The other end of the rope is then attached to the halter ring, with a quick release knot, or it may be placed around the horse's neck and secured with a bowline knot. Unless the horse is especially unruly, there should be no problem. Before using the ground tie method above, or when staking a horse out where the rope will lie in similar fashion along the ground, the horse must be trained not to become entangled in the rope. The horse should allow the rope to rub against both the outside and inside of all four legs and should stand quietly if he does become entangled. Cross tying not only requires special equipment, it requires special training.
Most horses object at first to having their heads held immobile.
To start training, allow lots of slack in both ties. Gradually shorten the ties until the desired control is obtained. It is usually advisable to allow 6 to 8 inches of play on each of the center. One way of doing this is to leave the ties long enough to overlap the length of the snaps. Take special care to prevent a horse from breaking loose when tied.