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Diagram

Cow Hitch

Lark's head · Girth hitch · Ring hitch

Hitching a bight to a ring or post for a light, temporary hold with both legs loaded equally. Do not rely on it alone for a critical load. The girth hitch is the same knot.

Hitch · Beginner · Polyester / Nylon rope / Polypropylene / Natural fibre · 4 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
Cow Hitch, finishedCow Hitch, finished

Finished structure

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

  1. Pass a bight of rope over the rail, so its closed end hangs down behindA bight of rope is laid over the rail, with its closed end hanging down behind the rail and both legs hanging in front.
    Move 1 of 1Pass a bight of rope over the rail, so its closed end hangs down behindYou should now see: A bight over the rail, its closed end hanging behind and both legs hanging in front.

    Step 01

    Fold the rope to form a bight and pass it through the ring from underneath, or around the back of the post, so the end of the bight comes out on your side.

    You should now see

    A U-shaped bight on your side of the ring or post, with the two legs of the rope running back through or around it.

    If it goes wrong

    Passing a single strand through the ring instead of a folded bight. You will see one rope end hanging free on your side rather than a U-shaped bight with two legs behind it.

    Fix: Pull the strand back out, fold the rope double, and pass the fold through so a bight comes out on your side.

    Why: If the top of a post is open, the same hitch can be made another way: form two loops, one the mirror of the other, place one on the post and fold the other on top of it.

  2. Bring the bight under the rail toward you and pass both legs through itThe bight comes back under the rail toward you and both legs pass through it, so it lies across them in front of the rail.
    1Both legs through the bight
    Move 1 of 1Bring the bight under the rail toward you and pass both legs through itYou should now see: Both legs coming out through the bight, which lies across them in front of the rail.

    Step 02

    Pull the end of the bight down toward you, reach through it, take hold of both legs together and draw them through the bight, feeding the ends through if the legs are long.

    You should now see

    Both legs now pass through the bight, which lies around them and around the ring or post as a loose collar.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling only one leg through the bight. The hitch looks lopsided, with one leg running straight from the ring or post without passing through the bight.

    Fix: Pull the lone leg back out of the bight, gather both legs together, and pass them through side by side.

    Why: The finished cow hitch is two half hitches made in opposite directions around the ring or post. A leg left outside the bight leaves one of those half hitches unmade.

  3. Pull both legs down together to snug the bight round the railPulled down together, the legs draw the bight snug round the rail, lying square across them.
    Move 1 of 1Pull both legs down together to snug the bight round the railYou should now see: The bight lying square across both legs in front of the rail, with both legs leaving together.

    Step 03

    Pull both legs together to snug the bight down onto the ring or post, and straighten the strands so they lie flat and parallel.

    You should now see

    A bar of rope across one side of the ring or post, two parallel strands around the other side, and both legs leaving together from under the bar.

    If it goes wrong

    Leaving the legs crossed, or one strand riding on top of the other. The hitch sits crooked and the two legs leave at different angles.

    Fix: Slacken the bight, lay the strands flat and side by side, and pull both legs together again.

    Why: The hitch can fail unless both legs take equal tension. A crooked hitch starts with the legs unequal before any load comes on.

  4. Load both legs together, never just oneThe finished cow hitch on the rail, both legs hanging below it and sharing the load.
    Move 1 of 1Load both legs together, never just oneYou should now see: Both legs sharing the load. If only one leg will take the strain, use a different hitch.

    Step 04

    Put the load on both legs at once, so they pull equally and in the same direction.

    You should now see

    Both legs tight and sharing the pull, and the hitch staying in place on the ring or post as the load comes on.

    If it goes wrong

    Loading just one leg, or leaving the hitch as the only tie on a boat left unattended. With one leg pulling, the hitch can slide or roll around the ring or post.

    Fix: If only one leg can take the load, tie a round turn and two half hitches instead. For a mooring line left overnight, use a bowline or a cleat hitch.

    Why: It slips about as readily as a clove hitch and should not be the only attachment for a critical load. It is less likely than a clove hitch to bind, so it stays easy to untie.

Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Dropped-bight family

A finished eye dropped over a post — both legs share. Temporary, not overnight.

  • !Only one leg loaded — the hitch walks as a girth
  • !Bight never taken over the top of the pile
  • !Left as overnight mooring on a tide
Fails when
  • !Only one leg takes the load, so the hitch slides or rolls around the ring or post.
  • !The two legs pull with unequal tension, for example when they were left crossed.
  • !One leg runs outside the bight, leaving one of the two half hitches unmade.
  • !It is the only attachment for a critical load, where it can slip about as readily as a clove hitch.
Geometry

  • Only one leg loaded

    Hitch walks off the post

    Animated Knots: holds when both legs load; slips on a single-leg load · step 04

  • One leg through the bight

    Girth that walks under the first snatch

    Both legs must pass through the bight · step 02

  • Twisted or used as overnight mooring

    Walks off through a tide cycle

    A cow hitch is a short stay, not a mooring plan · step 04

If you saw this

  • Hitch walks off the post

    Check

    • ?Both legs sharing the load
    • ?Hitch square

    Then

    • →Load both legs or switch to a round turn and two half hitches

  • Only one leg loaded

    Check

    • ?Hitch walks off the post
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • One leg through the bight

    Check

    • ?Girth that walks under the first snatch
    • ?Inspect step 02

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Twisted or used as overnight mooring

    Check

    • ?Walks off through a tide cycle
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Not ideal for

  • ×Load on one leg only
  • ×A standing mooring (use round turn and two half hitches)
  • ×Cyclic snatch on a single strap

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