Cow Hitch
Also known as: Girth Hitch, Lark's Head
hitch knot
Life-safety notice
TyingPoint's illustrations are for learning. For any life-safety use — climbing, rope access, rescue, or load-bearing rigging — seek qualified in-person instruction, and always inspect and test every knot before you trust your weight (or anyone else's) to it.
The cow hitch earns its name from herders using it to quickly tether an animal's lead rope to a post or rail, and the same speed that made it useful in a barnyard is exactly why paracord crafters and campers still reach for it today - fold the cord in half, wrap the loop around whatever it needs to attach to, and pass both ends back through that loop. No tucking, no dressing beyond a firm pull.
That simplicity comes with a real, well-documented cost. When a cow hitch is tied with webbing or a sling looped through itself - rather than around a solid post - it can roll under load, and testing by climbing-gear manufacturers has shown this specific configuration (often called a girth hitch in that context) can noticeably reduce the rated strength of the sling compared with simply clipping it directly. This isn't a theoretical concern; it's the reason climbing safety guidance specifically flags girth-hitching slings to each other as a configuration to avoid where a cleaner alternative exists.
Around a fixed post or tree, rather than sling-to-sling, the cow hitch behaves much better and remains a legitimate quick attachment for lanyards, dog leads, and paracord projects where the load stays roughly in line with the post.
In paracord and lanyard crafting, where the cow hitch is used constantly to attach cord to a keyring or clasp, this rolling tendency is rarely a practical concern because the loads involved are light and roughly axial. The concern is specific to load-bearing rope and webbing work under real force, which is exactly the context climbing-gear manufacturers have tested and warned against. Knowing which context you're in - a decorative lanyard versus a rated climbing sling - is really the whole difference between the cow hitch being a perfectly fine, fast attachment and a genuinely risky rigging choice.
How to tie the Cow Hitch
- 1Fold the rope or sling in half to form a bight, and lay the bight over the post or anchor point.
- 2Bring both rope ends around behind the post.
- 3Feed both ends through the original bight from the front.
- 4Pull the ends to snug the hitch tight around the post.
Strength & security
Quick to tie, but not a knot to trust alone under a critical load. A cow hitch holds only while both standing parts are tensioned roughly equally; load one leg harder than the other, or tie it on a smooth post, and it can roll and slip off. Girth-hitching one sling to another also cuts its strength substantially - lab testing puts the loss in the region of 40-60%, with the failure always occurring at the knot, and the loss is worse with narrow webbing or when two different widths are joined.
Cautions: Do not use a cow hitch as a load-bearing attachment where a slip would matter - it is not a life-safety hitch on a smooth post or bar. If it must carry real load, secure the working end (the pedigree cow hitch tucks one strand back through the hitch and holds even when only one leg is loaded) or use a knot designed for the job. When joining load-rated slings, clip both to the same carabiner rather than girth-hitching them together.
Alternatives
- Clove Hitch
More resistant to slipping along the post under a lengthwise load, at the cost of being slightly slower to tie and adjust.
FAQ
Is the cow hitch the same as a girth hitch?
They're the same knot structure; "girth hitch" is the name most often used in climbing contexts when a sling or cord is looped through itself rather than around a solid post.
Why do climbers avoid girth-hitching slings together?
Girth-hitching concentrates the whole load onto a narrow band of webbing at the tuck instead of spreading it, and a sling loses strength accordingly. Clipping both slings to one carabiner avoids that, which is why it's generally avoided in load-bearing rigging.
Is the cow hitch safe for paracord crafts?
Yes - for light-duty attachments like keyrings and lanyards under roughly axial load, the rolling tendency that concerns climbers under real force isn't a practical issue.
Why is the cow hitch sometimes called a lark's head?
Both names describe the identical knot; "lark's head" is the more common term in craft and paracord contexts, especially in fine cord and jewelry-making circles, while "cow hitch" and "girth hitch" are the terms more often used in rigging, herding, and climbing contexts respectively - three names for one simple fold-and-tuck attachment, depending on which tradition is using it.
Does the direction the cow hitch is tied matter?
Not structurally - the knot is symmetric regardless of which side the loop starts on, though keeping the orientation consistent across multiple cow hitches in a single project (like a row of lanyards) simply looks neater and more professional.
Can the cow hitch be reinforced for slightly heavier use?
Adding a second, opposite-facing cow hitch just above the first is a common way crafters reinforce a light-duty attachment without switching to a completely different knot, though for anything approaching real load-bearing rope work a clove hitch remains the better choice.
Why does a girth-hitched sling lose strength specifically at an angle?
An in-line pull keeps the hitch's load path relatively even, but pulling it off-axis concentrates force on a smaller portion of the webbing's fibers at the tuck point, and loading a narrow band of fibres rather than the whole width is what costs the sling its strength.
Gear that pairs with this knot
- Type III paracord (550 cord)
For the lanyard and keyring work this page describes, where the load is light and axial and the cow hitch's rolling tendency never comes into play.
- Sewn nylon climbing sling (CE / UIAA rated)
Girth-hitching around a tree is a legitimate use of a rated sewn sling — and only a rated sling, since the hitch already costs it strength and unrated webbing has none to spare.
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