Have you heard about the new show jumping back boot rules that came into force on 1 January 2022? Read on for our handy interpretation of the new rules to help you ensure you have the correct kit for your horse this season. If you are in any doubt about the boots you are using, it’s a wise idea to check with the steward before you jump.
1 British Showjumping
For the following classes:
- • All Young horse competitions
- • All Age competitions (Seniors & Juniors)
- • All National pony competitions
- • Club, Just for Schools & Academy
The following boot rules apply:
- The total maximum weight of equipment allowed to be added to a horse’s leg; front or hind (single or multiple boots, fetlock rings, etc) is 500g.
- All hind leg protections must have a maximum interior length of 16cm and a minimum exterior width of 5cm.
- The inside protection must be smooth and the fixings must be made of non-elastic Velcro type fasteners with no hooks or straps permitted.
- The rounded rigid part of the protection must be placed around the inside of the fetlock. No additional elements may be used in conjunction with the protection.
- Hind boots for classes under this rule that have an extra flap for protection should be allowed providing the flap is soft and clearly intended for protection only.
- Fetlock rings may be used in addition for protective purposes providing they are properly adjusted and providing the total weight of equipment on the horse’s leg does not exceed 500g.
- No additional element may be used in conjunction with the protection as detailed as above.
The fetlock boots sold by Equiport that meet this rule are:
Veredus Young Jump Vento – all variations including STS, Grand Slam and Kevlar
Veredus Young Jump Absolute Carbon Gel or Olympus
Kentucky Young Horse – plain or sheepskin or new Young Horse Air and Sheepskin
Allowed – Bandages, Fetlock rings, Sheepskin linings and Pull up Socks
Not Allowed - Pastern straps, boots with pressure pads, Pressure Socks or Vet Wrap type material under boots
Other classes
For British Showjumping classes that are not on the above list, other styles of permitted back boots may still be worn as per the FEI rules in part B below - please scroll down for links to all the permitted boots we stock.
Pull back, click or buckles not allowed on straps. If double shell boots have Velcro fasteners then they must be elastic.
Allowed – Bandages, Fetlock rings, Sheepskin linings and Pull up Socks
Not Allowed - Pastern straps, boots with pressure pads, Pressure Socks or Vet Wrap type material under boots
There have been no changes to the rules on front boots.
2 FEI
From 1 January 2022, the following rules apply with regards to hind boots.
2 . A Young Horses:
For all FEI Jumping Competitions for Young Horses (five, six, seven and eight year old Horses): The following criteria must be respected in relation to hind boots worn in international Young Horses Competitions:
- Hind boots that have a protective element on the inside only are the only type of hind boot allowed. The boot must have a maximum interior length of 16 centimetres; the width of the fastener must be at least five centimetres. Hind boots with additional protection for the pastern that extends below the rounded shell on the inside of the boot are allowed providing the protection is made of soft pliable material. The pastern protection that extends below the rounded shell on the inside is not taken into account when measuring the length of the boot. (refer to FEI Jumping Stewards’ Manual on the FEI website for photographs).
- The rounded protective element of the boot must be placed around the inside of the fetlock.
- The inside of the boot must be smooth, that is, the surface must be even and there may not be any pressure points on the inside of the boot; for the avoidance of doubt, stitching on the inside of the protective element that attaches the inner lining to the boot, is permitted.
- Sheepskin linings are allowed.
- Only non-elastic Velcro-type fasteners are permitted; no hooks, buckles, clips or other methods of attaching the fasteners may be used.
- No additional elements may be added to or inserted in the boot itself.
- Fetlock rings may be used for protective purposes providing they are properly adjusted and providing the total weight of equipment on the horse’s leg does not exceed 500g. Pastern bands may not be used.
The back boots sold by Equiport that meet the young horse rule are:
Veredus Young Jump Vento – all variations including STS, Grand Slam and Kevlar
Veredus Young Jump Absolute Carbon Gel or Olympus
Kentucky Young Horse – plain or sheepskin or new Young Horse Air and Sheepskin
2 . B Other classes:
From 1 January 2022, at all FEI International Jumping Events, only hind boots meeting the following descriptions may be used:
1 – Young Horse Boots as allowed under young horse class rules.
2 – Boots that have a protective element on the inside only, and boots with a protective element on the inside and outside, that is, double-shell boots that wrap around the back of the fetlock, are permitted providing they meet the following criteria:
- The boot must have a maximum length of 20cm at its longest point (refer to the FEI Jumping Stewards’ Manual for instructions on how to measure the length of the boot correctly).
- The rounded protective part of the boot must be placed around the fetlock (for boots with a protective element on one side only, the protective element must be placed around the inside of the fetlock).
- The inside of the boot must be smooth, that is, the surface must be even and there may not be any pressure points on the inside of the boot; for the avoidance of doubt, stitching on the inside of the protective element that attaches the inner lining to the boot, is permitted.
- Sheepskin linings are allowed.
- The boot may have no more than two fasteners.
- Only the following types of fasteners are permitted:
Velcro-type fasteners:
- Each strap must:
Have a Velcro or Velcro-type fastening system
Have a minimum width of 2.5 cm if there are two straps or
Have a minimum width of 5 cm if there is only one strap
- For boots with a protective element only on the inside of the fetlock, straps may be elastic or non-elastic
- For double-shell boots, the straps must be elastic.
Stud-type fasteners:
- Each strap must:
Be made of elastic
Have a minimum width of 2.5 cm
Have holes that fit over a stud on the boot.
Hook type fasteners:
- Each strap must:
Be made of elastic
Have a minimum width of 2.5 cm
Have a hook at the end that fits into an “eyelet” on the boot.
- All fasteners must be one-directional, that is, the fastener must be attached directly from one side of the boot to the other side but must not wrap around the entire boot; no mechanism that allows the fastener to double back on itself is permitted.
- No additional elements may be added to or inserted in the boot itself. The use of Vetwrap or similar bandaging material under hind boots is not permitted.
- Fetlock rings may be used for protective purposes providing they are properly adjusted and providing the total weight of equipment on the horse’s leg does not exceed 500g. Pastern bands may not be used.
The back boots sold by Equiport that meet the FEI rules for non-young horse classes are:
-
Veredus Young Jump Vento – all variations including STS, Grand Slam and Kevlar
Veredus Young Jump Absolute Carbon Gel or Olympus
Kentucky Young Horse – plain or sheepskin or new Young Horse Air and Sheepskin
Pro Jump Velcro and Pro Jump Short Velcro are no longer allowed for FEI or British Showjumping classes.
Failure to comply with these rules will mean elimination.
There have been no changes to the rules on front boots.
Equiport accepts no liability for any information contained in this blog post and it is the responsibility of competitors to ensure they comply with the relevant rules. If you are in any doubt then please check with the steward before you jump.
Availability and prices correct at time of publishing.
