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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
     
| How do you prefer the bells to fit on your horse? I think I've been using the incorrect size for ... ever... every one of my bells get worn out pretty quick on the bottom and backside .. like frayed out, stepped on, shredded.. I wish I had taken a picture before I finished up this afternoon. I never thought the horse would be anything but a large in bells. But I'm starting to think I may need to try a medium. Currently I use classic equine no turn... then I tried relentless brand and those seemed better, didnt get ripped up on the backside like my CE but the relentless seems to "bunch up" on the backside if that makes sense. The relentless were kinda pricey and the velcro began to rip after just a few weeks of use. I'm thinking smaller size, so they dont touch the ground on the back of the foot? My horse wears shoes all around so I use bells every time I ride. I dont think hes overreaching I just think I have the wrong size on him. What's your preference on brand? I was disappointed my relentless bells ripped so quickly, I wasnt ever really impressed with the CE but that could be my fault for always using the incorrect size.. I haven't had a professionals choice set in I cant remember how long. Any others that I should know about? I have new dirt in my arena and it is on the deep side right now while we are still working it in between rain |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12837
       
| Most horses use a medium. I have a big bone 16-1 and he wears a medium |
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 The One
Posts: 7997
          Location: South Georgia | My big boned, big sturdy hooved, 16.1 gelding wears an XL and they are snug still. The part that ticks me off the most is that I cant get the cute patterned ones! I have black or white to pick from. LOL Boring! Every other horse I've ever had has worn Mediums. Classic Equine is usually the brand I gravitate toward.
Edited by horsegirl 2020-02-27 6:46 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 136
 
| If you could get a pic of the bell boots while on your horse that would let us know for sure if you are using too big of a size. but that would be my guess from what you are describing. |
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 Peecans
       
| I personaly like my bells to just touch the ground. I'm protecting the heel bulb and the shoe from over reaching so I want it to cover it all. I have only had one horse that needed a large in my life and I hate how profesional choice fits and like Classic Equine much better. |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
     
| AmericanJelly1 - 2020-02-27 8:39 AM
If you could get a pic of the bell boots while on your horse that would let us know for sure if you are using too big of a size. but that would be my guess from what you are describing.
I'm sure im using the wrong size. Of course I just went thru and gave away all my small/mediums a few weeks ago because we sold the horse they were intended for. One thing I dont like is when the top of the bell pushes up against the bottom of my sport boot, it looks uncomfortable. If I'm using the iconoclast boots they tend to run pretty low down on the fetlock and then my bells touch. Classic equine boots dont set down as low and I often switch back and forth between those two or when I just use polo wraps it's never an issue. With this new arena sand polos seem to be the only thing thatll keep the dirt out 100%. I only have about 50 sets of polos to choose from lol! |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
     
| I'm trying to narrow down to a choice. I was fed up with my CE bells today so I threw them away and my relentless bells velcro ripped completely off. Im ordering a few things from NRS and I came across these .. I've never tried this brand before but i do like the shape and i feel like it'll fit my horse better than the CE, PC and the relentless. I like the design better. I was browsing around TSC today and saw they carry the PC bells.. but after picking them up, they feel so flimsy .. like nothing to them. I wasnt about to spend $30 on them. I haven't had much luck with all the big brands so far so I think i may give these tough 1 a try.  |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
     
| This was what was left of my CE bell boots that are now in the garbage. Whatever I end up ordering will be in a medium!   |
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Expert
Posts: 2121
  Location: The Great Northwest | I quit using the velcro bell boots because they don't fit after less than a month of use. The curling up of the heel part of the boot is reduculous. The back part of the boot should be down protecting the heel not up for the the horse to step on. I have seen the boot tore off from a horse stepping on the back part of the boot sticking out. I have gone back to gum rubber bell boots and am very happy. They last forever if not left in the sun. They are hard to put on and take off but it is worth it. |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
     
| skye - 2020-02-27 9:10 PM
I quit using the velcro bell boots because they don't fit after less than a month of use. The curling up of the heel part of the boot is reduculous. The back part of the boot should be down protecting the heel not up for the the horse to step on. I have seen the boot tore off from a horse stepping on the back part of the boot sticking out.
I have gone back to gum rubber bell boots and am very happy. They last forever if not left in the sun. They are hard to put on and take off but it is worth it.
I saw a pair of those today at tsc and ALMOST bought them. What brand do you use? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
              Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I bet the med. will be a better fit. All my horses have always been a med. and they were and are big horses. A large bell boot is really big, I think bell boots just run bigger in most brands. I have bought large thinking they would fit my big boned horses but wrong is the word, meds. have always been the right fit. I'm trying to remember the brands I have , I have two differnt brands, since one will fit better then the other on certain horses. Edited to ad: I have a really cool set of bells that have a harder outer shell, I cant remember what brand they are but if I remember tomorrow I will go and see what they are. 
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2020-02-27 9:53 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1511
  Location: Illinois | The PC Spartans hold up pretty well, they have a 30 day money back guarantee on them too. All my bells eventually get frayed at the bottom, I keep using them though until the foam inside starts breaking off. I hate CE because I think they're too short, I like the PC brand the best because I want mine to touch the ground. My 15.2 foundation qh wears a L but my 16h appendix wears a medium. It just depends on the size of their hoof. One thing I found that does help is getting the waterproof scotch guard and spraying 4-5 good coats on them when they're brand new. It seems to help protect them a little and keep them cleaner. Works great for lighter colors and patterns to keep them clean. I also have a pair of the rubber ones that I leave on my gelding in the paddock because he tends to pull shoes a lot, they're several years old now and still look brand new. They stay down low too on the pastern so that might be an option for you too. Mine are just Cashel brand, they have velcro |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
     
