Folk Magic of the Lucky Horseshoe

I’m sure you’ve seen the infamous horseshoe hanging above doorways in barns, stables, and even homes you’ve visited, but why are they there? What’s the importance of this horseshoe hung in such a specific place? Let me explain.

Iron

First off, horseshoes were initially made from iron. And dating back to prehistoric times, iron was used as a ward to ward off all negative entities and energies. This makes the hanging horseshoe a protective ward over whatever opening it’s hanging over, whether that be a sliding barn door in your stable or the door to your house.

Numerology

Secondly, the horseshoe is tacked on with seven nails. Seven being the lucky number here. If you’re into numerology, I encourage you to look up the importance of the number seven. Since ancient times though, the number seven has been considered lucky for a multitude of reasons. We have seven days in a week, the moon changes from one phase to another every seven days, rainbows have seven colors, and so on. One step inside any casino and you’ll quickly see that the number seven is not a coincidence. Now the horseshoe isn’t just a protective ward, but it will also bring you good luck!

Blacksmiths

Lastly, historically speaking, blacksmiths were considered lucky by trade because not only did they get to work with protective irons and the element of fire, but their strong association with horses made them powerful and elite. They were often thought of as the ‘Keepers of Horsemanship’ which was a sought-out desire. These protective wards filled with luck were now made by the elites of the horse world and there was much desire to be associated with that.

So the next time you see a horseshoe hanging above a doorway, you’ll have a deeper understanding of why it’s there and what that says about the people and animals who dwell there. I hope you have found this quick bit of insight intriguing and I look forward to hearing from you. You can find me on my personal Insta at @unbridledmama.