Our Favorite ropes for halters, leads and reins.

Rope halters, leads and reins are favored by many natural horse men and women for training purposes. The interaction between the product design and type of rope used creates unique products. Many famous horse trainers have perfected their designs/rope choices to create products tailored to their training methods. This document is our attempt to share the insights/opinions we have developed while selling ropes, creating rope tack, and working with trainers over the past twelve years. We hope sharing our insights will help take some of the mystery out of choosing the perfect rope to meet your needs. Sincerely, Columbia Basin Knot Company, LLC rope sales and home of the Knotty Girlz - creating quality rope products in the USA.

Diameter

Rope diameters used for tying halters typically vary between 3/16 inch to 3/8 inch in diameter. Diameters of 3/16 inch are often used underneath a bridle or for training. One of the more popular diameters used by many natural horse trainers is 1/4 inch. While 5/16 inch and 3/8 inch can be bulking on small horses, foals, weanlings, and yearlings, they can work well with larger horses. Commonly requested diameters for lead ropes range from 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch. Some trainers prefer the larger diameters for increased grip and added weight, although optimum size is also dependent on the size of the hand holding the rope.

Double Braid

Rope Construction

A double braid rope refers to a braided rope cover over a braided rope core. Basically, it is a rope over another rope. These ropes are often flexible and easy to handle. Most double braid ropes are spliceable. Double braid rope is often called yacht braid and can be made with combinations of fibers or the same fibers. To get a stiffer or firmer double braid rope, the cover can be braided tighter which increases its hardness.

Hardness

Braided Cover Parallel Core

For braided ropes, hardness is a term used to indicate the relative tightness or stiffness of a rope/rope cover. Splicing is easier with softer ropes. Harder or stiffer ropes contain more carriers in the cover, making a tighter weave which can be difficult, if not impossible to splice. Two knot and four knot halters refer to the number of knots across the noseband of a halter. Stiff rope is often used when making four knot and two knot halters that hold their form. Some natural horse trainers feel a stiffer rope puts more pressure on the horses nose, which can help train the horse to yield to pressure. Other trainers prefer softer yacht rope halters for a gentler contact with the horse and believe soft halters may help horses yield to pressure when the pull is taken off the halter. Soft halters are great for carrying in a pocket or saddle pack as they fold up nicely. We have designed a firm rope that falls between the stiff and soft rope choices.

When the core of the rope consists of one or more un-braided fibers running parallel to a braided cover the rope can be called a braided cover parallel core rope or cord. Halter cord uses this construction. Fibers used in the core range from inexpensive filler fibers to premium fibers. Parallel core ropes are not considered splicable.

Three Strand

A three strand laid rope is constructed of three strands, each with an identical structure and number of yarns. The strands are twisted or laid to make a rope that is easy to splice.

Polyester

Rope Fibers

Due to its strength, low stretch, excellent sunlight resistance, and excellent abrasion resistance properties, polyester is a preferred fiber for many natural horse trainers.

Strength and Weight

Nylon

Rope strength depends on a ropes construction and type of fibers used. Tensile strength is a measure of a ropes breaking strength based on a large number of breaking force tests. A rope with a specification for tensile strength indicates it has been through the testing required to specify a breaking strength. Estimated or approximate tensile strengths are derived from calculations of theoretical strength based on a ropes construction and the fibers used. In general, polyester and nylon fibers have excellent strength, MFP good, and cotton poor. Some ropes/rope fibers are heavier than others. For example, a double braid MFP rope will be lighter weight than a double braid polyester or nylon rope.

Nylon is a great fiber often used in reins and leads. Nylon is not recommended for halters due to shrinkage over time. It has excellent strength and good sunlight resistance. It is not as abrasion resistant as polyester.

Multifilament Polypropylene (MFP)

MFP is often used due to its price point. MFP has good strength, low stretch, and fair resistance to sunlight. It comes in numerous colors and is lighter in weight than polyester or nylon.

Cotton

Although it is not as strong as other fibers, cotton has a soft feel and was one of the first fibers used in manufacturing horse rope products.

