later (or you can use the buckle system if your panniers aremadeforit).

DeckerSaddleThe Decker saddle was developed in the mining areas of northwestMontana and northern Idaho, where awkward pieces of miningequipmentandbagsoforehadtobepackedovermountainterrain.It’savery strong saddle,more likely to survive the fall of a packhorse.TheDecker is a bit more expensive and a bit more versatile than thesawbuck, but well worth considering. Packing tends to be addictive—you’llprobablywanttoexpandyourknowledgeandcapabilities.Like the sawbuck, theDecker has twowoodenbars that lie oneach

side of the horse’s back parallel to the spine. These are fastenedwithironD-ringsratherthanwoodenslatsandprojectupwardinplaceofthetwoXsof thesawbuck.Hitchropesslideeasily through theserings,anadvantage.Thebiggestsingleadvantageof theDecker is theway itprotects the

horsefromodd-shapedorhard-surfacedloads.Drapedoverthesaddle,withtheD-ringsprotrudingthrough,isalargesquareofcanvasornyloncalleda“half-breed,”stuffedwithhorsehairorfoam.Installedhorizontallyoneachsideisaslimwoodenboard.Theboard,thepaddinginthehalf-breed,andthepackpadunderthesaddleallservetoprotectthehorsefrom thepressureofanangular load.Now thatmanywildernessareasrequire bear-proof panniers—hard boxesmade ofmetal or plastic—theDeckerisincreasinglythepacksaddleofchoice.

PackingbridgeplanksonaDeckersaddle.

However,theDeckerworksaswellasthesawbuckfortheentry-levelpackerwhoonlywishestohangonacoupleofpanniers.Toavoidhavingtoopen the topstrapseach time thebagsareput intoplace,purchaseDeckerhooksandinstalltheminthestraps,adjustingsothatthetopsofthe panniers ride evenly. Then it’s simply a matter of hooking thepannierstothesaddlewhenyouloadup.Butdon’t forgetthatessentialbelly strap to hold the panniers down and close to the horse. Since italwaysseems to loosenduring the firstmile, tighten it at your first reststop.

BasketHitchSoon you’ll wish to move beyond the limitations of the most basicpacking.Ofthemanyhitchesyoucanuse,thebaskethitchisoneofthesimplest andmost versatile. It can be usedwith a sawbuck, aDecker,andsomeridingsaddlestosecuremantiedloads,hardorsoftpanniers,oreventwosimilarbackpacksshouldyouwishtogiveacoupleofhikersa running start on their trek. And, it can supplement the belly strapconnecting panniers as described above by further securing andsteadyingtheload.The iron ringsof theDeckerpacksaddlemake itespeciallyhandy for

thebaskethitch,becausetheyreducefrictionwhenpullingthehitchtight.The sling ropes on my Deckers are made of half-inch polyester rope,

eye-splicedtotheD-ringonmyleftasIfacethehorse.Thisisapersonalpreference, perhaps because I’m left-handed, but the other wayworksnearlyaswellforme.Butforinstructionalpurposeslet’sassumetheropeiseye-splicedtotheleftD-ringofaDeckersaddleasyoufacethehorse.To tie a basket hitch pull a generous loop of rope away from the

attachment point to go around your load. Put the free end through theotherD-ringfromoutside-inandletitdrapedownunderthebigloopyouhavemade(step1).ThenIliftupthelargeloopandrestitonthetopofthesaddle(thoughyoucanleaveitdownandbringituplateraroundtheload, rather than down). At this point, I lift the load and rest it on mystomachinthediaphragmarea.(Ifrequentlyjokethata“packer’sshelf,”alittleextragirth,ishandyforthisstage.)

MulewithDeckersaddleriggedforbaskethitch,step1.

Whileholdingtheloadagainstthesideofthehorseormule,IbringtheloopI’vemadedownaroundtheloadaboutathirdofthewaydownfromthe top (step 2), then reach under to grasp the free end of the rope. Ibringittowardmeandpullveryhard,cinchingthelooparoundtheload(step3).ThenIbringthefreeropeupfromunderneaththeload(Itrytokeepit

centeredon thebottom) and tie it to the horizontal ropewith aslippedhalfhitch(step4).Thisistemporary,agoodenoughknottoholdtheloadwhileIslingthematchingloadontheothersideoftheanimal,buteasilyloosened should the pack have to be raised or lowered. I secure theoppositeloadthesamewayandcheckforbalancebyleadingtheanimalaroundforafewsteps.

Mantybaskethitch,step2:looparoundfirstload.

Mantybaskethitch,step3:ropeunderneathpulledhard.

Mantybaskethitch,step4:tiedoffwithtwodoubledhalfhitches.

Ifallseemsgood,Ipullthelooponthehalfhitchlargerandtieitintoasecond half hitch. There are many other fine knots that can be used,someof themmore quickly released, but the doubled twin half hitches

haveheldwellformeandarerelativelyeasytountie.Althoughit’slesshandy,thesawbuckcanalsobeusedwiththebasket

hitch. With the sawbuck, use a single sling rope, not attached to thesaddle,aroundthirtyfeetlong.Findtheapproximatecenterandcreateaclove hitch (chapter 1, see page 22) by making two identical loopsstackedoneon theother.Place theclovehitchover the frontsawbuckandpullthehitchtight.Nowyouhavetwoslingropes,onerunningeachdirectionforaloadoneachsideofthehorse.LackingaD-ringtoyourright(assumingwe’reworkingontheleftside

ofthehorse),simplyloopthefreeendoftheslingropearoundtherightsawbuck from the outside-in. Although the sling rope will have morefrictionaround thesawbuck than through theD-ringof theDecker, thisstill works relatively well. Some packers loop the vertical rope on thebackside of the pack down through a cinch ring,while some allow theloadtoswingfreely.I’minthelattercamp,havingfoundthatthe“give”ofthe free-swinging loadactuallyhelpswhen thepackscrapesona tree.The load swings to the rear but usually returns to position after a fewsteps.The basket hitch can also be used on a riding saddle and works

especiallywellononewithholes in thecantle for thepurpose.TheUSArmy McClellan saddle had these, as do an increasing number ofmodern backcountry saddles.My saddle, fromRick Erickson of Ennis,Montana,featurestheseholesinthecantle.Idon’tfeelthemwhileriding,sotheycausenodiscomfort,thoughI’moftenaskedaboutthat.Aswith the sawbuck,whenhitching to sucha riding saddle, find the

center of a long rope and tie a clove hitch at that center point to thesaddle horn. Then it’s simply a matter of creating the large loop andthreading theendof the ropeback through thehole in the cantle fromoutside in, thenproceeding to hitch the loadas described. Lacking thehole in the cantle, the entire cantle can be encircled from rear, aroundanddown.Thisworks,especiallyiftheridingsaddleisfairlyhighbacked.

Ridingsaddleriggedforbaskethitchusingclovehitchonhorn.

A riding saddle that does not have such holes in the cantle but isintended for frequent service as a packsaddle could be modified byadditionofheavyD-ringslocatedjustbehindandtothesideofthecantle.You’d need to tell the saddlemaker of the intended use so he or shewouldreinforcetheattachmentappropriately,becausewithaheavyload,thestrainontheD-ringcouldbeconsiderable.TheD-ringwouldhavetoanchor securely to the tree of the riding saddle. Then, you’d simplythreadthefreeendofthehitchropethroughtheD-ringfromoutsideintocreatethehitch.

MantiedLoadsThe basket hitch works extremely well withmantied loads. The word“manty,” adapted from the Spanish word for blanket, is a handy one,servingasbothaverbandanoun.“Tomanty”meanstotieabundleinaparticularwayusingamantytarp.Thewordalsonamesthebundleitselfaswellasthecompletedload.

Authorwithmantiedpacks.

During my lifetime in south-central Montana, I’ve seen theDecker/mantymethod of packing grow in popularity among those whofrequentthebackcountry.Nowit’salittlelesscommontoseetraditionalpackers with sawbucks, panniers, and diamond hitches tied neatlyaroundtarpsthatcovertheentireload,thoughmanystilldoit thatway,and the skill and knowledge of these packers is to be emulated andpreserved.PerhapsthegrowthintheDecker/mantymethodisduetoitsversatility.

