***Rope Lines and Tie Disks are a match made in heaven.  Nothing has ever been more pleasurable and forgiving as when working with your horse and the Tie Disk System.*** 

First, think of these disks as a clutch to rope pressure or rope friction.  Each time the line bends through and around a disk port (hole), the port edge acts as a brake or clutch – just by elementary friction.  The more times you “stitch” your line through the ports, and the more times you serpentine (zigzag) your line through the ports, the more “hold vs. slip” it will have. Conversely, if you want a complete hold, then simply lash it off using the ‘lock hitch.”

The disk acts as a “buffer zone” or “base plate” preventing your line from seizing-up and jamming.  No matter how much tension or torque was on the line, it is always easy to loosen/unfasten and/or readjust.

Rope Stress Dissipation:  Unlike a typical rope or rope knot in which any line tension exerted comes to a dead halt (creating what is called a point-of-overburden on the line and on your horse’s head) the Tie Disk provides your line’s tension / energy to dissipate concurrently throughout each stitch and each time the rope turns a port corner - which will release the line out when unduly tugged upon. Your Tie Disk shares the burden and disperses energy evenly.

Energy Distribution: The Tie Disks function very efficiently. When forces are on one end of the disk, the forces (or energy) on the opposite end are generally equal which allows smoothness and ease-of-hold and/or slip action.  The Tie Disks can also be described as a “line stabilizer” or "line clutch".

There are really only two ways your rope is used on a Tie Disk.

1. Weaving the line through the disk in a straight...or zigzag pattern with a tail-end over-hang as available give-slack. 
2. Running your line through three ports (triangle pattern) and then running the tail-end through and under itself. This allows the line’s own tension to hold itself fast to the disk, much like the commonly used half-hitches. See the simple “lock hitch” in photo above (B).  As with any equipment, always physically test your line with the Tie Disk / rigging to gauge / estimate the “hold vs. give” it provides. 

Results may vary due to the user’s line-working skills, horse-handling skills, condition or type of line used, even the conditions of your other tools and work area.