Tack and Horse Equipment - Get Down Rope

In response to a reader question on Get Down ropes and how I use one:

Get Down Ropes are a pretty traditional piece of equipment, use by the Horseman to lead his horse when on the ground or to tie his horse to a tie rail or other suitable tie spot.

Notice I say suitable tie spot. A panel fence, fence gate and flimsy things like this are not good tie spots. Use something that is meant to tie your horse to such as a tie post, tie rail, D ring on a trailer, etc.

There are a group of Horseman that will not ever lead their horses nor tie them by the reins. However, I will not go so far as to say good Horsemen never lead by the reins or tie by the reins. I certainly have, no excuses, but I'm just a Horseman in training. I'm sure the reader can understand that leading a bitted horse, that is a horse carrying a bit, by the reins can cause problems such as the bit clanging around the horse's mouth and even chipping or busting teeth.

Riding a Hackamore or a mechanical Hackamore is alot different, but if you don't have a Fiador, you may pull the nose band and bridle off the horse.

In riding with Hackamores and Bosals, remember a Bosal is just the nose piece which, combined with a bridle or hanger, becomes a Hackamore. Some Horsemen use Mecate or McCarthy reins which are a one piece rein, becoming like a set of roper reins and tied so the last 8 feet or so become a get down rope connected to the Bosal or noseband heel knot. Traditional Mecate Reins are made from horse mane hair, newer ones are made from round yacht braid or kermantle rope.

Other get down ropes are separate from the reins and are clipped or tied onto the Fiador loops (next to the noseband heel knot) in order to lead a horse on the ground.

I use a modified rawhide noseband tiedown and bridle as a Hackamore and I carry a 1/4 inch soft cotton rope to tie onto the tiedown ring on the noseband for when I want to lead a horse any moderate distance on the ground or over rough terrain.