Nearly anything can be mantied, and with some loads, such as dufflebags or backpacks, you can sometimes forgo the manty tarp, simplybasket hitching them directly to the Decker packsaddle. Althoughassemblingabunchofmiscellaneousitemsandpackingthemneatlyintoabundleintendedtobetransportedonthebackofahorseormuleoverhillanddalemayseemintimidating,mantyingaloadthatstaystogetherisrelativelysimple.Theprocessstartswithapieceofcanvasapproximatelysevenfeetby

eight feet.Anoutfitter I know, tiredofpurchasingexpensivecanvas forhis large string of mules, began using orange plastic irrigation dammaterial,andsaiditheldupfairlywell.Canvas,though,istraditionalandnicer (perhaps especially for me, because in the course of irrigating aranch I use all toomuch of the plastic). Also, naturalmaterials alwaysseemmoreappropriateandeasieronahorsewherevertheycontactananimal’sskin.Canvasmantytarpscanbehemmedorunhemmed;onsomeofours

we’veaddedgrommets so that they candoubleaseasily-tied tarps forcooking shelters and such. We also use them in camp to cover oursaddles,andtheymakegoodgroundclothsundertentsorsleepingpads.It’sgoodtopracticemantyingwithsomethingsimple,suchasabaleof

hay. But building a load of miscellaneous items is not difficult. Placeitems diagonally on the tarp, laid out on the ground.Create a stack ofgearapproximately thirty to forty inches long,perhapssixteento twentyincheswide,andaroundafootthick(step1).

Manty,step1.

Bringthebottomofthetarpup(step2),theneachside,andfinallythetop down, over the load (step 3). Inmy workshops, I’ve noticedmanywomen are particularly neat at putting manties together, perhapsbecause they’ve shouldered more of the gift-wrapping duties atChristmastime.It’seasiertobuildagoodmantyifyouavoidmanysmallitems,placing

theminsteadinbagsorboxes.Whenthat’sdifficult,I trytoplaceatentpoleorother rigidobjectoneachsideof the loadwithin themantyandperhapsontopaswell.I’vecutsmallsaplingsforthepurposeinthepast.When you basket hitch the load to theDecker, thesewill prevent yourslingropefromtendingtocutthemantyinhalfbypushingdownbetweenitemswhenthepressureofthemantyropesisapplied.

Manty,step2.

Manty,step3.

It also works well to build the manty on a piece of plywoodapproximatelyeighteen inchesby thirty-six inches,which tends tokeepsmall itemsinplaceandcreateaneatplatformfor thebundle. I’vealsousedopen-topplywoodboxesbuilt formemanyyearsagobya friend.These arewell-built of half-inch plywood andmeasure thirty-six incheslong by sixteen incheswide and ten inches deep. The friendwho builtthem had worked for the US Forest Service and found this sizeaccommodated most pieces of gear they used, including foldingwoodstoves.Becausetheir topsareopen, theboxesaren’t restricted tocargo ten inches tall,but I’ve found itbestnot to let itemsprotrude toomuchabovethetop;slimmermantiesridebetter.I’vealsoaddedthreehardwood legs,easily removablewithboltsand

wingnuts,sothatoneoftheboxesdoublesasatableincamp.Formorethan twenty yearsnow, theseboxeshavebouncedoff treesand takenothersortsofabuse,andthey’restillserviceable.Themanty ropes are distinct from the sling ropes. Sling ropes hitch

your loadto thepacksaddle.Thesestayonthesaddle.Mantyropestiethe manty into a bundle and play no part in holding the load on thepacksaddle,andsincetheirroleisdifferent,theycanbelighterweight.Imakemanty ropes about thirty-five feet long of three-eighths-inch polyrope.NormallyIbuildaneyespliceintooneendandabackspliceintheother(we’ll lookat theseinchapter7,seepage158),butahondaknotwouldworkaswellastheeyesplice.To tie the bundle you’ve created, make a large lariat-like loop by

threadingtheendofthemantyropethroughtheeyespliceorhondaandencirclethebundleyou’vefoldedintothemantytarplengthwise(step4).

Theeyespliceshouldbeatthetopofthemanty,withthefreeendoftheropecomingthroughitanddownintoyourhands(notthereverseway).So,whenyoupull,youhavea2:1leverage.

Manty,step4.

Ipullthemantyuptowardverticalandbounceitseveraltimestocinchitverytightly,andholdingthattensionIthrowaloopintothefreeendofthe rope. I invert this loopandplace itover thebundle, thuscreatingahalfhitch(step5).Ipullthistight,keepingthehalfhitchcenteredonthefrontofthemanty(step6).

Manty,step5:formingfirsthalfhitch.

Manty,step6:halfhitchformedonmanty.

Holding tension, I do this a couple more times, then circle theremaining freeendunder themanty,up itsbacksideandaround to thefronttotieitoff.Severalknotscanbeused;Iusetwohalfhitches,thetoponebeingasliphitch,butwith theendof the ropepassed through theloopsothatitwon’tinadvertentlyuntieifitsnagsonsomething(step7).Whenbasket-hitchingthemantytothepacksaddle,heightofthepacks

is important.Assuming loads thatare relativelyconsistent inweight (noheavy or light end), you want the manties high enough that thepacksaddle,nottheanimal’sribs,isbearingmostoftheweight.Yet,toohigh, and the loads can become top-heavy and even flip up on theanimal’s rump,shouldhespookor jumpa log. Ioncehad thathappenwhilepackingabiggeldingnamedMajor,anditoccurredinabadplace,onaledgetrail.HisDecker,relievedofsomeoftheweightononeside,thenbegantosliptotheother.

Manty,step7:readytosling.

Itwasadiceyfewminutes,butImanagedtogettheloadbackinplaceandthesaddlestraightenedonMajor’sback,myheelsalltooclosetoadrop-off. At the next clearing, I lowered both manties, which, with thebasket hitch, is easy to do. And that’s another beauty of this system.Shouldonemantyendup,inspiteofyourbestefforts,abitheavierthanitsmate,simplysling ita littlehigher than the lighterpackon theothersideofthehorse.Bydoingso,giventheshapeoftheanimal’sback,youshift the load inward towardhiscenterofgravity,giving it less leveragedownward,thus“lightening”theloadonthatside.

Mulewithmantiesbaskethitched.

Thepackerwhoknowsthisbasicsystem—manties,baskethitch,and(preferably)Deckerpacksaddle—isverywellequipped,evenifheorshenever learns more. It’s versatile, simple, and reliable. And the baskethitch can be used in other ways as well. When we’re packing withpanniers, either soft ones or the bear-proof, hard-sided panniers nowrequiredinsomanywildernessareas,Idon’tstopwhenthepanniersarehungfromthepacksaddleandattachedbyastrapunderneath.Iincreasethe security of the setup by building a tight basket hitch around thepanniers as well. The hitch stabilizes the loads, prevents excessiveswing, and keeps the panniers tucked up neatly. That said, it’s alwaysgood to learn more, and there are occasional loads that don’t lendthemselvestoowelltoabaskethitch.

BarrelHitchAnexamplewouldbealoadthatlacksarelativelysquareorflatbottomonwhichtoplacethebaseoftheverticalropeholdingthehitch.Ahind

quarter of an elk is one such load. Another relatively simple hitch, thebarrel hitch, is easy to tie and handy for a load that will be heldhorizontallyontheanimal.Thebarrelhitchstartswiththeslingropeattachedthesamewaytothe

saddle;forfamiliarity, let’ssaythefrontDeckerringasyoufacetheleftsideofthepackanimal.(Again,aswiththebaskethitch,youcantiethebarrelhitchwithasawbuckbyusingalongropetiedinitscenterwithaclove hitch to create a sling rope for each side.)Now,we’ll create twoloops instead of one.Keeping a loop of rope perhaps a couple of feetdeep, insert theendof thesling ropeback through the leftD-ring fromoutside in, then over to the rightD-ring and down. Leave another loopandbring the ropeback through the rightD-ring from right to left.Nowyouhavetwolooseloopstogoaroundyourload.

MulewithDeckersaddleriggedforbarrelhitch.

