Calf Strings: What They Are and Where They Fit

A calf string, often called a piggin string, is the short string used in tie-down roping to tie a calf's legs after it has been roped and flanked. It is not the rope used to catch the calf. Our Calf Strings are tying accessories, sold separately from catch ropes.

Our Calf Strings come in white, with a 5/16 in diameter and medium lay. Choose them as tying strings for use after the catch, not as a substitute for a catch rope.

Tie-down rope: the catch rope a tie-down roper throws to catch the calf. Breakaway rope: the catch rope used in breakaway roping, an event where the calf is not tied. Calf string: the short string carried by the tie-down roper and used only after the catch. A calf string can't replace a tie-down or breakaway rope, and neither of those ropes does the job of a calf string. Our US rope catalog includes team ropes, ranch ropes and full coils, with Calf Strings as a separate tying accessory.

Calf strings belong to tie-down roping. Team ropers and ranch ropers don't use them for their events. If you are a team roper looking for a catch rope, see the Team Ropes line; for ranch work, see Ranch Ropes.

Tie-down ropers often have strong preferences about how a string feels in the hand. When comparing strings, look at the diameter and lay listed for each one. Precision's string is 5/16 in with a medium lay. If you are new to tie-down roping, learn how to use a string from an experienced roper or coach; handling livestock safely takes instruction and practice.

If your store serves tie-down ropers, calf strings are a natural accessory next to the rest of your roping gear. Contact us through the wholesale page to ask about carrying them.

Open the Calf Strings page for photos and the link to the Precision Ropes store.