✓Reviewed by Ann Pruitt, InfoHorse.com·Updated May 2026
The Safe Clip by Smart Tie die-cast aluminum horse tying device
The Clip™ by Smart Tie LLC
Can you imagine never having to "tie" your horse again? And being able to easily adjust the length of your rope to suit any of your needs? The Clip™ allows you to do this and so much more!
The Clip™
Safe and convenient, The Clip™ is undeniably the ultimate horse tying system and training tool! Use The Clip everywhere - inside or outside the barn or the trailer, the high line while camping or trail riding and for cross tying. The Clip makes it simple to attach your horse anywhere!The Clip provides piece of mind by offering added safety. Any horse at any given time can spook and pull back. The Clip provides enough resistance for a horse to feel tied and secure. Should the horse panic, scramble or start to fall, The Clip’s unique design will allow the horse to step back and feel a release of pressure. The horse has the opportunity to calm down while remaining safely tied, helping to prevent damage and injury. Here are some other valuable features of The Clip:
No installation required
Portable, goes with you everywhere
Great inside & outside the trailer
Versatile, use to hang hay nets & water buckets
An indispensable camping & trail riding tool
Tie TetherRing
The TetherRing is a simple and versatile tool - not only does it enhance the function of The Clip by giving you more tying options, The TetherRing has many other uses. Strong and durable, The TetherRing is designed to hold a horse to a high line and not slide. Can’t find anywhere to Clip your horse? Just wrap a TetherRing around a fence post or tree and Clip! Use it to hang your water buckets and hay bags and to keep your tack room organized. Manage your garden hoses, cables and ropes.
Utilize it anywhere ~ the barn, garage or basement ~ wherever you need to keep things neat and orderly!
The TetherRing is sold online in a 4-pack which includes:
2 Long (20") TetherRings
2 Short (10") TetherRings
Where Is The Clip Manufactured?
The Clip is manufactured right here in Minnesota, USA out of light-weight die-cast aluminum.
How Is The Clip™ Different From Other Horse Tying Products?
Not only is The Clip fully adjustable, it is completely portable. From the barn to the trailer, cross-tying to trail rides or camping, The Clip goes with you everywhere!
How Do I Adjust My Lead Rope With The Clip™?
With The Clip you’ll never have to tie and untie another knot! The lead can easily be changed by simply sliding the rope with a push/pull motion to the desired length.
If I Tie A Quick-Release Stopper Knot In My Lead Rope and My Horse Panics and Pulls Back, What Do I Do?
You simply pull the end of the rope to release the knot ~ The Clip’s unique design will not allow the stopper knot to tighten so you never have to cut the rope, allowing your horse the freedom to step back with an even, steady pressure.
What If My Clip Breaks?
Smart Tie Products will gladly replace any defective product – just shoot us an email or give us a call!
What Do Equine Professionals Say About The Clip™?
Ralph says about the clip: "With horses we are not to use force,but our brain." and that is why he loves the clip!
Ralph Hill - Four-Star Veteran Eventer - Wellborn, FL
The horse industry is full of gadgets that may be a good idea but are ineffective or impractical for day-to- day use. The Clip is not one of them! I have three Clips in constant use personally and have used the Clip countless times during my clinics to help horses learn to stand confidently rather than pulling back. Thanks for making a truly useful tool with horses.
Karen Scholl - Equine Behaviorist & Clinician - Cave Creek, AZ
The Clip is one of the safest and most effective tools I've used to help teach horses to accept pressure, whether it is standing tied or traveling in the trailer to the next show.
Josh Lyons - Nationally renowned Trainer - Parachute, CO
Order The Clip™ and Tie TetherRing Today!
Helping your horse to be safe, confident and secure when standing tied is so important to your horse-- and everyone else. The CLIP helps your horse to have a little 'give' while being tied to help prevent panic and accidents. So affordable and easy to use, you'll wonder how you ever got along with out it. For more information about these great products and to place your order, please call us today! The Safe Clip by Smart Tie die-cast aluminum horse tying device
What exactly is The Clip™ tying system?
The Clip™ (sold by Smart Tie Products as The Safe Clip™) is a die-cast aluminum tying device that combines a spring clip on one end with an eye, guide, and adjustable tensioner on the other. Rather than knotting your lead or trusting a panic snap, you thread the rope through the eye and cross it over the hook, creating a hold that gives under pressure instead of breaking. Smart Tie calls it "undeniably the ultimate horse tying system and training tool," and it carries the company's mission of letting a horse "move and feel a relief, not release of pressure while remaining safe and securely tied."
