From: reich@cod.nosc.mil (Ronald S. Reich) Subject: bridle tying Date: 12 May 93 15:13:04 GMT Gee! if I keep this up I won't have to publish my book. HOW TO TIE BRIDLE LINES AND TRAIN LINES by RON REICH This article is a presentation of the most common method of tying bridle and train lines of equal length. It has been used for many, many years. MATERIALS REQUIRED: 1. A piece of wood about 6 inches longer than the finished length of the lines you want to tie. 2. Two one inch long finishing nails and a hammer. 3. Supply of bridle line to suit your needs. 4. Felt tip marker. 5. Measuring tape. CONSTRUCTION: 1. Pound the nails into the board 1/2 inch further apart than what you want as a finished length. Leave 1/2 inch of the nail standing out of the board. The nails should be straight up perpendicular to the board. Note: you will be tying a knot which will take bring the finished length to the proper amount. 2. With the felt tip marker put a mark about 6 inches in from each nail on the imaginary line between the two nails. <--DESIRED LENGTH +1/2 INCH ---> __|___,________________________,___|__ |______________________________________| PROCEDURE: 1. Fold 6 inches of the line back on itself and tie an overhand knot to make a closed loop. Note: There is no need to cut a length from your spool of line. Just reel off enough to work with. closed ______ overhand knot loop (______\________________________________() spool \ 2. Place the closed loop over one of the nail on the board. ______ _(_|____\__________________________,___|________() |___________________________________________| 3. Grasp the line beyond the other nail and pull it tight. Bend the line around the other nail and position it next to the line which is between the two nails. __|====------------------------/====,===|__ |_____________________________/_____________| / () Definition: A bend in a line is called a "bite" IMPORTANT NOTE: The tightness with which you pull the line around the nail should be able to be repeated as close as possible on subsequent lines you tie. 4. If you pulled the line around the nail with your right hand then while keeping tension on the line, Pinch the pair of lines at the mark with your left thumb and forefinger. Try not to let them slip relative to each other as you proceed with step 5. 5. Carefully lift the bite off of the nail with your right hand. I like to use the fingernail of my index finger to work the bite to the top of the nail. The small head of the finishing nail becomes important at this point. You can see that if the nail has a large head it would be more difficult to remove the bite with out the line slipping. 6. Tie an over hand knot in this bite as close to the pinch point as possible. You should try to be consistent with subsequent lines that you tie. Pull the knot good-n-tight. ____ ____ (____>---------------------<____) | () That's the 1st one of a set. 7. Now move about 8 to 10 inches up the line toward the spool and fold the line over and tie another overhand knot about the same size as you just tied. Pull this knot good-n-tight. 8. Place this new knot over the nail on the left and your ready to tie another line to match the first. 9. When you are all done you will have a long line of double loops. Carefully cut the lines apart at the short length between the loops. And Walla there you have it a whole bunch of identical lengths of line with loops at both ends. ____ ____ (____>-----------------|<____) ____ | <--CUT ____ (____>|--------------------<____) Note: Let the nail at one end be the common nail and add other nails to the board for additional length you need to tie. Still Learning and Sharing, Ron Reich