# Using a highline to secure stock



## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

We high-line our girls. Only difference is we use cinches for the tree savers. Other than that we do it all the same way. We call the power cinch you used to connect line to tree, a truckers or cargo knot. 
Love the bag pipes.


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

Cinches for tree savers? That's a great idea and one that could save a few bucks in the process. I know I've got old, used, cinches tucked away around the barn. 

Thanks for a GREAT tip!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I highline all the time. We often turn the horses out into the meadows with a electric hot string during the day, But we always highline at night. Too many deer and elk don't understand what a hot wire is and it's often knocked down by morning.

The rules of 7 are what I follow for my lines. 7' high, 7' foot between horses and 17" of lead. although I do fudge on the last number. If it's night time and I've thrown hay out or want the horses to lay down to sleep, I will lengthen the lead so they can barely get their nose to the ground when they stretch the lead.

I pack a small pulley or a ratchet web strap to tighten the line with. I use both the No-Knot and the Prussic Loop to attach leads to the highline.

Horse out in the meadow during the day. You can barely see some of the white fiberglass post holding the hot wire.









Horses sleeping on the highline



























A lot of the places I ride in the winter and spring, don't have any trees to highline to. I use HiTies on the trailers for those camp outs.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Went and watched your video. Nice job on the pop up windows that zoom into the knots.

I usually tie my ends with a Bowline knot. I want something that I can untie after the horses have been tugging on it all night. Especially in October when it snows, the ropes get wet and freeze. On the 1st end, I slip the rope thru the rings on the Tree saver and tie the bowline. On the second end I just tie a Bowline and hook the Ratchet Strap to the loop formed by the knot and ratchet it tight.

I also don't use a manila or hemp rope. They are just to hard to untie after they freeze. I use the Mountain Climbing ropes. I buy them at a local store that sells them in various hanks by the pound. So mine are 50-60 foot in length. If I need more than 50', I join two together. When I'm packing, I usually leave the Knot Eliminaters in the trailer and just make up some Prussic Loops. They are fast and easy. If a horse gets in trouble, I just cut the Prussic Loop. No expensive loss.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I want some of those^^My husband is a machinist, I wonder if he could make something similar.


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

Painted - You're one of many people mentioning using come alongs. Do you mainly use them for highlining near the vehicles or do you pack them in as well? I like using the powercinch (or Vida's truckers knot) because I can use the existing line and don't have to carry anything extra. 

I wish I could find used climbing rope out here, I'll have to look. I generally use 5/8 BTM line from outfitters supply, it works ok. 

Hot ****! Someone who knows what a prussik is. It's one of the handiest knots I can think of and most people outside of the climbing /SAR / Military communities have never heard of it. When I talk to groups about low impact camping I usually get blank stares when I mention it!

Vida - I've seen 3" rings used instead of knot eliminators. Might be easier than having something fabricated from scratch.


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## SmoothTrails (Oct 1, 2009)

I use a highline. We use the ratchet that came with our hightensile electric fence. We actually use leftover electric rope as the highline. It works really well. It gives when it needs to give, but it doesn't stretch out as much as the rope we used to use. We have a good big line of rope so we can make it longer than we have ever actually needed it if we wanted to. We normally tie the horses so that they can just reach the ground with their nose if they put some pressure on the rope.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I'll tell a short story about high-lines. We were camping a few years ago. We had the trailer parked under a bunch of oak trees and the 2 girls tied to a high-line between the same trees. The wind blew a sudden gust and a bunch of acorns fell down on top of the trailer. It sounded like a machine gun going off! Well the girls spooked and tried to run but the high-line held. I've sworn by them ever sense.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I don't use a big come along. Just a nylon strap and ratchet like you would use to tie down a motorcycle or atv to a trailer. It doesn't weigh that much and I always seem to need that extra 5-6 feet to make up for my rope being just a little too short to reach that next tree. And I can use the strap to wrap around the tree if I'm short a tree saver. With 5-6 horses, I often have to run between 3-trees. So two tree savers comes up short. 

If I'm trying to cut weight, I just take the pulley. Go by REI and buy a River Rafters emergency pulley or mountain climber pulley. They are machined aluminum and very light. I attach it to the highline with a prussic loop and run the high line thru the rings on the tree saver and back. With the horses moving around and tuggin at night, the prussic loop will slip a little and you will have some slack in the morning. But I'd rather deal with that, than fight to get a frozen knot untied.

The rope I've purchased is not used. It's brand new, I think it's just roll ends that this company sells. The store I frequent has a Rope Room where they sell all kinds of bulk rope. They sell lots of short hanks of what was left over off the rolls. there has been a company out of Idaho that comes down to our Horse Expo each spring and sells a Kevlar Rope that is guaranteed NOT to stretch. It's only a 3/8" diameter, so it's lite and smaller to pack, but has more strength than the heavier ropes. I'll have to see if I can find his website. But since it's Kevlar, it's kinda of expensive. I have lost a few highlines. Since it one of the last things I roll up as we pack camp, I've loaded the horses and driven off and left it in the trees more than once.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Ouch, those hi-ties are expensive if you need more than one. Maybe I will add it to my Xmas list.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

If you camp in the desert where there are no trees to highline off. You will want some HiTies. It's only way to get a decent nights sleep with the horses teethered to the trailer. If I tie my horses to the rings, I feel them tug and pull all night. I never get any sleep. With the high ties, The fiberglass rods asorb the movement and I don't feel it. And I get to sleep.

I started using them years ago when I did CTR. At CTR events everybody has to "KEEP" their horses the same way at night. So if there are stalls, Everybody gets a stall, if there are not enough to go around, Nobody gets a stall. If you allow portable corrals, Everybody must have a portable corral. Hence the standard is that every body ties to their trailer. HiTies still count as tying to the trailer,


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Trust me, there are places on the prairie where there are no trees to high line to as well. :lol:


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## buddy09 (Nov 15, 2009)

we just tie ours to trees on longe lines


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