Most packers prefer to barrel hitch with the front of the load slightlyhigherthantherear.Whenthe load’sadjustedproperly, thefreeendofthe hitch rope is normally brought down to the extra cinch ring (mostpacksaddleshavethis)andtiedoff.Theworldofhorseandmulepackingisnotonlyafascinatingone,it’s

a liberating one. There’s no need to attempt to master it all at once,because you can continue to learn more your entire life. But theserelatively simple hitches and knots will get you started in the rightdirection. And there’s nothing like clasping the lead rope of your frontpackanimalandheadingupthetrailtowardcampfiresandyellowaspens—toward adventure.Packing your comfortable campwith you, headingintobeautifulcountry, isoneof the finestburstsof freedomthemodern

worldallows.Oncehooked,you’llbethereforlife.

5.WEBBINGWOES

As the years pass, changes evolve in the construction of outdoor andequinegear.Acenturyagoropewasrope,mostly twistedandmadeofnaturalmaterials.Butinourtime,webstraps,particularlythosemadeofnylonandothersyntheticmaterials,havebecomeincreasinglycommon.“Latigo” originally meant a strap made of latigo leather, but today thestrapthathookstothecinchonyoursaddle(andthe“billet”ontheothersideofthesaddle)maybemadeofnylonratherthanleather.

Atypicalnarrowsyntheticstrap.

Narrowerwebbingisusedonpanniers,backpacks,andthestrapsthatconnect packs under the horse’s belly. And, tough as these syntheticsare, theyoccasionally fail, areunintentionally cut, andperhapsneed tobejoinedinsomeway.Andthere’stherub.Taketwoscrapsofone-inchwebbingandattempttojointhemtogether

with a square knot. Youmay succeed, but youmay find that the knotslipsunderpull.Ifitdoesn’tslip,you’llfinditdifficulttountie.Inanycase,the flat webbing makes an ugly knot, because the material mustinevitably make strange twists and turns in the course of tying. Knotsimply round material—rope—and they’ve developed through the

centuriesforuseonsuch,notonflatstraps.Entermountaineers,whodealwithwebbingconstantlyandwhoselives

frequently depend on the reliability of knots. Although most of theirtechniquesgobeyond the scopeof this book, one knot they frequentlyusecanbeofgreathelptothehorsemanwhomustjointwowebstrapstogether.It’simportanttonote,though,thatclimbersaren’toftenworriedabout untying the knots they create; their big concern is strength of aknot, and the rock anchors they create often are designed to stay inplace.

WaterKnotThewaterknot,alsoknownas theoverhandbend,canbeused to jointwowebstrapsof thesamewidthwithaneat,strongattachment.Tiealooseoverhandknotintheendofoneofthestraps(step1).Thenthreadtheendofthesecondstrapintothatknotbyfollowingtheexactpatternofthefirstknot(step2).It’seasierthanitsounds.Therewillbesomeslippagewhiletheknotistightening(step3),soit’s

importanttotiethewaterknotwithplentyofextralengthintheprotrudingends.Thesewillshortenastheknottightens.

Waterknot,step1.

Waterknot,step2.

The overhand on a bight is another simple webbing knot, useful forattachingawebstraparoundatreeorotherobject.Again,thecaveatisthat itwon’tbeeasytountieshouldthatbecomenecessary.Totie, justformabight(loop)neartheendofthewebbingandtieanoverhandknotwith this loop.Wrap the resulting loop around the tree or other object,bringtheendofthewebbingbackthroughitinlassofashion,andpull ittight.Thisapproachcanbeusedwithropeaswell,ofcourse,butahonda

knotoreyespliceservesbetterandiseasiertountie.

Waterknot,step3.

6.HORSECAMPKNOTS

Ropes, knots, hitches, and splices play a big part in making acomfortable,safecamp.Forme,mentionofahorsecampinvokeswoodsmoke,blackcoffee,horsesandmulesmunching,aspengroves,andabubblingcreek.But,ofcourse, thereareotherenjoyabletypesofhorsecamps, including more sumptuous ones set up next to living quarterhorsetrailersatdevelopedcampgrounds.These, too,canbesatisfying,andknowledgeofknotsandhitchescanbeequallyusefulinthesemoredomesticsurroundings.Mostofushaveamentalimageoftheperfectwildernesscampsite:a

clearingwithgrassforthehorses,acreekforwater,treesforshelter,andperhapsabeautifulviewofmountainsoravalley.MygeldingLittleMack,nowretired,hasfirmopinionsonthis.Ridehimupadrainagehehasn’tseen for a decade and he’ll “rein himself” into the campsite heremembers.And, if you’vedecidednot touse that location,LittleMackwilltakeituponhimselftochooseone!Hisjudgementisquitegood.But the days when you could simply turn your animals loose in this

idyllicspotareprettymuchgone.Somepackersstilldothat,usuallywithmulesdependentona “bellmare,” amare they’veacceptedas leader.Her bell tells themorningwrangler her location; he has kept a reliablesaddlehorsetiedincamp.Withthishorse,heretrievesthemare,andthemulesfollowhertocamp.Butfewlocationsaresoremotethatyoucanhandle a string this way without fear it will mix with someone else’sanimalsandperhapsdisturbaneighboringcamp.This leads to the need to restrain or confine your animals in camp.

Tying to trees, at least for very long, is a “no-no,” and illegal in someareas.Horsesandmules tend topawwhenconfined for long,and thatcupsouttheareaunderthetreeandsometimesexposestheroots.Also,someanimalsliketoeatthebarkoffthetree.Suchdamageisunsightly

anddifficultorimpossibletorepair.

HighlinesA highline has become the method of choice for many, and in someareas, it’s almost the only alternative. One wilderness area near ourranch completely forbids grazing, which rules out even picketing andhobbling. Luckily that’s not typical, and I’ve always questioned thewisdomof such regulations, because the result is heavier useby packanimals—packstringsmustpackintheirownfeed,usuallyweed-freehayorpellets,whichrequiresmoreanimalsandthuscreatesmoreimpact.It’s rough (though not impossible) to rig a highline without trees, so

we’ll assume your idyllic camping spot has a couple of them, ideallytwentytofiftyfeetapart.Myhighlineropehasaneyespliceatoneend,soIcanloopitaroundmostanythingbypassingthefreeendthroughtheeye splice. But really you should use some sort of “tree-saver” topreservethebark.Acinchoffoneofthepacksaddlescanwork,butisn’tideal. Too often, small bits of bark work into the cinch and must beremoved,andtree-saponacinchislessthandesirable.I knowamanwhomakes tree saversout of rejectedauto seatbelts,

andcommercial treesaversarealsoavailablethathavea largeringononeendandasmalleroneontheother.Encirclethetree,passthesmallringthroughthelargeone,andpulltighttocinchtothetree.Trytoinstallthetreesaveraboveasmalllimborknottolessenthechanceitwillslipdown.Onmy highline, I insert the eye splice through the ring and theotherendoftheropethroughtheringonthetree-saverorelsetieitwithabowline.Thatendofthehighlineisthenon-adjustableone.

Tree-saverforhighline.

Ontheotherend,Ipulltheropehardthroughthering,andholdingtheslack, tieaslippedhalfhitch, thenadoubledhalfhitch forsecurity.ButshouldIneedthehighlinetighterthanIcangetitthatway,Iuseoneofthepicketlineloopstocreateextraleverageforpullingthehighlinereallytight.

Horseandmulesonhighlinewithmetalloops.

PicketLineLoopThe highline needs loops to which you can tie the lead ropes of youranimals.Youcanbuycommercialmetalattachments,whicheliminatetheneedforknots,andtheyworkwell.Buttheyaren’treallynecessary.Yourhighline ropewill be lighter andeasier to pack if you instead rely on aknotcalledthepicketlineloop.Yes,youcouldsimplygrabaloopofropeandtieanoverhandknotwiththedoubledropeandcreatealoop,butIwouldn’t recommend it. When pressure is put on such a knot bytighteningthehighlineandbytheactivitiesofrestlesshorses,you’llhaveaverydifficulttimegettingtheknotuntied.

Picketlineloop,step1.

Picketlineloop,step2.

Picketlineloop,step3.