Step-by-step diagram showing how to thread a lead rope through The Clip by Smart Tie
The Maker Behind The Clip™
Smart Tie LLC was founded by Bill Ramberg along with Dan Ramberg and Mark Peterson, and the company operates out of Woodloch Stables in Hugo, Minnesota, owned and run by Bill and his wife Ingvill Ramberg. Bill grew up learning horsemanship from his father Dan, whose training philosophy of weaving lead ropes through stall bars — working with a horse's natural fight-or-flight instinct rather than against it — became the seed of the product. The Safe Clip™ arrived after three years of development and five different prototypes. All parts are made in the USA, and the clip is manufactured in Minnesota.
The Safe Clip by Smart Tie shown tying a horse safely
Materials and build quality
The Safe Clip™ is made from die-cast aluminum alloy chosen for strength and resistance to corrosion — Smart Tie describes it as "lightweight, but heavy-duty." Each unit measures roughly 6.125" in length and integrates a spring clip, an eye, a rope guide, and an adjustable tensioner into a single piece with no installation required. Because it relies on friction rather than a breakable plastic latch, it is positioned as a safe alternative to a panic snap that can shatter and injure a horse.
Smart Tie Safe Clip in use at the barn
How The Clip™ works and adjusts tension
To use it, you run your lead rope through the eye of the clip and then cross it over the hook; the rope holds firmly under normal conditions but will feed through when a horse pulls hard. Tension screws located on the inside let you add or remove resistance to match each horse and situation. Should a horse spook and pull back, the design "allows them to step back and feel a release of pressure while remaining safely and securely tied," so a panicking animal can settle instead of fighting a fixed point. Smart Tie recommends a pliable 1/2" to 5/8" synthetic lead rope; cotton ropes are discouraged because they may snag or catch when pulled through the adjustment position.
Who it's for and where to use it
The Clip™ suits any owner whose horse is prone to pulling back, breaking through crossties, or panicking when tied. It is built to travel — Smart Tie markets it as "portable, goes with you everywhere," equally at home inside or outside the barn, on the trailer, at shows, or on the trail. Beyond tying, the same clip can hang hay nets and water buckets and serve as a tool for cross tying and high lines, and it pairs with the HiTie system via a Tieclipattach velcro strap to secure a horse to a HiTie arm.
How to buy The Clip™
The Safe Clip™ is sold directly through Smart Tie Products at smarttieproducts.com for $30.95, and the company offers bundles including a TetherRing Pack ($30.95), a "Ready To Go" Pack ($42.99), a Travel Pack ($90.95), and a Cross Tie Pack ($99.99). The TetherRing companion and the Safe Clip both come in 10" and 20" sizes. To order or ask questions, reach Smart Tie Products at 5676 170th St N, Hugo, MN 55038, by, or by.
Per Smart Tie LLC: The Clip™ is "undeniably the ultimate horse tying system and training tool." Per the company: use it everywhere — inside or outside the barn or trailer, the highline while camping or trail riding, and for cross-tying.
How does The Clip provide safety?
Per Smart Tie: The Clip provides peace of mind by offering added safety. Per the company: any horse at any given time can spook and pull back. The Clip provides enough resistance for a horse to feel tied and secure. Should the horse panic, scramble, or start to fall, The Clip's unique design allows the horse to step back and feel a release of pressure — calming down while remaining safely tied. Helps prevent damage and injury.
What's portable about it?
Per Smart Tie:
No installation required
Portable — goes with you everywhere
Great inside AND outside the trailer
Versatile — use to hang hay nets and water buckets
Indispensable camping and trail-riding tool
What's the TetherRing — and how does it complement The Clip?
Per Smart Tie: the TetherRing enhances the function of The Clip by giving more tying options. Strong and durable, designed to hold a horse to a highline and not slide.
Per the company: "Can't find anywhere to Clip your horse? Just wrap a TetherRing around a fence post or tree and Clip." Sold as a 4-pack: 2 Long (20") + 2 Short (10") TetherRings. Versatile beyond horse use — hang water buckets, hay bags, organize tack room, manage garden hoses.
Where is The Clip manufactured?
Per Smart Tie: The Clip is manufactured in Minnesota, USA out of light-weight die-cast aluminum.
How do I order?
Per Smart Tie LLC: Phone 1.866.900.2547, email [email protected], website http://www.smarttieproducts.com/TheClip.aspx. Pricing as quoted is subject to change.
What is The Clip™ by Smart Tie LLC?
The Clip™, officially called The Safe Clip™, is a die-cast aluminum tying device that combines a spring clip with an eye, guide, and adjustable tensioner. You thread your lead rope through it instead of tying a knot, creating a hold that gives way under hard pulling so a horse can never feel completely trapped. Smart Tie describes it as the ultimate horse tying system and training tool.