CBKnot Premium Polyester

Bright Green Mix Burgundy/Beige Black /Whie Red/White

Hunter Green

Polyester fiber colors available by the spool*

Neon Orange Bright Green Neon Yellow
NY

Blue Mix

Halter cords - Polyester

3/16 HCP316WA-6TF 1/4 HCP14WA-8TF

BLM RDWH BGM BUBE BKWH BK

GY

NA BR BU

Colors available by the foot shown below** Stiffness*:

OD

BE

BL

HG

RD

LM

PK

YE

BG

PR

RB

WH NO

CBKnot Stiff Polyester Halter Cord

Polyester cover/parallel polyester core

This rope holds its shape and is often used for stiffer 2-knot and 4-knot halters.

BK BE BG HG BL PK PR RD NO NG BKBE BK BE BG HG BL PK PR RD NG BKWH

Black 400 spool $50.40 or $0.17/ft Colors 400 spool $67.20 or $0.21/ft White 1000 spool $152.25 or $0.20/ft Black 1000 spool $156.60 or $0.21/ft Colors 1000 spool $166.25 or $0.23/ft

CBKnot Firm Double Braid Polyester Polyester cover/polyester core 1/4 DBP14WA-12P BK BL PR RD
Estimated average tensile strength 2031lbs.

Stiffness*:
Black 1000 spool $172.05 or $0.27/ft Colors 1000 spool $195.00 or $0.29/ft

BUBE

CBKnot Double Braid Polyester Polyester cover/polyester core 1/4 DBP14WA BK BE HG BL PK PR RD NG NO

Estimated average tensile strength 2,031lbs.

Stiffness*:
White 1000 spool $172.50 or $0.25/ft Black 1000 spool $187.50 or $0.27/ft Colors 1000 spool $195.75 or $0.29/ft White 600 spool $153.45 or $0.33/ft Black 600 spool $156.42 or $0.34/ft

BKBL BLM BGM RDWH

5/16 DBP516WA

BK

Estimated average tensile strength 3,010lbs.

Decorative Noseband cords - Polyester

CBKnot Polyester Braiding Cord
1/8 BCP18WA
Polyester cover/textured core Used for decorative knots or braiding on halters 1000 spool $58.00 or $0.11/ft

BK BL RD

Lead/Rein ropes - Polyester

CBKnot Double Braid Polyester Polyester cover/polyester core BK BL PK PR WH NG 1/2 DBP12WA
Estimated average tensile strength 7,850lbs. White 600 spool $242.55 or $0.56/ft. Black 600 spool $284.13 or $0.66/ft. Colors 600 spool $336.60 or $0.78/ft. White 400 spool $198.40 or $0.69/ft. Black 400 spool $241.80 or $0.84/ft. Colors 400 spool $261.00 or $0.97/ft. White 300 spool $159.75 or $0.76/ft. Black 300 spool $213.15 or $0.99/ft.

9/16 DBP916WA
5/8 DBP58WA

BK BU BE

BG HG BL PK PR RD WH NG

Estimated average tensile strength 9,500lbs.

BKBE

Estimated average tensile strength 11,150lbs

BK WH

Nylon

Lead/Rein ropes - Nylon

Double Braid Nylon 5/8 DBN58WA

Colors available by the foot shown below**

BK BL B GO R W H NA

RD TE W H BU

PR BO GO

DT BG

Nylon cover / nylon core

BK WH

White 300 spool $156.77 or $0.78/ft. Black 300 spool $192.00 or $0.96/ft.

Estimated average tensile strength 10,200lbs.

www.cbknot.com/equestrian.html

Email: [email protected]

(509) 291-3024

OD

Black Blue Brown Gold /white Navy Red Teal White Burgundy Purple Burnt Orange Bright Gold Desert Tan Bright Green Olive Drab

Nylon fiber colors available by the spool*

Neon Green
NG

Olive Drab

Yellow

Royal Blue

Burgundy

Brown

Purple

White

Beige

Black

Navy

Gray

Lime

Blue

Pink

Red

CBKnot Multifilament Polypropylene (MFP)

MFP fiber colors available by the spool*
Pacific Blue Kelly Green Dark Green Royal Blue Olive Drab Raspberry Pink Mix Blue Mix Maroon Brown Yellow Purple Orange White Camo Silver Aqua Sky Blue
SB

Black

Navy

Jute

Red

Teal

PKM BLM CA AQ

NA

JT

MA

BK

RB

BR

DG

PR

OD

RD

YE

Halter cords - MFP

CBKnot Firm MFP Halter Cord 5/16 HCM516WA-24C
MFP cover/continuous filament core

Colors available by the foot shown below** Stiffness*:

TE

Pink

PK

OR

PB

SI

KG

WH

RA

1000 spools $120.00 or $0.19/ft.