I do know folkswho use an overhand knot as described, inserting asmallstickwithin it.Tountie theyremove thestickand theknotcomesloose. But the picket line loop is a better choice; it’s easy to tie andusually not that difficult to untie after pressure. Turn the rope over tomakea loopasshown(step1).Thenbringtheright-handportiondownsoitgoesacrossinfrontandbelowthetopoftheloop(step2).

Thenbringthebottomoftheloopupthroughtheopeningbetweentheright-handportionoftheropeandthetopoftheloop,pullingittight(step3).Startwithagood-sizedloop,perhapsafootindiameter,becausebythetimeyoutightentheknot,pullingontheloopandoneachsideofthepicketline,theloopwillshrinkconsiderablyinsize(step4).

Picketlineloop,step4.

DutchmanTo create what’s called a Dutchman, a device that gives mechanicaladvantage for tightening the highline, tie one of these picket line loopsseveralfeetfromthetree,puttheendofthehighlinethroughtheringonthe tree-saver or cinch, then bring it back through the picket line loop.You’venowcreatedablockandtacklewitha2:1mechanicaladvantagewhenyoupull back toward the tree.Again, tiea slippedhalf hitchwithanotherdoubledhalfhitchontopofit.Ofcourse,there’saquestionofwhetherahighlineneedstobeviolin-

string-tight.Idon’tthinkso.It’smoreimportantthatitbehighenoughthatthehorsesstayunderit.Ispacethetieloopsaboutsixfeetapart,andImake sure each horse is tied short enough that it can’t encircle aneighborandtwisttheirleadropestogether.Also,remembertotiethemwith somesort of swivel in the lead.Obviously, you shouldnever tie asaddledanimaltoahighline.Asaddlehorncaughtonthehighlinecouldcreateamajorwreck.Invariably the highline will tend to loosen during your stay, and the

Dutchman system described makes it easy to tighten it periodically.Animals can get testy with each other on highlines. Tying a dominanthorsetooneoftheendloopsdecreaseshischancetodisrupttheothers,andinsomecases,youmayhavetoleaveanemptyspacebetweenthebullyandthenextanimal.Ioccasionallyhobbleahorseonthehighlineto

discourageexcessivepawingandthedamagetothegrounditcauses.

Dutchmanfortighteninghighline,shownherewithsteelpicketlineloop,butworksaswellwithpicketlineknot.

Even if the horses don’t paw excessively, during an extended campstay the ground under a highline is likely to become trampled anddisturbed. Building the highline on high, rocky ground can lessen theimpact, but if possible,move thehighlineperiodically.When youbreakcamp,scattermanureanduseyourcampshovel to level thedisturbedground,repairinganydamageasbestyoucan.Where grazing is allowed, hobbling and picketing become practical

methods of horse restraint. Training for both hobbling and picketing bythefrontfootwerediscussedinchapter2(seepage39).Normallyyou’lluseahobblehalfforpicketingtoafrontfoot(onahorsesotrained).Donot picket with a rope to the halter. It’s dangerous, should the horsespookorfall.There’salsoachancethehorsecancatchahindfootinitshalterwhilereachinguptoscratch,andthatcanbedisastrous.Evenwhiletheanimalispicketedbyafrontfootorhobbled,thehalter

shouldbe removedandkept incampsoyourhorsewon’tcatchahindfootinthatfashion.There’sanotherbenefittoo.Whenahorseisn’ttied,he’sfreetotryallsortsof trickstorubhishalteroff. Ifhe loses it in tallgrass,you’reshortahalter.

TyingaRopeHalterButifyouloseahalter,all isnotlost,evenifyou’veforgottentoincludeanextrainyourpackedgear(alwaysagoodidea).Youcanmakealariatloop-typehalterwithapieceof rope.Tieahondaknot inoneendandcreate a loop that goes over the horse’s head and rests on his poll,

behindhisears.Then insertahalfhitcharoundhisnose,asshownonthe next page. This halter works well for leading an animal, but isdangerous for tying because it will tighten around the poll should thehorsepullback.Ineffect,thistypeofhaltercreatessomethingsimilartoa“warbridle,”ahigh-leveragehalterthatshouldbeusedonlyforcarefultraining,notfortying.

Ropehalter,bowlinearoundneckwithfulltwistaroundnose.

Foraropehaltersafertousefortying,I’dtiealooparoundthetopoftheanimal’sneckwithabowline, thenmakea looparound itsnosebytwistingtheropetwice.Pullingbackwillresult insometighteningabovethenose,but there’s lesschanceofstranglingtheanimalorhurtingthesensitivenervesinthepollarea.

HobblesAswithhalters,hobblescanbeimprovisediflost.Oftheseparatetypes,thosemadewithringsthatattachinafigureeightpatternaretooeasilylostunlessthey’reattachedwithmostslacktakenout.And,intallgrassorsnow,they’redifficulttofind.WhenIusethistype,Iplantthehorse’sfrontfeetcloselytogether,notonlytoprevent lossofthehobblesbuttolimitthehorse’smovement.Thematerialofwhichthesehobblesaremadeisalsoimportant.Nylon

hobbles are light, impervious tomoisture, and inexpensive, but I avoidusing them on animals that are likely to resist and be overactive inhobbles.Leatheriskindertotheskin.Don’t count on the limitation to movement hobbles are supposed to

impose. A few horses I’ve owned never really figure out how fast they

canmoveinhobbles,butthemajoritysoondiscovertheycanhop,thenactuallygallopwith their front feethobbled. Indeed, Ioncehadayoungwalking horse that actually jumped fences while hobbled. In order toutilizegrassaroundthehomestead,I’dhobbledhimhereandthereandkeptspottinghimonthewrongsideofthefence.Finally,Icaughthimintheact.He’dapproachthefence,squareupwithit,rearback,andjump!HadhebeenamuleI’dhavebeenlesssurprised.Partner,myseniorgelding,runslikethewindwhilehobbled,andIfear

forhissafetyonroughground.I’veseenhimtearalongonarockysidehillinordertofindthenextspotofgreengrass.Thesolutionforhimhasbeenthree-leggedhobbles.OnoneofmyearlierpacktripsItooktwoyoungsonstwelvemilesupa

familiar drainage and camped in what westerners call a “park,” a big,beautiful clearing high in the timber. This clearing was a favorite withhorse people, because to reach it you crossed a narrowbridge over ariver thatwould benearly impassablewithout it.Sincehorsesnormallydidn’tattempttocrossthetreacherousriverwillingly,allonehadtodotoholdhorsesincampwasplaceapoleacrossthebridgeentrance,andapolewasalwayslefttherehandyforthatpurpose.

Three-leggedhobbles.

The boys and I rode over the bridge, then up the path a couplehundredyardstotheclearing.Wemadecamp,atePolishsausages,andwatchedayoungcowmoosegrazeinthesouthendofthebigclearing,onlyoccasionallyraisingherheadtocheckusout.Youngandfoolishasapacker,Ihadhobbledallofourhorses.Aftersupper,Itoldtheboysweshouldgodowntotheriverandbrush

ourteeth,and,whilewewerethere,placethepoleacrossthebridge.Weskippeddownanddid so, thenhikedbackup to campandbuilt a fire.That action, putting the pole across the bridge, probably saved us atwelvemilewalkbacktothetrailhead.Just before dark,Mona, our senior TennesseeWalkingHorsemare,

who knew this drainage well from years of service with a wildernessoutfitter,suddenlythrewherheadintotheair,snorted,anddecideditwastimetogohome.Shetookoffinafasthopdownthetrail,andtheothers,seeing“Mama”move,followedsuit.Wedroppedwhatweweredoingandsprinted after them, quickly learning that even a hobbled horse couldoutrunanyofus.Wecaughtupwiththematthebridge.Mona,stillleading,herfrontfeet

onthefirstofthebridgeplanks,herchestagainstthepole,wasstoppeddead, a disappointed look on her face. I snapped on a lead rope,removed her hobbles, and led her back to camp, her young chargesfollowing.There,Itiedhersecurelytoadeadbutsolidtree.Since this incident, I have never hobbled all my horses. Keep one

reliablehorsetiedfast.Otherwise,alongwalkmightbeintheoffing.Anditreinforcedformethemeaningofanoldmountainman’ssaying:“Bettertocountribsthantracks.”Inotherwords,bettertoletyourtiedhorsebedeprived of feed during the night than to see only his tracks the nextmorning.Andonthismemorablepacktripwithmysons,“ribs”weren’tofconcern:thehorseswerefatfromaspringongreengrass.But in spite of their limitations, hobbles are an essential part of the

backcountryhorseman’sinventoryofgear.Inadditiontoprovidingsomerestraint for horses, you can use them to minimize the turf-damagingpawingofahorseanywhereyouhappentotiehim.Andshouldyouloseapair,youcan improvisewithanypieceof rope,particularlyasoftone(likecotton)offairlylargediameter.Asalwayswhenhobbling,worktothesideofthehorse,neverinfront.

