Inmediately before the bull jumps into the bullring, a 6cm length harpoon is placed in his back, in order to show the people the colour of the cattle raising where he comes from and make the bull get more furious.

Horse riders (picadores) will hit the bull a determinated number of times using the puya. It is a cutting triangular pyramid on a cylindrical base 9cm long and with a 3,6cm diameter.

The breastplate is mandatory since 1928 and nowadays is up to 30kg weight. It’s used to protect the horse from the bull attack, but it’s inevitable that the crash of 500kg against almost a tonne causes damages to both of them.

“Stirrup picador crime” is defined in the bullfight books as the fact of take off the foot from the stirrup when the bull hits the horse. It makes the head of the bull crash with this 50kg forged steel  item and get so many wounds, fractures or even traumatic brain injuries.

Just after the bull had been picked by the horse riders, during the third of banderillas the bullfighter puts six more colourfull harpoons (eight if the bullfighter who puts it is the killer), which can be up to 6cm long.

The bull must die with this sword, which is 80cm long and curved at the end. It must cross the heart of the animal as many times as it’s needed to get it killed,

If the matador is not able to end with the life of the bull with the estoque, he must use the descabello, wich is a similar sword with an end at 10cm, designed to leave the bull tetraplegic.

Once the bull is totally immobilized in the ground, another bullfighter uses this 10cm knife to cut his spinal bulb. It’s also used for cut the ears and tail, if the killer gets any of this awards.