40 feet
apart. Take enough half inch rope to tie off to the trees about 5 feet off the ground
(eye level if you're a horse).
Pull it fairly tight, and make a couple of loops for tying your horse's lead ropes. (Some folks
tie in a 2 inch metal ring.) Tie the horses far enough apart from each other and the
trees to give
them room to move around and not run into each other (or the trees). The lead rope
should be tied long enough to allow them to reach their food, but not long enough
to get tangled in.
On the picket line, let the horses face your camp site close
enough so that they feel they're part of the group. They'll be as relaxed as you are sitting around
the campfire.