Reach your rope around the opposite pastern, bring both sides of therope back, and twist three or four times. Thenmove the horse’s nearforelegclosetotheother,bringyourropearound,andtieasquareknotarounditspastern.

Ropehobbleswithsquareknot.

(Alwayshobbleonthepasterns,neverthecannonbones,wherefragiletendons can be damaged. Some tack catalogs show otherwise, butthey’rewrong,justthesame.)Aslongasyou’veprovidedenoughtwiststo takeup thespacebetween thehorse’s legs, thesehobblesare fairlysecure.

Attachtothepastern,notthecannonbones,whenhobblingorpicketing.

PicketsForholdinghorses inthebackcountrywhilestillallowingthemtograze,thenextstepupinsecurityispicketingbyonefrontfoot,onlydonewithhorseswell trained to yieldeach footwhen restrained (asdiscussed inchapter2,seepage39).Mypicketropeshaveaneyespliceinoneendandabacksplicewithcrownknotintheother(whichwe’llpracticeinthenextchapter).Theeyesplicecanbeusedeithertopermanentlyencloseaswivelsnap,oryoucanjustsliptheloopthroughtheringonthesnap,thenthesnapthroughtheloopandpulltight.Thatwaythesnapcanbe

easily removed.On theendattached to thepicketstake, Iusually tieabowline.I’ve used two types of commercial picket stakes. One, of aluminum,

camewith a bull-snapwith swivel attached, but the snapswere of lowquality and broke readily. My current ones are much heavier, but arelonger,aremadeofsturdysteel,andhaveaswivelontoptowhichtotie.Butapicketropecanbeattachedtoabigrockordownedlog,too,and

theeyespliceisthenhandytouseasalassoaroundtheobject—justputtheendoftheropethroughthespliceandpulltotakeouttheslack.Thenattachyourhobblehalftoonefrontfoot.Alwaysleadthehorseouttotheendofthepicketropesothatheknowshe’srestrained.Youdon’twanthim to takeoffquicklyandhit theendof ithard.Shownhis limitations,he’ll settle down to graze. To be light on the land,move picket stakesfrequently.Otherwise,thehorsewillgrazeanunsightlycircle.

TransomKnotInsomeareasit’spermissibletocutpolesforcamp,butwherethat’snotpossible, you are usually allowed to construct temporary campconvenienceswithdownedtimber.Nailsandwirearefrownedupon,butit’spossibletobuildahitchingrailusingropelashingsalone.Thesedon’tdo permanent damage, and you can disassemble and scatter yourmaterialsattheendofthestay.

Transomknot,step1.

Thetransomknotisasimpleoneforholdingahorizontalpoleagainstatreeoranotherverticalpole.Looptheropearoundtheverticalpoleupabovethehorizontalone(step1),thendownandunderitself(step2).

Thenbringtheotherendaroundtheverticalpolebelowthehorizontalone,over the first rope,andunder the two loopsyou’vemade(step3).Thenpullbothendstotightentheknot.Twopolestiedhorizontallyatthesameheightbetweentwotreeswithtransomknots,overlaidwithapieceofplywood(shouldyouhaveusedoneasabackingforamanty)makeanicetable.Allcanbedisassembledafterwards,“leavingnotrace.”

Transomknot,step2.

Transomknot,step3.

SheepshankKnotParticularly when setting up tents, perhaps using an extra guyline forfurtherstrength,youmayfindtheropeyouhaveonhandisexcessivelylong.Weusemantyropesforthispurpose,andwecertainlydon’twanttocut them. A knot called the sheepshank is a way to shorten a ropewithoutdamagingit.Make a fold in the ropewhich shortens it to the length youwant. In

doingsoyou’vecreatedtwobights,oneontheleftandoneontheright

(step1).Onyourleftinthestandingpartoftherope,twisttomakeahalfhitch,

andslipitovertheendofthebight(loop)ontheleft(step2).Nowdothesameon the right, slipping thesecondhalf hitchover thebighton thatside(step3).Nowslowlytightentherope.Dobeawarethatthisknotwillonlyholdaslongaspressureisapplied.

If the rope goes completely slack, the sheepshank can come untied.Thus, the sheepshank is not an appropriate method for shortening apicketropeorhighline,aropethat’slikelytobejerkedaroundbyhorsesandallowedtogoslack,andthenbetightenedagain.Butit’sveryhandyforastatic,temporaryuse.

Sheepshankknot,step1.

Sheepshankknot,step2:halfhitcharoundbight.

Sheepshankknot,step3:halfhitcharoundtheotherbightandpulltight.

Moreandmoreofourwildernessareasrequirestorageof foodeitherin bear-proof containers or hung overhead a given distance from treetrunks.Oftenthisrequiresbothanoverheadlinebetweentwotrees,thenanother to hang the food container (perhaps a light cooler) over thehorizontal line.We usually usemanty ropes, and the sheepshank is ahandyknotforshorteningthemtotheneededlength,avoidingextralinelyingroundreadytotripyouinthedark.

Taut-LineHitchEquallyhandyaroundcamp,especially for settingup tents, is the taut-linehitch.It’sespeciallyusefulforguyropesonatent,becauseitcanbeslippedtoadjustlength,then,whenunderload,holdsfast.Tyingthetaut-linehitchiseasy.Justbringtheropearoundtheobject(step1),suchasa tent stake, andmake twowraps around the standing partwithin theloopyou’vecreated(step2).Thenmakea thirdoutside the loop.Pull theknot together,andyou’ll

find that underweight of a heavy load it doesn’t slip.Release thepull,however,andyoucanadjusttheline.Onarecentbackcountrytrip,Iranalongguylinefromthepeakofmy

tent to a large stump, knowing the prevailing winds from that directionmight be severe that evening. I used a taut-line hitch with sometrepidation,knowingthewindswouldbefickle,blowingthetentbackandthen releasing it in many sequences. But the hitch held fine. (Certainotherthingsaboutthetentsetupdidnot,butthat’sanotherstory.)

Taut-linehitch,step1.

Taut-linehitch,step2.

Taut-linehitch,step3.

Finishedtaut-linehitch.

7.SIMPLEKNOTSANDSPLICES

EyeSpliceTheeyespliceisthefirstoneI’drecommendlearning,becauseit’shandyinsomanyways.Youcanuseittomakealeadrope,tomakealoopattheendofapicketropethat’seasilyattachedtoarockortree—justpullthe end of the rope through the loop around the object—and you canimprovisealassowithitshouldonebeneeded.It’seasytomakeaneyesplicewiththree-strandrope.Justunravelsix

inchesorsoandloopthe intactportionof theropearoundintothesizeeyespliceyouwant(step1).It canbehelpful toputawrapof electrical tapearound thestanding

portionoftheropeasadividerbetweenitandtheunraveledportion.Thetape prevents additional unravelingwhile you’reworking.And, if you’reusinganatural fiberrope,youmightwant toputawrapof tapearoundthe end of each unraveled strand tomake them easier to insert understrandsofthestandingportion.Withsyntheticropeyoumaywishtoburneach end, butwith care—melted synthetic strands can be dangerouslyhotuntiltheycool.

Eyesplice,step1.

First insert the middle strand of those you’ve unraveled under onestrandofthestandingportion(step2).Thisfirsttuckdeterminesthesizeof the “eye.” Then rotate the rope to one side and insert the secondstrandoverthesamestrandbutunderthenext(step3).

Eyesplice,step2.

Eyesplice,step3.