| JLazyT_perf_horses - 2020-02-28 8:55 AM
The PC Spartans hold up pretty well, they have a 30 day money back guarantee on them too. All my bells eventually get frayed at the bottom, I keep using them though until the foam inside starts breaking off. I hate CE because I think they're too short, I like the PC brand the best because I want mine to touch the ground. My 15.2 foundation qh wears a L but my 16h appendix wears a medium. It just depends on the size of their hoof. One thing I found that does help is getting the waterproof scotch guard and spraying 4-5 good coats on them when they're brand new. It seems to help protect them a little and keep them cleaner. Works great for lighter colors and patterns to keep them clean. I also have a pair of the rubber ones that I leave on my gelding in the paddock because he tends to pull shoes a lot, they're several years old now and still look brand new. They stay down low too on the pastern so that might be an option for you too. Mine are just Cashel brand, they have velcro
The cashel is what I was looking at last night, with the velcro.. I remember back in my hunter jumper days we used those pull on bells and I dont remember which was more difficult, putting them on or removing them! My CE always end up turning, probably because I'm using the wrong size, but im still not impressed with the longevity of them. Those ones I threw out weren't very old. Up until recently my horse never ever overreached, he did the other day in the pasture and got himself pretty good. I'm so unhappy right now with his feet and angles... hes set up very incorrect. I have my old farrier coming next week to "fix" him. I showed him photos last night over the phone and we both agreed hes way off, entirely too much toe and not balanced whatsoever... even though I explained this to my current guy last time, I wasnt happy with him and how hes set up. He doesnt take criticism very well apparently, what I've heard thru the grapevine. Sigh... so I'm staying off my horse till he comes and does some tweaking on him. I'm afraid its messing him up, hes got some swelling going on that's concerning to me.... that's a whole different enchilada.... so anyway.. I wouldnt feel comfortable riding him without bells, regardless since hes shod all the way around. I'm currently torn between trying those tough 1 and just buying some rubber bells... they are both pretty reasonably priced, I may just get both and try because I have nothing right now to use. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1511
  Location: Illinois | want2chase3 - 2020-02-28 10:10 AM
JLazyT_perf_horses - 2020-02-28 8:55 AM
The PC Spartans hold up pretty well, they have a 30 day money back guarantee on them too. All my bells eventually get frayed at the bottom, I keep using them though until the foam inside starts breaking off. I hate CE because I think they're too short, I like the PC brand the best because I want mine to touch the ground. My 15.2 foundation qh wears a L but my 16h appendix wears a medium. It just depends on the size of their hoof. One thing I found that does help is getting the waterproof scotch guard and spraying 4-5 good coats on them when they're brand new. It seems to help protect them a little and keep them cleaner. Works great for lighter colors and patterns to keep them clean. I also have a pair of the rubber ones that I leave on my gelding in the paddock because he tends to pull shoes a lot, they're several years old now and still look brand new. They stay down low too on the pastern so that might be an option for you too. Mine are just Cashel brand, they have velcro
The cashel is what I was looking at last night, with the velcro.. I remember back in my hunter jumper days we used those pull on bells and I dont remember which was more difficult, putting them on or removing them! My CE always end up turning, probably because I'm using the wrong size, but im still not impressed with the longevity of them. Those ones I threw out weren't very old. Up until recently my horse never ever overreached, he did the other day in the pasture and got himself pretty good. I'm so unhappy right now with his feet and angles... hes set up very incorrect. I have my old farrier coming next week to "fix" him. I showed him photos last night over the phone and we both agreed hes way off, entirely too much toe and not balanced whatsoever... even though I explained this to my current guy last time, I wasnt happy with him and how hes set up. He doesnt take criticism very well apparently, what I've heard thru the grapevine. Sigh... so I'm staying off my horse till he comes and does some tweaking on him. I'm afraid its messing him up, hes got some swelling going on that's concerning to me.... that's a whole different enchilada.... so anyway.. I wouldnt feel comfortable riding him without bells, regardless since hes shod all the way around. I'm currently torn between trying those tough 1 and just buying some rubber bells... they are both pretty reasonably priced, I may just get both and try because I have nothing right now to use.
Usually if they're spinning they're too big. Most days I'm lazy and never take the rubber ones off. A lot of times I just pull them off at the barrel race & stick the PC ones on to run. I figured no sense in taking them off to ride, putting different ones on, then outting them back on when I'm done riding. They've held up super well to all of it and the velcro is super strong even after all this time. I got them when i got my mare, in August 2017, so that's how long they've held up. And he's got shoes 365 days a year and they're always on |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
     Location: Jersey Girl | My mare typically wears a medium but because I use Iconclast boots and they come down lower I have to use size large. |
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