Tendon Boots vs Fetlock Boots: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each

Last updated: June 23, 2026

By: Miles HenryFact Checked

Tendon boots versus fetlock boots: which do you need — both or neither? This is a question I often get, especially from new show jumpers, because the two boots are frequently used together.

The rest of this guide breaks down how each boot type works, which legs they belong on, and when you need one set of boots rather than the other.

What Tendon Boots Are and What They Do

Tendon boots protect the superficial digital flexor tendon — the SDFT — which runs along the back of a horse’s front lower leg from the knee to the fetlock. This tendon is the most vulnerable structure in a jumping horse’s front leg because it sits directly in the path of the hind hooves when a horse lands. On landing from a fence, especially at height, the hind feet frequently clip the back of the front lower legs. Without protection, even a glancing strike from a metal shoe at landing speed can cause significant tendon damage and put a horse out of work for months.

The hard protective shell of a tendon boot is positioned specifically along this rear surface of the cannon bone. It absorbs and deflects the impact energy from a hind hoof strike before it reaches the tendon tissue underneath. A quality tendon boot like the Professional’s Choice open-front design uses a dual-hardness shell with an air-cushion inner layer to distribute the force of a strike across a wider surface area rather than concentrating it on a single point of the tendon.

Why the Front of the Boot Is Open

The open front on a tendon boot is deliberate and functionally important. When the front of the leg is left exposed, a horse that clips a pole or rail feels it immediately. That sensation triggers the horse’s natural response — to snap the legs up more carefully — and over time reinforces careful jumping technique. A fully enclosed boot removes that feedback loop. In the show jumping world, riders and trainers rely on that feedback to develop an honest, clean jumper. Removing it by using a fully enclosed boot is considered counterproductive to good training.

The open front creates no meaningful protection gap for the intended use case because the front of the cannon bone is not where hind hoof strikes land. The risk is at the back of the leg, and that is precisely where the hard shell is. If a horse is striking its own front cannon bone — a different problem caused by gait irregularities — a brushing boot with full circumferential coverage is the right tool, not a tendon boot.

What Fetlock Boots Are and What They Do

Fetlock boots protect the fetlock joint — the horse’s “ankle” — on the hind legs. The fetlock is the joint where the cannon bone meets the pastern, and on the hind legs it is directly exposed to a specific type of interference injury called brushing: when one hind leg swings through and strikes the inside of the opposite hind fetlock joint during movement. That contact can cause bruising, swelling, lameness, and soft tissue damage to the joint structures if it happens repeatedly at speed.

Because the fetlock joint is a smaller, more compact target than the full cannon bone, fetlock boots are shorter and less bulky than tendon boots. They are designed to wrap the joint with a hard outer shell and padded interior while leaving the front of the joint open — again to preserve pole awareness and jumping sensitivity. In a jumping horse, the hind legs are responsible for generating the push that clears the fence, and overly restricting hind leg movement with heavy boots can reduce that push. The compact design of a fetlock boot gives protection without sacrificing hind end performance.

All-Purpose vs Open-Front Fetlock Boots

Fetlock boots come in two main configurations. All-purpose fetlock boots have a hard outer shell and full circumferential padding — they wrap the entire joint and are used for schooling, trail riding with horses that brush on their hind legs, or training situations where maximum protection is the priority. Open-front fetlock boots leave the front of the joint uncovered, matching the philosophy of the tendon boot: the horse should feel rail contact and learn to jump carefully. Open-front fetlock boots are the standard for show jumping competition, while all-purpose designs are more common in everyday training contexts.

Both designs protect the inside of the fetlock joint from brushing strikes. The difference is in how much contact feedback the horse receives during work. For a horse with a significant brushing problem that causes injury even at slow gaits, an all-purpose fetlock boot provides more complete coverage. For a horse competing over fences that brushes only at speed, the open-front design is the correct choice.

Tendon Boots vs Fetlock Boots: Key Differences

The core structural difference comes down to this: tendon boots provide rear protection for the front legs, and fetlock boots provide joint protection for the hind legs. That single distinction explains every design decision that follows — why they are different sizes, why each has an open front, and why they are always used as a pair in jumping rather than one or the other.

The table below breaks down every relevant structural and functional difference. Understanding these distinctions before purchasing is how you avoid the most common mistake riders make with leg protection: buying the right product and putting it on the wrong legs.

