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
Fold the rope or sling in half to form a bight, and lay the bight over the post or anchor point.
Strength & security
Quick to tie and reasonably secure for a straight, in-line pull, but it is documented to roll and can significantly reduce a webbing sling's rated strength when girth-hitched to itself at an angle - a real concern climbers specifically account for when rigging slings this way.
Cautions: Avoid girth-hitching load-rated slings to each other where a cleaner, tested connection method (a larks-foot through a rated ring, or simply clipping both slings to the same carabiner) is available instead.
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?
Testing has shown this configuration can meaningfully reduce a sling's rated strength compared with clipping both slings to the same carabiner, 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, which is exactly the loading pattern climbing-gear testing has flagged as the meaningful strength reducer.