BK NA BR DG JT KG LM MA PB PK OR PR RA RD AQ CA

PKM BLM

CBKnot Double Braid MFP Over Polyester 5/16 DBM516WA BK DG JT MA PB

MFP cover/polyester core

Stiffness*:
600 spool $126.00 or $0.26/ft.

Decorative Noseband cords - MFP

CBKnot MFP Braiding Cord 1/8 BCM18WA
MFP cover/textured core 1000 spool $47.85 or $0.10/ft.

BK WH BR DG JT LM MA PB OR PK PR RA RD SI SB NA YE AQ TE PRM JTM PKBK

Lead/Rein ropes - MFP

CBKnot Double Braid MFP over polyester 1/2 DBM12WA
BK

MFP cover/polyester core 600 spool $198.00 or $0.46/ft

9/16

DBM916WA

BK JT
400 spool $158.40 or $0.57/ft

BKJT BKBL

5/8

DBM58WA

BK BR DG

JT

KG LM MA PB PK OR PR RA RD AQ
400 spool $195.20 or $0.70/ft

Burgundy Blue Grey Red Green Navy

Cotton

Cotton fiber colors available by the spool*

Standard Colors Brown Purple Black Pink Hot Colors Lime Orange Gold Royal Glitter Glitter Mix Colors
GLM

Combination
COMB

Lead/Rein ropes - Cotton

BU BL GY RD GR NA BR BK PR PK LM OR GO RB

Colors available by the foot shown below**

3-Strand Cotton Soft natural feel three strand twisted cotton rope 1/2 3SC12HN NA RD WH
COMB - colors vary

White 640 spool $101.00 or $0.26/ft Std Colors 640 spool $123.61 or $0.31/ft Glitter,/Hot colors: 640 spool $149.80 or $0.38/ft

www.cbknot.com/equestrian.html

Email: [email protected]

(509) 291-3024

Lime
LM

Samson and New England Ropes carried by CBKnot

Halter cords
5mm Samson Kayak Cord braided polyester cover with a parallel polyester core Colors available by the foot KAP5MSM Stiffness*:
BK Black 1000spool $126.89 or $0.20/ft.

1/4 Samson Halter Cord braided polyester cover with a parallel polyester core Colors available by the foot HCP14SM Stiffness*:
BK, BL, BE, PK, PR Average tensile strength 1700 lbs

300 spool $87.12 or $0.37/ft.

Colors available by the foot WHBL

1/4 Samson Stable Braid braided polyester cover with a braided polyester core DBP14SM- STBR Stiffness*:
Average tensile strength 2,300lbs.

600 spool $161.52 or $0.38/ft.

Lead/Rein ropes
1/2 Samson EQ Braid - braided polyester cover with a braided polyester core
Colors available by the foot BK, BL, PK, PR, BE,BKBL

DBP12SM-EQ
Average tensile strength 8,300lbs

500 spool $331.47 or $1.02/ft.

1/2 Samson Stable Braid braided polyester cover with a braided polyester core
Colors available by the foot WHBL

DBP12SM-STBR
Average tensile strength 10,400lbs

600 spool $421.66 or $1.08/ ft.

1/2 New England Braided Safety Blue tightly plied polyester cover with a blue polyolefin core
Colors available by the foot WH

TLP12NE-SAFB
Average tensile strength 7,000lbs

600 spool $487.50 or $1.30/ft.

Ropes and cords labelled CBKnot are designed by Columbia Basin Knot Company, LLC and manufactured in the U.S.A for our equestrian customers. Robyn Slate Doloughan, Columbia Basin Knot Company, LLC

Qualit equestian rope tack - made in the Pacic Norhwest

We take pride in creating handmade products for wholesale or retail customers. Choose from our online selection of halters, lead ropes, reins, and more, or contact us to create a custom desig.
www.knottgirlz.com email: [email protected] phone: 509 291-3024

*Printed colors are representative. For accurate color matching, check rope samples. Comparisons in this brochure are based on staff opinions and experience with these ropes. ** Colors available by the foot may vary. We recommend evaluating samples prior to purchase. A sample kit is available. Contact us via email or phone for information.

Columbia Basin Knot Company is the parent company of the Knotty Girlz, creating products made from the ropes described in this brochure

Printed May 2013 Prices subject to change

www.cbknot.com/equestrian.html

Email: [email protected]

(509) 291-3024