Quick Release Knot For Horses

Tie A Quick Release Knot - Page 1 of 2

A quick release knot (also sometimes called a "jerk" knot) is a knot that will come untied quickly and easily when the tail of the rope is pulled on. This type of knot is ideal for tying a horse or pony since being able to quickly release a tied horse or pony is sometimes crucial for the safety of the animal and its surroundings. There are a lot of different quick release knots. In the photos and text below, we'll show you how to tie one kind.

Begin by taking the tail of the lead rope around or through a suitable object to tie a horse to. In our example on the right we're going to tie to a pipe fence post.

Tie a quick release knot for your horse or pony

In our example above, the horse is on the right side of
the fence post and the tail of the rope is on the left side.

Take the tail of the rope (from the left side of the post) and cross it underneath the part of the rope going to the horse.

Then, twist the rope on the left side of the post to form a loop.

Quick release knot, step one

Next, take the tail of the rope (which is now on the right side of the post) over the part of the rope going to the horse, and push it up through the loop. See the illustration at right.

Take the rope through the loop to form a knot