Video: How to Tie a Safety Release Knot

A safety release knot, sometimes called a quick release knot, is a method of tying your horse in a way that can be released quickly in case of emergency. If your horse panics and pulls back, you’re able to untie the knot with a single tug to prevent injury to your horse or damage to the barn or fence he is tied to.

 

Here are the steps to tying a safety release knot.

1. Put the end of the rope through the tie ring or around the post.
2. Wrap the loose end once around the rope, creating a circle.
3. Fold the loose end into a loop, and pull it through the circle.
4. If your horse is mouthy, tuck the loose end through the loop so that he can’t untie himself.

Note: some horse owners make a loop of bailing twine and tie it to the tie ring, then make the safety release knot on the twine. This is an added safety measure so that if the horse panics and you don’t reach the knot in time to pull him free, he will break the twine before he injures himself.