Info needed on picket pin and lariat

[AzTrooper]

Howdy all,
I have been looking for a description or better yet a illustration of how the lariat is tied to the picket pin but I have not had any luck finding any detailed images or descriptions. I have a feeling the end of the lariat is woven in to itself somehow, but I am not sure how to do it and I have not seen any images that would support this theory. If anyone can pass on the correct way to secure the lariat to the picket pin I would really appreciate it a lot.
Respectfully, John Rogers

[CJSchumacher]

Re: Info needed on picket pin and lariat

Howdy all,
I have been looking for a description or better yet a illustration of how the lariat is tied to the picket pin but I have not had any luck finding any detailed images or descriptions. I have a feeling the end of the lariat is woven in to itself somehow, but I am not sure how to do it and I have not seen any images that would support this theory. If anyone can pass on the correct way to secure the lariat to the picket pin I would really appreciate it a lot.
Respectfully, John Rogers

John,

From the 1861 Ordinance Manual:

PICKET-PIN, (iron, painted black.)-.The parts are, the body, the neck, the head, the swell, the point, 1 lariat-ring around the neck, S-shaped, the larger opening for the lariat.
Dimensions.--Length, 14 in.; diameter at swell, 4 in. from point, .75 in.; at neck, .5 in.; at head, 1 in. Lariat-ring, .2-in, wire, welded. Int. diameter, 1 inch. Weight of pin, 1.25 lbs.

LARIAT.-Best hemp 1 1/4-in. rope, 30 ft. long, of 4 strands, an eye, spliced in one end, the other end whipped with small twine. Weight, 2.88 lbs.


Just pull the end through the ring on the picket pin and introduce it into the spliced opening on the opposite end of the line.

[RJSamp]

School of experience

Taught me the hard way that dew or rain moistened lariat hemp can be tough to untie, even WITH a quick disconnect pull the slip knot by the horsie tie. sometimes you don't WANT to be near the horse in trouble in the first place....as they're struggling with the hemp rope wrapped around the ankles, rope burning their hide with every struggling whinny while they're on their rump..... yea, you can start reaching for a knife to cut the lariat.....

I tie a quick disconnect slip knot by the picket pin as well...the heck with passing it through the eye.

And I have seen a picket pin fly out of the ground like a muscle.....and it flies in the direction of the force pulling it out of the ground.....others have seen the pins impale a horse......

RJ Samp

[CJSchumacher]

Re: School of experience

Taught me the hard way that dew or rain moistened lariat hemp can be tough to untie, even WITH a quick disconnect pull the slip knot by the horsie tie. sometimes you don't WANT to be near the horse in trouble in the first place....as they're struggling with the hemp rope wrapped around the ankles, rope burning their hide with every struggling whinny while they're on their rump..... yea, you can start reaching for a knife to cut the lariat.....

I tie a quick disconnect slip knot by the picket pin as well...the heck with passing it through the eye.

And I have seen a picket pin fly out of the ground like a muscle.....and it flies in the direction of the force pulling it out of the ground.....others have seen the pins impale a horse......

RJ Samp

RJ,

It sounds like you had an experience that shouldn't have happened in the first place. I would never secure a horse to a picket pin without first training them to ground tie. Any horse that is struggling or would get to the point of "impalement" obviously shouldn't be on that picket pin to begin with. I wouldn't give the horse an opportunity to cause this kind of damage.

A horse should be trained to "give" at the first feeling of constriction and know how to step out of the lariat.

[GeraldTodd]

Re: School of experience?

I've seen a fellow's horses that are always on the pin get really riled up, and all the while they gave to the lead, never pulled the pin, or got tangled. Once they're trained to it it's got to be quite a big thing before there's a problem.

I saw one of these horses eat up all his grass, pull his pin with his teeth, carry it over to more grass. He'd drop it and eat until that was done, pick up the pin again and carry it to a new spot. There were about 8 circles where he'd moved himself and worked around where he had dropped his pin - but always giving to his lead when he got to it's end, despite the pin not being set.

[10nycav]

Re: Info needed on picket pin and lariat

Not a period correct solution, but a good way to train horses to the picket pin is to put a length of stiff garden hose over the rope to start with. That way the horse is less likely to get caught up in the rope (or if he does, he's less likely to get injured) while he figures out that he needs to step clear of the rope. I also let horses graze (at home and supervised) while dragging a short length of rope. They teach themselves that the feel of stepping on the rope and feeling restraint is nothing to get upset about.

As for the horse that "self picketed"--that is about the funniest thing I ever heard of. Would love to see it captured on film.

Someone mentioned that there is now a source for hemp ropes of all sizes--"up to hawser size"--can't remember where I saw it--but could someone please repost this info?

Ken Morris
10th Regt of Cavalry NYSV.

[Linneus Ahearn]

Re: Info needed on picket pin and lariat

You can get hemp rope for any need by contacting Dave and Mike at Ropesmiths. D&M Cordage

http://hometown.aol.com/ropesmith/myhomepage/index.html

Their prices are reasonable and they will ship immediately.

[RJSamp]

Re: School of experience

RJ,

It sounds like you had an experience that shouldn't have happened in the first place. I would never secure a horse to a picket pin without first training them to ground tie. Any horse that is struggling or would get to the point of "impalement" obviously shouldn't be on that picket pin to begin with. I wouldn't give the horse an opportunity to cause this kind of damage.

A horse should be trained to "give" at the first feeling of constriction and know how to step out of the lariat.

Absolutely agree Chris.....my horse was the 'struggling' one at Antietam 140 that rope burned her ankles.....we had her on a picket pin at Raymond a year before and she was cutting down helicopter landing circles all day long....maybe she forgot... anyway, she's been sold.

Heard the story about the impaling move and it put the fear of god in me.....we didn't use pins on the Morgan's raid... plenty of trees and hay... but it would have been nice to let em graze for longer than we could hold 'em...

RJ Samp

[SouthernFed]

Re: School of experience

Absolutely agree Chris.....my horse was the 'struggling' one at Antietam 140 that rope burned her ankles.....we had her on a picket pin at Raymond a year before and she was cutting down helicopter landing circles all day long....maybe she forgot... anyway, she's been sold.

Heard the story about the impaling move and it put the fear of god in me.....we didn't use pins on the Morgan's raid... plenty of trees and hay... but it would have been nice to let em graze for longer than we could hold 'em...

RJ Samp

Ropes well for me even if it is not correct I use cotton rope measuring 14 ft when picketing. Less chance of rope burns. Nothing worst than a horse in the morning you can not use due to fighting the rope during the night. As we all know Horses run away when they feel they are in danger.
Ron Orange/ Southernfed

[AzTrooper]

Re: Info needed on picket pin and lariat

Thank You for all the responces to my question.They helped clear things up a lot and I really appreciate it a lot.
Sincerely, John Rogers

Howdy all,
I have been looking for a description or better yet a illustration of how the lariat is tied to the picket pin but I have not had any luck finding any detailed images or descriptions. I have a feeling the end of the lariat is woven in to itself somehow, but I am not sure how to do it and I have not seen any images that would support this theory. If anyone can pass on the correct way to secure the lariat to the picket pin I would really appreciate it a lot.
Respectfully, John Rogers