Then rotate back to the third strand,which goes under andover thestrand previous to (toward the standing part) the one underwhich youtucked the first strand. After that it’s a matter of weaving the endsalternately over and under strands as you work your way up the rope(step4).If youmess up, it will be evident; the splice will lose its nice, round

look.Justpulloutafewstrands,backingup,andstartagain. It’seasierthanitsounds.

Eyesplice,step4.

Whenyou’realldone,rollingthespliceonahardfloorunderyourshoegives it a finished touch. The splice is amazingly strong after theunraveledstrandshavebeentuckedfourorfivetimes.Withnaturalfiberrope, four tucks of each strand are probably plenty. Synthetic rope ismore slippery, however, so five or six tucks are a good idea The verysameprocedurecanbeusedforsplicingtwothree-strandropestogether,creatingamuchnicerconnection thanmerely tying them.Spliceswerealwayspreferredonsailingshipsbecauseaneatsplicecanrunthroughapulleyblock.Theprocedureisthesameasweusedfortheeyesplice,butnowweunraveltheendsofeachropeforsixoreightinches.Again,tapeorburntheendsofeachstrand(dependingonthetypeofrope)tohold them together and make threading them through the standingportionsoftheropeeasier,andputawrapoftapearoundeachropetopreventfurtherunraveling.Nowplace the tworopes togetherend toend,mating theirunraveled

strands,placing themso that the intactportionsare touching.Tape thetwotogetheratthispoint.Nowproceedtospliceoneoftheropestotheotherby theverysamemethodyouused for theeyesplice,alternatingtucksoverandunder into thesolidportionof theadjoining rope.Whenyou’vecompletedgoinginonedirection,gointheother.Finally,roll thesplice under your boot and trim off any strands that protrude. Forsyntheticropes,halfadozentucksineachdirectionwilldothetrick.Suchaspliceisamazinglystrong.Askids,weusedtobuywhatwere

calledChinesehandcuffsorfingertraps.Youngerkidswereencouragedtoinserttheirfingersineachendofthesewoventubes.Uponpulling,thetubestightenedandheldtheirfingersfast.Thestrengthofasplicedrope

issimilar.Pressuretightensallthewovenstrandsuponeachother.Thestrength is nearly that of an undamaged rope, and the splice is muchneaterthananyknotthatcouldsimilarlyjointhetworopes.It’scomfortingto know that if a mishap requires you to cut a sling rope on yourpacksaddle (because a horse ormule is down, perhaps,with the slingknotunderneath it)youcould repair the ropewithasplice inveryshortorder.

LeadRopesToaddtothetechniqueslearnedsofar,wecanmakeleadropesoutofanythree-strandrope,makingthemaslongaswewish,withorwithoutaddingasnap.Iliketomakethematleasttenfeetlong,sostartingwithapieceofropeeleventotwelvefeetlongisaboutright.Forapermanentsnap,wesimplyinserttheendoftheropethroughtheringonthesnap,thenweave an eye splice containing it in the loop. Domake sure youpurchasebullsnapsorslidingsnapsthathaveswivelsbuiltin.Irecentlypulledabullsnapoffmyshopwall,stillinitspackaging,andfoundithadnoswivel.Foraleadropesuchasnapisuseless.But sometimes it’s preferable to simply tie inaneye splicewithout a

snap.Now,asmentionedearlier,youhaveanoption.Whenyouwishtouseasnap,merelypoketheendoftheeyesplicethroughtheringonthesnap(step1),andtheninsertthesnapbackthroughtheloopoftheeyesplice(step2).The connection is secure (step 3), and the snap can be easily

removed.Ifyouprefertoridewiththeleadropeattachedtoahalterunderyour

bridle, leave the snapoff. Insert the eye splice through the ring on thehalter andbring theother endof the lead rope through theeye splice,pulling thewhole rope through. Such a connection is quiet, free of themetal-on-metalsoundofasnap,andalsolightandlesslikelytointerferewith your horse’s neck rein. If you intend to tie the horse to a highlineyou’llneedaswivel,sothrowasnapwithswivelintoyoursaddlebagsforattachmentasdescribedabove,laterincamp.

Attachingbullsnaptoeyesplice,step1.

Attachingbullsnaptoeyesplice,step2.

Attachingbullsnaptoeyesplice,step3.

Buthowabout theotherendof the leadrope?Wecan leave itplain,perhapsburningtheend(if it’ssynthetic) topreventunraveling,or if it’snaturalfiberrope,learningoneofthemethodsofwhipping.Anexpedient

issimplyawrapoftapearoundtheendoftherope.But I like to finishmy lead ropeswith somethingmoreattractiveand

useful on the end.Occasionally a horse pulls a rope through your gripwhenyou’renotreadyforit,andIfindabackspliceontheendhelpsonegripatthelastmoment,preventinglossoftherope.Yes,youcouldtieastopperknotatthispoint,butthatmight interferewithinsertingtheropethroughaloopsuchasthatonahighline.Thebackspliceisconstructedwiththesametechniqueweusefortheeyespliceandshortsplice,butinorder to start it correctlyweneed to tiea crownknot in theendof therope.

CrownKnotTotieacrownknot,whichwillleadintoabacksplice,unravelsixinchesorsoofrope(step1).Pickthecenterstrand(strand1)andfolditdownintoaloop(step2).

Crownknot,step1.

Crownknot,step2.

Pickthestrandtoitsright(strand2)andwrapitaroundtheloopyou’vemade (step 3), making sure it stays on top of the one remainingunraveledstrand(strand3).Then insert that last strand through the loop you first made, above

strand 2. To complete the knot, gently pull on each strand in turn,graduallytighteningit(step5).The crown knot inverts the unraveled strands, facing them down

towardtheintactportionoftherope.Nowit’samatterofstartingthebacksplicebychoosinganystrandandtuckingitoverandunder,aswiththeeye splice. The pattern is the same, and when completed you have anice“handle”attheendoftherope,preventingitfromunravelingbutalsogivingyousomething togrip should the ropepull throughyourhand. Itlooksgood,too,andiscompactenoughtoslipthroughhalterorhighlineringsifneeded.

Crownknot,step3.

Crownknot,step4.

This sort of lead rope is so easy to make that the backcountryhorseman should consider building a spare to hang in the horse trailerand to takeonapack trip. They’re alsoeasy to join together shouldalongerropebeneeded;just insertthebacksplicedendthroughtheeyespliceoftheotherrope,thenthroughitsowneyespliceandpulltheropethrough.Nowyouhaveanextratwenty-footrope.

Turningacrownknotintoabacksplice.

Similarly,short lengthsofspare rope, threeor four feet long,withaneyesplice inoneend,will provehandy forahostof dutiesaround thehorsetrailerandtackshed.Makingsomeupisagreatrainydayproject.You’llfindahostofusesforthemaroundyourcampandonyourhorse,whetherforquicklysecuringanobjecttoatreeorpole,tyingajacketonyoursaddleusingaD-ring,oraquickie,shortleadropeformovingyourhorsefromhighlinetohobbles.

CONCLUSION:LIFELINES

Iwritethisshortlyafterreturningfromapacktripintothewildernessnorthof Yellowstone National Park. After twenty years of applying, I drew amountaingoattag.Perhapsitcametoolateinlife—I’mcertainlynotofanage or physical condition to tackle nearly vertical slopes looking forcreatures that laugh at lung-aching altitude or scramble up sheer cliffsneedingonlysuggestionsofledgestoboundtheirwaytothetop.Nomatter.Whenanopportunitycomes,youtakeitandbethankfulfor

it. And, after guiding a friend to a goat years earlier, I knew that theanimalssometimesfrequentedthebottomsofthosecliffs,notalwaysthetop.Andmoreimportant,awildernessquestisa“hunt”enoughinitself.So,thetagwasanexcusetogo,buttogowithagoal inmind—tolookhardformountaingoat,butenjoythechallengeandnotbedisappointedifIcamehomewithoutone.Anditwentjustthatway.MyfriendBillyandIsawmountainsheep,but

nogoats.Thesurroundingswerespectacular:aruggedridgethatformedthe border of Yellowstone to our south, a panoramic wall of rock withtimberpatchesbelow,greenyet,butwithwhitepatchesofearlyfleetingsnow. The horses and the mules behaved, and for the most part ourpacking skills proved themselves. Each day we rode taking just onelightly packed animal with us to relieve the burden of excessive gearstrappedtooursaddlehorses.

