You've heard the term :
"Be there with bells on"

Years ago, towns and cities were developed for the transportation of the times. Streets were narrow, and buildings were built quite close to the streets. With the adjacent buildings, this caused the intersections to be very limited in visibility, creating a hazard when a team of horses pulling a freight wagon wanted to make a left turn or such.
You see, when horses in harness are strung out 15 feet or more in front of you, and your visibility is limited, folks coming from the right angle can't see you, and you can't see them.
Sleigh Bells solved this problem. One could easily hear the jingle of the bells as they approached an intersection.
Thus, one of the utilitarian purposes of sleigh bells was used.
The sound of bells were also handy in warning animals on the trail (a scheme that is still encouraged by parks today, by wearing a bell when hiking in mountainous regions, one can warn a bear of your approaching)

Travelers across the western US when it was being settled, oftentimes had bells on their horses for just that reason.

One of the oldest laws, besides God's law, is that of the maritime.
A ship in peril at sea, is obligated to surrender her cargo and salvage to a rescuing ship. Kinda like "lose your life, or lose your cargo"
Not a difficult decision, although many have to "think" about it...
This concept and way of thinking somewhat paralelled the frontiersmen's attitude.
If one was required to accept help or assistance from a passer by, they, (the ones in need0 were obligated to "donate" their bells to the folks that assisted them.

Thus, "Be there with bells on!" was an assurance that there would be no problems on the journey.