Abstract: Apparatus for automatically tethering a cow in a tie stall of a type having a milking pad for providing a place for a cow to stand and having partitions for separating a feed bunk from a milking pad, an access opening for allowing the head and neck of a cow to pass through the milking pad to the feed bunk and preventing the rest of the cow from passing therethrough, whereby a cow can stand on the milking pad and eat feed in the feed bunk. A frame is operatively connected to the partition below the access opening. A collar extending around the neck of a cow has a tripping chain connected thereto for hanging below the collar. A catching mechanism is operatively attached to the frame for automatically connecting the tripping chain to the frame upon contact of the tripping chain with the catching mechanism, whereby when a cow having a collar and tripping chain connected thereto sticks its head through the access opening, it will be automatically tethered.