Rider and horse over the jump © Rubly

Bell Boots

Bell boots are supposed to protect the hoof and especially the ball of the horse from kicking injuries. Since these kick injuries tend to occur on the front legs, most horses only wear bell boots in the front. In general, bell boots can also be placed on the back of the hooves.
Bell boots are particularly used for show jumping or free running. Horses with horse shoes also often step on the ends of the front horse shoes from behind and tear the horse shoes off themselves. Bell boots cannot always prevent this, but they reduce the risk.
The correct size of the bell boots depends on the size of the horse's hoof. The bell is placed around the pastern and closed with a velcro fastener. The bell boot should fit as closely as possible without chafing and cover the entire hoof to the ground. A ring made of fur (usually lambskin or artificial fur) on the upper edge of the bell protects the skin of the pastern from chafing.
Most bell boots are made of either rubber or neoprene. Both materials are well suited and, depending on how often they are used, have a long shelf life. Rubber can chafe faster than neoprene on some horses.