Pretzel hogtie

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A pretzel hogtie is an extremely stringent form of hogtie.

The wrists are tied behind the back, and the knees, ankles and big toes tied together. The person being bound is gagged or blindfolded (or both). The wrists are tied tightly to the ankle ropes or knee ropes. A rope goes from a shoulder harness to the ankle ropes and tightened until the body is bent into an arch. Another rope goes from the back of the gag or the blindfold to the big toes, and tightened so as to pull back the head and neck.

There are advantages in anchoring the toe rope to a head harness or bondage hood rather than a gag or blindfold, as these will spread the strain on the face better (see head bondage). However, with a bondage hood there is the danger that it will become displaced and hinder breathing.

If the wrists are tied to the ankles, they will be pulled with the ankles towards the shoulders. This causes the elbows to move apart, so elbow bondage is not practicable. If the wrists are tied to the knees, elbow bondage may be possible. However, this will make an already stringent hogtie even more stringent.

Most people cannot endure this position, and very few can stand it for more than a short time. It can be very painful and can easily lead to serious injury if not practised correctly and constantly supervised.