Cross Tie Snap

This photo shows a piece of zinc finished hardware referred to as a panic snap (aka cross tie snap). These snaps are frequently used in horse barns, especially in cross-ties, wash stalls, and for securing horses in a horse trailer. The advantage of cross tie snaps over a standard hardware bolt snap is that a panic snap has a release mechanism that will release if a horse panics and pulls back. Because horses are large animals that can do serious damage to themselves and equipment if tethered solidly, this type of snap is preferred because the horse can exercise the instinct to escape and calm down rather than panicking in an enclosed space.