Authorinthewilderness.

There were thrills each day, the primary ones supplied by a ghostgrizzly thatweneversawbutwhose tracksandscatappeared fresh innew places every morning, often overlaying our own tracks from theprevious day. The presence of an animalwhose strength dwarfs one’sown is to us more reward than threat, but it’s a reminder that inwildernessyouaren’tnecessarilyatthetopofthefoodchain.There’satingleonthebackofyourneckatthefirstsightoffreshgrizzlytracks,andwe hoped to see him, but at a safe distance. At one point the horsescontinuallyeyeballedapatchof timber toour right.Theydidn’tsnortorspook, but they matched our attitude of watchfulness. We proceededcarefully,butthegrizzlyremainedconcealed.Incamp,therewasgoodfood,toomuchofit,andthecompanionship

alwaysfurnishedbyagoodbuddyandourequinefriends,thehorsesandmules thatmunched the pelletswe gave them and enjoyed their turnsgrazingon thepicket ropes.And therewas time to reflecton thisbookand the importanceof its contents, becauseeverywhere I looked therewasaropeofsomesort,fulfillingacertainpurpose,usedwithoneoftheappropriateknotsorsplices.

Billyhadfurnishedhishighline,completewithcommercialtree-savers.Becausethehighlinefeaturedmanufactured(andveryhandy)picketlineloopsmadeof steel, no such loopsneeded to be tied into thehighlineitself, but I was able to use one of the metal rings to construct aDutchman to tighten the line. The horses and mules were tied to thehighlinewith leadropeswhosesnapswereattachedwithineyesplices,theirendsfeaturingacrownknotandbacksplice.Ourpicketropesweremadewithaheavysnapwithinaneyespliceon

one end, and a large eye splice on the other that allowed encircling aprominent rock, lasso fashion. Our tent was tightened with the usualguylines,andtheslip-linehitchworkedwell,allowingsimpleadjustmentwithoutuntying.Onthetrail,wepackedthreeanimals,eachwithseparatetechniques.

Beauty, the big mule, carried the commercial certified bear-proof foodpanniers,stoutplasticboxesofamodel thathadwithstoodtestingbyahungry bear. We could have simply hooked the boxes to the Deckersaddle, then tied the belly strap under Beauty’s stomach, but wesupplementedthatpackingjobwithatightbaskethitch.Two heavy manties containing pack boxes went on a mare named

Tess.These,too,wereheldinplacebybaskethitches.Zorro,oursmallermule,got theeasiest load, twoclothpanniers filledwith the itemswe’dfirstneedincamporonthetrail.Inmanyrespects,whenitcomestohandlingequines,ropesandknots

are lifelines, connection between the animals, the object, and our ownhands. Learning knots that areoutsideour comfort zone is apleasure,anditcanexpandthroughoutourlives.Yes,theaveragehorsemancanprobably get along simply knowing the square knot, half hitch, andbowline.(ThefirstI’daddtothatcollectionwouldbethesheetbend.)Butthere are many more knots and hitches to be learned, ones that aretailor-madeforparticularpurposes,andit’sworthgoingafterthem.Inthisbook,I’vemadenoattempttoteachasmanyknotsaspossible.

Why? Quite frankly, because most readers will quickly forget knots towhich they are exposed simply by reading a description, viewing adiagram,orbywatchinganonlineanimation.Thesethingsdonotmakeoneproficientattyingknotsoratchoosingtherightknotforaparticularjob.Nowheremore than in tyingknots is theexpression “use itor lose it”

moreappropriate.Weremembertheknotsweuse.Pushingtheenvelopeinvolvespracticingthemandjudiciouslyaddingothersastimegoeson.Once I asked a mushroom expert to tell me the best approach to

gathering mushrooms without poisoning oneself. A professor at mygraduateschoolhadrecentlydied,poisonedbyamushroomhemistookforanother.Theexpertansweredthatitwassimplyamatteroflearningoneatatimeandreallylearningit.Don’tworryabouttheothers,hetoldme.Becomeproficientatidentifyingonesafespecies,andthenconsideraddinganother.If thisbookhasonlyaccomplished teachingyou to tieasquareknot,

making you aware that you’ve been tying a granny knot instead, that’sgoodprogress.Butthenexttimeyou’retemptedtotietwolinestogetherwith a square knot, tie a sheet bend instead. It’s a better knot for thatpurpose,andthemoreyoutieit,themorenaturalitwillseem.Or,forfun,join the two lines togetherwith twobowlines, loop to loop,even thoughthatkindofstrengthisn’tnecessaryforyourpurpose.Practicetyingtheknotsyoufindmostusefulbehindyourbackorinthe

dark.Keepacouplestrandsofcoloredropenexttoyourcomputer,andwhenyoufindyourselfalittlebored,pickthemupandchallengeyourselfto tieoneormoreof theknots in thisbook.Eventually you’ll acquireafluid,unthinkingmotionthatresultsintheknotyouwishtotie.Amarinebiologistwhowasanaccomplishedsailoroncecametothe

ranchformy“BeyondtheRoundPen”clinic.ThismanknewmoreknotsthanI’lleverbeabletotie,andhecouldtieabowlineblindfolded,inthedark,andunderwater.WhenIsplituptheclassandaskedhimtoteachthebowlinetohissectionhetriedforatime,andthen,exasperated,said,“Icantieit,Ijustcan’tteachanyoneelsetodoit!”That’s not an uncommon development with knots, a momentary

setbackwhenyoufindyoucan’ttieaknotthatwascompletelynaturaltoyou. But it’s not a bad one. The biologist had simply reached aproficiencylevel intyingthebowlinethathadlongleftbehindtheactualstepsinvolved.Hewas“overthinking”thesituationwhenaskedtoteach.But thatsortofproficiency iswhatyou’reafter.Whenyoufindyou’ve

tied a bowline without thinking of its steps, you’ve reached somethingakin to proficiency in a foreign language, when you no longer musttranslateasentence,butjustsayitnaturally.Develop the knots you need, add a few as you learn them (like the

mushrooms),andreallylearnthem.Youandyourhorseswillbehappierandsafer.HappyTrails!

GLOSSARY

Artificialormanmaderope:Syntheticfiberropesuchasnylon,Dacron,polyester,orpolypropylene.

AshleyBookofKnots:Theaccepted“Bible”ofknots,containingnearlyfourthousandofthem.

Bear-proof panniers: Hard-sided panniers usually made of plastic ormetal that have been certified by the US Forest Service to protectfood from animals, primarily bears. Required now on many publiclands.

Bend:Acategoryofknots,suchasthesheetbend,forjoiningtwolinestogether.

Bight:Aloopinaropeorline.Billet:Straponoff side (right)ofawesternsaddle thatattaches to the

cinch.Bone:Sizeofbonestructureincomparisontoweight;atleastseven-inch

circumference of front cannon bone is desirable for one thousandpoundsofweight.

Breakaway system: Halters and lead ropes intended to release thehorse should he pull back; a wrong-headed development that cantrainahorsetostrainagainsttheleadrope.

Breeching: More commonly pronounced “britching” or “britchin’,” thearrangement of straps that go over the rump of the pack animal toholdtheloadbackondownhillgrades.

Bull snap: A rugged metal snap with a tongue that swivels outwardratherthanslides.

Cantle:Therearportionofthesaddlerisingbehindtherider’sseat.Cinch:Alsocinchaandgirth;awidestrapofweborneoprenethatgoes

tightlyunderthehorse’sribcagetosecureasaddle.Crossbuck:Packsaddlealsoknownassawbuck.

Crupper: Sometimes pronounced “crouper,” a strap that encircles thebaseofahorse’sormule’stailtohelppreventslippageofthesaddleandloadforward.

Dally:Oneormorewrapsaround the saddlehornusedwhenponyinganotherhorseordraggingsomethingfromthehorn.

Deckerpacksaddle:Apacksaddleoriginallydesigned tocarryoreandminingequipment; consists of twowoodbars joinedby ironD-ringscoveredwitha“half-breed”padfilledwithhorsehairorfoam.

