# Finishing the end of a rope



## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

All these years, I've done one of four things to the end of a cotton rope:

1.) (most common) Tie a knot in the end and let a couple of inches of rope fray below it. I'm lazy.

2.) Back splice a few inches. Makes a tidy lump in the end of the rope. Maybe thread a bit of saddle string 3/4" latigo through the end of the spliced portion and slit-braid it a couple passes, to use as a popper.

3.) Whip it with waxed linen or nylon cord of the type that I use for harness stitching.

4.) Back splice a loop. (seldom)

Well, I might be the last person to know but I just discovered the existence of a knot called a "double Matthew Walker". Makes a lovely tassle-like knot on the end of a rope that is just attractive enough to overcome my natural inclination to be lazy with rope. 

I found it slightly challenging to tie and in order to have enough cordage to lay the knot out on the table and follow the pattern, I ended up wasting about 6"-8" of one-inch rope. 

Anyhow, here's the knot I tied and a link to instructions on how to tie it with three strands (there's a four-strand variation as well).

http://www.animatedknots.com/matthewwalker/index.php?LogoImage=&Website=


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

I just tape the ends of my cotton ropes, so they stay small. I usually use the cotton ropes for trailering, so the end needs to go thru the tie-loop easily and come out easily when untying.

For us, doing a couple wraps of electric tape has worked the best on those cotton ropes, instead of knotting them.

I use the braided nylon ropes on BIG (3-4 inch sizes) carabiner clips for LEADING horses, never tying with them. The carabiner clips are from a Farm Safety Clinic, where it was pointed out that Fire Folks can't work common horse snaps with gloves on! Fire Folk are NOT EVER allowed to remove ANY equipment, so common snaps just don't work in emergency situations for getting animals out of barns. With the BIG carabiner clips, you can hook the rope on any part of halter to get horse ready to lead outside, without taking gloves off!! Have to say it has been real handy in this cold weather all winter.

The braided nylon rope is just on the clip with two half-hitch knots, end secured to longer rope side with some electric tape again. I can cut the tape, remove clip, so I can bag up and wash all my lead ropes when they get too awful with dirt. I throw the whole laundry bag full into the washer and run them thru a couple cycles so they are clean again, and hang to dry. Only takes a few minutes to retie the clips back on, tape the rope end down and have a clean lead rope ready to use.

I will admit that cotton is easier on the hands for holding on, but I almost always have gloves on anyway when leading horses out, so have no problems using the nylon ropes. I also have LONG lead ropes, so if a horse is REAL SILLY that day, I can let a length out and not run out of rope to keep hold of horse. Then I start after him to improve his manners and we don't have to deal with that issue again, anytime soon.

Trade off in being able to clean the nylon lead ropes, over cotton soft on my hands and not easily washable. If the pull is fast and hard enough, any kind of rope will burn your hands, even cotton.

I do LIKE cotton rope for making up our neckropes used for tying horses in the trailer and when we are away from home. Back to them being softer, not binding up so easily as nylon will when pulled hard.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

I have about 1/3 cotton ropes, 1/3 nylon or poly ropes and 1/3 natural jute, manilla or hemp ropes. Different ropes for different applications. 

My favorite lead rope right now is a nice, broke-in, softened 1/2" jute rope. So soft and pleasant in the hand. I have a small loop tied in one end and the ol' lazy-knot-and-tassle on the other. I just make a lasso, pass it over the horse's head and off we go. Everybody on the farm these days is well behaved and - at most - might need one swat or swish of the knot-and-tassle end.

My neck ropes for highline security and harnessing away at events are nylon (with brass hardware) because I wanted black ropes that didn't show dirt.

Some cotton foot/leg/body ropes in assorted diameters for training purposes.

The grubby cotton rope in the photo is a training mecate and needed a good mota at the bosal end. The other end has the ever-so-traditional :thumb: electrical tape for the reason you mentioned: to keep it slim, for passing the tail end of the lead rope forward, under a couple of wraps on the bosal.

Nylon lead ropes in the horse van (higher breaking strength), but they have a knot tied in the end. To secure the horse in the van, I pass a bight through the welded metal loop, then pass the end knot through the bight and give a little tug to tighten it. The horses are wedged in their stalls pretty snug-ly, with chest to padded manger and butts to padded butt-bar, so I don't think they could even find the end of their ropes unless they stood on their hinds. Mostly a formality to keep them from backing out if I drop the butt bars and then get waylaid, which tends to happen. Horse vans are such a rarity here that by the time I drop the ramp and start thinking about unloading a horse, there's usually a few people with a hundred questions.

I can definitely see how carabiners would be the hardware of choice for first responders but I detest the things. I have exactly three carabiners on the farm: one for either end of my hammock and one to carry two adjustable wrenches and a roll of electrical tape at the plowing matches. Carabiners are greedy and like to eat straps and ropes and not let them go again. Also, they are very strong when pulled straight-on, but the least bit of skew and they stretch open. I know they are much-used in many instances but I have seen them cause too much grief to want them around my horses.


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