When to Use Tendon Boots

The primary scenario for tendon boots is any jumping discipline where the horse is working over fences at height. The higher the fence, the more forceful the landing, and the greater the speed and energy of the hind hoof as it follows through. At training heights of 2 feet, the risk is modest. At 3’6″ and above in competition, a hind hoof strike on an unprotected front tendon at landing speed can cause a bowed tendon — a severe injury that can end a competitive career or require a year or more of rehabilitation. That risk alone makes tendon boots non-negotiable for horses jumping at any serious height.

Cross-country and eventing are additional situations where tendon boots belong on the front legs. The footing on cross-country courses is variable — uneven terrain, wet grass, and hard ground all increase landing impact — and the fences are fixed and unforgiving. In eventing, specialist cross-country boots are designed with additional coverage and weather resistance compared to arena tendon boots, but the underlying protection principle is the same.

A third scenario is horses with a documented tendon injury history that are returning to work or in active maintenance. In these cases, a veterinarian may recommend tendon boots during flatwork sessions as an additional layer of protection against the minor hind leg contacts that happen during lateral movements, transitions, and collected work. This is different from the jumping use case — it is about managing a known vulnerability rather than protecting against a specific landing impact.

When to Use Fetlock Boots

Fetlock boots belong on the hind legs of any jumping horse as part of the standard tendon-boot-and-fetlock-boot pairing. The hind fetlock is the contact point for brushing injuries that occur when a horse’s hind legs swing through the stride — the faster the work, the more likely the legs will come close enough to make contact. In a horse that moves efficiently and straight, brushing on the hinds may be rare. In a horse that is wide behind, slightly cow-hocked, or simply moves with a lot of energy, it happens regularly at anything above a slow trot.

Outside of jumping, fetlock boots are the right choice for any horse that shows evidence of hind leg brushing — marks, swelling, hair loss, or actual wounds on the inside of the hind fetlock joints. You do not need to be jumping or competing to need fetlock boots. A horse that brushes during dressage work, trail riding, or turnout needs protection for that joint regardless of discipline. The all-purpose design with full circumferential coverage is more practical than open-front for non-jumping contexts because pole awareness is not a factor.

Do You Need Both?

For jumping, yes — you need both, and they need to go on the correct legs. Tendon boots on the fronts only leaves the hind fetlocks unprotected. Fetlock boots on the hinds only leaves the front tendons unprotected. Because the two boots address completely different injury types on completely different legs, using only one half of the pair means you have addressed one risk and ignored another.

The only legitimate reason to use one without the other is when your horse needs protection for only one of the two specific injury types. A flatwork horse with a documented tendon history that does not jump needs tendon boots on the fronts and has no particular use for fetlock boots — unless it also brushes on the hinds, in which case fetlock boots belong on the hinds regardless of whether any jumping is happening. Similarly, a trail horse or dressage horse that brushes on the hind legs needs fetlock boots on the hinds without any requirement for tendon boots on the fronts, because there is no landing impact to protect against.

Approach the decision by asking two separate questions. First: does this horse face a hind hoof landing impact risk on its front tendons? If yes — jumping, eventing, tendon history — tendon boots go on the fronts. Second: does this horse face brushing or interference risk on its hind fetlock joints? If yes — any discipline, any speed at which the hind legs make contact — fetlock boots or all-purpose brushing boots go on the hinds. For more guidance on matching the right boot type to specific disciplines and gait issues, the complete horse leg boots guide covers every common scenario.

Fit and Application for Both Boot Types

Both tendon boots and fetlock boots follow the same core fit principle: snug enough that you can slide one finger between the boot and the horse’s leg at the widest point of the cannon bone, with no slipping during movement. Too tight and you risk compression injury and heat buildup. Too loose and footing grit works beneath the boot during work, causing abrasion that can be worse than going bare-legged. For a complete walkthrough of correct leg protection application, review the leg wrap and boot fitting fundamentals before you start.

Applying Tendon and Fetlock Boots Together

When using both as a pair, apply tendon boots to the front legs first. Brush the front legs clean, removing any dirt or grit around the cannon bone and fetlock area. Slide the tendon boot down the leg — do not drag it back up if you miss the position — with the hard shell at the rear and the opening at the front. Fasten the top strap first, then work down. Repeat for the second front leg. Then move to the hind legs and apply the fetlock boots, brushing the hind pastern and fetlock area clean before fitting. The teardrop padding should sit at the rear of the fetlock joint, with the straps fastening on the outside of the leg.

After both pairs are on, do the trot test on a straight line. Watch for any boot that moves, slides, or changes position. Check all strap tension before the actual work session begins. After work, remove both pairs, run your hands over the cannon bones and fetlock joints on all four legs, and allow the legs to breathe before returning the horse to its stall.

FAQs: Tendon Boots vs Fetlock Boots