Cow hitch

Girth hitch
NamesGirth hitch, Lark's head, Lark's foot, Ring hitch, Lanyard hitch, Bale Sling hitch, Baggage Tag Loop, Tag Knot, Deadeye hitch, Running eye
CategoryHitch
OriginAncient
RelatedClove hitch, Cat's paw, Bale sling hitch, Prusik
ReleasingNon-jamming
Typical useTying a rope to a ring or pole
CaveatCan fail unless equal tension is applied to both of the standing parts of the rope.
ABoK#5, #56, #59, #244, #310, #1184, #1673, #1694, #1698, #1700, #1802, #2163, #2164, #2168, #2175, #3317

The cow hitch, also called the lark's head, is a hitch knot used to attach a rope to an object. The cow hitch comprises a pair of single hitches tied in opposing directions, as compared to the clove hitch in which the single hitches are tied in the same direction. It has several variations and is known under a variety of names. It can be tied either with the end of the rope or with a bight.