How does The Clip™ actually work?
You run your lead rope through the eye of the clip and then cross it over the hook. Under normal conditions the rope holds firmly, but when a horse pulls back hard the rope feeds through and the horse feels a release of pressure rather than a sudden break. Adjustable tension screws on the inside let you dial the amount of resistance up or down.
Who invented The Clip™ and what company makes it?
It is made by Smart Tie LLC, founded by Bill Ramberg along with Dan Ramberg and Mark Peterson. Bill learned horsemanship from his father Dan, whose method of weaving lead ropes through stall bars to work with a horse's natural instincts inspired the design. The Safe Clip™ came after three years of development and five prototypes.
Where is The Clip™ made?
All parts are made in the USA, and the clip itself is manufactured in Minnesota. Smart Tie Products operates out of Woodloch Stables in Hugo, Minnesota, owned and operated by Bill and Ingvill Ramberg.
What is The Clip™ made of?
It is made from die-cast aluminum alloy chosen for strength and corrosion resistance. Smart Tie describes it as lightweight but heavy-duty, integrating a spring clip, eye, rope guide, and adjustable tensioner into a single durable piece.
How is The Clip™ safer than a regular panic snap?
Plastic or spring panic snaps can shatter or jam under sudden force, which can injure a horse or let it break loose. The Safe Clip™ instead uses friction tension, so a spooked horse can step back and feel pressure ease while remaining securely tied. Smart Tie positions it as a safe alternative to a panic snap that can break and cause injury.
What kind of lead rope should I use with The Clip™?
Smart Tie recommends a pliable 1/2" to 5/8" synthetic lead rope. Cotton ropes are not recommended because they may snag or catch when pulled through the adjustment position. The pliable synthetic rope feeds smoothly through the eye and over the hook.
Can I adjust how much resistance The Clip™ provides?
Yes. Tension screws located on the inside of the clip let you add or remove resistance for each horse and situation. A green colt that pulls back easily can be set differently than a seasoned horse, and you can re-adjust as a horse learns to stand.
What can I use The Clip™ for besides tying my horse?
It is multi-purpose. Beyond tying, you can use it to hang hay nets and water buckets, and it serves as a tool for cross tying and high lines. It works at home, on the trailer, at shows, and on the trail, inside or outside the barn.
How big is The Clip™ and how much does it weigh?
The Safe Clip™ measures roughly 6.125" in length. Smart Tie describes it as lightweight but heavy-duty thanks to its die-cast aluminum alloy construction, and it requires no installation, making it easy to move from the barn to the trailer to the show grounds.
Does The Clip™ require installation or mounting?
No installation is required. You simply clip it to your tie point with the spring clip and thread your lead rope through the eye and hook. Because it is portable, it goes wherever you and your horse go without any permanent setup.
How much does The Clip™ cost and where can I buy it?
The Safe Clip™ sells for $30.95 directly from Smart Tie Products at smarttieproducts.com. It is also carried by various tack retailers, and the company offers bundle packs including the TetherRing Pack, a Travel Pack, and a Cross Tie Pack.
What bundles or packs does Smart Tie offer?
Smart Tie sells the Safe Clip on its own at $30.95, plus a TetherRing Pack ($30.95), a "Ready To Go" Pack ($42.99), a Travel Pack ($90.95), and a Cross Tie Pack ($99.99). These pair the Safe Clip with the TetherRing and lead ropes for different traveling and tying needs.
What is the TetherRing and how does it relate to The Clip™?
The TetherRing is Smart Tie's companion product, developed after the Safe Clip to add portability. Both the Safe Clip and the TetherRing are offered in 10" and 20" sizes, letting you create a safe tie point almost anywhere, including spots where there is no fixed ring to clip to.
Can The Clip™ be used with a HiTie system?
Yes. It pairs with the HiTie system using a velcro strap attachment called a TIECLIPATTACH, which lets you safely secure a horse to the HiTie arm with a lead rope. This makes it useful for camping and trailering setups.
Is The Clip™ good for horses that pull back or break crossties?
It is designed specifically for horses prone to pulling back, panicking, or breaking through crossties. Because the rope releases pressure under hard pulling, the horse learns it can step back and relieve the pressure without breaking free, which helps it calm down and, over time, learn to stand tied.
How do I contact Smart Tie Products?
You can reach Smart Tie Products at 5676 170th St N, Hugo, MN 55038. The phone number is 1-651-429-1303 and the email is [email protected]. Their website, smarttieproducts.com, has an online store and a store locator for finding physical retailers.