Diamondhitch:Atypeofpackinghitchusedtosecureatoppackonapackanimal,sonamedbecauseinmostofitsconfigurationsthehitchropeformsoneormorediamond-shapedpatterns.

Dutchman: A system for tightening a line by running it through a loopandback,creating2:1leverage.

Eyesplice:Asplicewhichcreatesaloopattheendofaline.Grassrope:Commonwesterntermforaropeofnaturalfibers.Half-breedpad:ApaddedcoveringonaDeckerpacksaddlecontaining

two horizontal boards to help distribute the weight of the pack andprotecttheanimalfromodd-shapedobjects.

Highline:Atightlinestrungoverheadwithloopstowhichattachtheleadropesofrestrainedhorsesormules.

Hitch: In the packing world, a system of ropes and knots designed toholdcargoonapackanimal.

Hobblehalf:Astrapwithbuckleandringtoattachtojustonepasternforpicketingorotherpurposes.

Hobbles:Astraporropenormallybetweenthefrontpasternsofahorseormule topreventexcessivemovement; three-leggedhobbleshaveanadditionalstrapthatextendsfromaringbetweentheanimal’sfrontfeetbacktoahobblehalfononehindpastern.

Honda:Theeyeofalariatthroughwhichtheloopruns.Latigo:Bothatypeofleatherandthestrapontheleftsideofawestern

saddle,usedtosecurethecinch.Layofarope:Referstothedirectionoftwistinarope.Mostareofright-

handed(clockwise)lay.Manty:TheSpanishtermforblanket,referstoatarpinwhichaloadcan

be assembled for a pack horse, and also refers to the completedpack.Asaverb,tomantymeanstobuildsuchaload.

Mantyrope:A lightrope,normallythree-eighths inch,usedtosecurea

manty(bundle)withinitstarp.McClellansaddle: The standard saddleof theUSArmy from theCivil

War throughWorldWar II; the seat is relatively deep, the pommellacks a saddle horn, and the cantle has holes through which slingropes can be threaded.ReplicaMcClellan saddles are still popular,andtheydoublewellaspacksaddles.

Natural fiber rope:Ropemade of cotton, hemp,manila, flax, or othernaturallygrownorganicfibers.

Neckrein:Techniqueofridinginhorsesproperlytrainedforthetrailthatallows riding with just one hand, the reins gently moved in thedirection theriderwishes thehorse to turn, thehorserespondingbyturningcorrectly,cuedonlybythefeelofthereinsagainsthisneck.

Packer’sscale:Usuallyaspring-typescalewithatophandleandhookbelow,setup tostickat themaximumpointofstressso thepackercanweighamantyorpannier,thenreadtheweightbeforereleasingtheindicator.

Panniers:AnoldFrenchword(Shakespeareusedit) forbagsorboxessecured on each side of a packsaddle to carry cargo. Sometimescorruptedto“panyards.”

Pastern:Theportionofahorse’sfootjustabovethehoofbutbelowthefirstjoint(fetlock).

Picketing:Restrainingahorsewithalongline,oftentiedtoastakeandsecuredtoahorse’sfrontpastern.

Poly rope: Slang for a rope made either of polyethylene orpolypropylene.

Pommel:The frontportionofasaddle; inwesternsaddles, theportionholdingthesaddlehorn.

Reefknot:Anothernameforsquareknot.Remuda: A group of horses traditionally assembled in a corral before

work.Cowboysthenropedtheirmounttobeusedthatday.Running knots: Knots designed to allow movement of one of their

components,suchasaslipknotorhondaknot.Saddle panniers: Cloth bags with appropriate slits to fit over a riding

saddlewhenitmustdoubleasapacksaddle.Saddlestrings:Usuallyleatherthongsattachedtothesaddle,madefor

tyingobjectsontothesaddle.Sawbuck packsaddle: A wooden packsaddle consisting of two wood

barsjoinedbywoodencrossmembersinanXpattern.Sheets:Thelines(ropes)onasailboatthatadjustthesails.Slingropes:Ropesonpacksaddlesforattachingcargo.Snubbing post: Traditionally, a solid post in themiddle of a corral to

whichtotieorwrapalariatropewhenananimalhadbeenroped.Splice:Anattachmentoftworopestogetheroranothertoitself,aswith

eyesplice.Standingportion:Thepartoftheropethatleadsintotheknot.Stopperknots:Knotssuchastheoverhandknot intendedtobetiedin

theendofaropeforgriportopreventunraveling.Tackaberry: A hook with buckle that attaches to the ring of a cinch,

making it faster to saddle and unsaddle, since none of the latigoleatherneedstobethreadedorunthreadedthroughthering.

Tapaderos:Sometimesabbreviated to “taps,” stirrupcovers that ifwelldesigned would prevent a foot from sliding all the way through astirrupandpossiblyhangingup.

Tree-saver:Astrap toencirclea treeandpreventdamage to thebarkwhenattachingahighline.

War bridle: A type of rope halter made to tighten on the horse’s poll(areajustbehindtheearsonthetopoftheneck).

Whipping: A system ofwrapping string or thread around the end of aropetokeepitfromunraveling.

Withers: Conformational feature of horses, refers to point at base ofneck;thetallestpointonahorsewhenitsheadisdowntoeatgrass.Helpfulinholdingasaddle.

INDEX

Pagenumbersformainentriesandinstructionsareinboldface.

artificialfiberrope,4,5–7,182

backsplice,114,147,167,168–172,177baskethitch,15,91,100–109,113,117,118,119,120,177bear-proofpanniers,99–100,119–120,177bend,18–19,182.Seealsooverhandbend;sheetbendbight,1–2,182.Seealsooverhandonabightbowline,v,viii,xi–xiii,20,35–39,42–45,62,132,140,178,179,180–181.Seealsorunningbowlinebreakawaysystemfortying,x,55–56,58,183breeching(britchin’),88,94–95,96,183bullsnap,61–62,164–166,183

clovehitch,22–24,33,34,105–107,121crownknot,147,168–171,177

Deckersaddle,88,97–100,101,102,105,109,113,118,119,120,121,177,184.Seealsohalf-breeddiamondhitch,87,97,109,184draggingwithhalfhitches,29–32Dutchman,136–137,176,184

eyesplice,3,21,59,101,114,127,130,132,147,148,158–164,171,172,177,184.Seealsoleadrope

grannyknot,10–12,14,179grassrope.Seenaturalfiberrope

half-breed(Decker),98,184halfhitch,viii,14–18,22,25,26,27,28–29,34,44,59,96,104,115–117,132,136,139,152–154,178.Seealsodraggingwithhalfhitches;quick-releaseloop,slippedhalfhitch

halfknot.Seehalfhitchhobble(s),xii,41–43,138–139,141–146,147,148,172,185hondaknot,49–53,114,127,139,185

lanyardhitch,24–27,28lanyardknot.Seelanyardhitchlatigoknot,28–29,96latigoleather,28,60,69,123,189layofrope,2,3,185

leadropewitheyesplice,164–168

manty,6,15,29,101–104,108–117,118,151,152,154,185mantyrope,114,101,186McClellansaddle,106,186

naturalfiberrope,4–5,67,158,162,167,184,186neckrein,viii,62,83,167,186

overhandbend.Seewaterknotoverhandknot,49–50,125,127,133,135,188overhandonabight,127

packer’sscale,92,186picketlineloop,132,133–136,137,176

quick-releaseloop,44quick-releaseknot,57,72–76,89quick-releaseropebuckle,21

reefknot,8,187.Seealsoslippedreefknotrollinghitch,33–34ropebuckle,21runningbowline,45–49runningrigging,46

sawbuck(pack)saddle,88,93,95–97,98,99,100,105,106,109,120,183,188sheepshankknot,151–154sheetbend,18–20,21,59,78,178,179,182slingrope,5,6,67,92,101,105,113,114,120,121,163,186,188slippedhalfhitch,102–104,132,136slippedreefknot,13squareknot,viii,1,7–10,11,12,14,19,62,72,74,91,124,146,178,179,187squareknotwithsliploop,12–13,14,72standingrigging,46stopperknot,49–50,167,188

taut-linehitch,155–157three-strandrope,3,6,66,162,164tie-upknot,62–65transomknot,149–151

warbridle,140,189waterknot,125–127whipping,167,189