Every horse owner should know how to tie a horse up safely so that it can be quickly and easily released.. There is only really one recommended knot for tying horses -- the quick release knot. However, there are several different variations of this knot.
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Preparing to Tie
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Before tying up, consider the equipment you are using. Your lead rope should be soft and flexible so that the knots will stay secure, and not so long that it trails on the ground when knotted. Your horse should wear a well-fitting halter.
Only ever tie up to a solid object such as a tree or telephone pole. Horses can easily become frightened and pull back, and break the object they are tied to. The ideal tie-up place is a strong iron ring set into a wall, with a loop of string attached as a breaking point.
Ideally, your tying-up point should be roughly on a level with the horse's withers. Low tying points will allow the rope to trail down, and the horse may trap a leg.
Quick Release Knot
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Sometimes you may need to release your horse quickly. If he panics and pulls back, a conventional knot will tighten and become impossible to undo.
To tie a standard quick release knot, choose a point on the rope about two feet down from the horse's chin. Loop the rope back on itself, and pass the loop through the tying-up point. Form another loop with the spare end of the rope, and pass it through the first loop. Pull both loops tight to form the knot. Pulling the spare end of the rope will undo the knot.
Safety
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Some horses discover that by chewing the end of a quick release knot they can release themselves. This is frustrating for the owner if the horse then wanders off, and can obviously be dangerous.
To combat this, you can tie a standard quick release knot and then tuck the spare end of the rope through the loop. However, the horse may continue to play with this and tighten the knot so that it cannot be released. In this case you could consider using a special lead rope with a click release clip rather than a knot.
Variations
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You can also tie a quick release knot by passing the rope through the tying-up point before making the loop. This knot may cause problems in an emergency, as even when the knot is released the rope may still be held through the tying-up point. However, it is harder for the horse to release himself from this type of knot.
Another variation on the standard knot is to continue passing loops of rope through the first one until the slack is used up. This knot remains completely releasable, but is harder for the horse to undo as there is no slack rope to chew on.
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