Right way to display a horseshoe ?

Question

When hanging horseshoes on the wall for showing, what is the correct way? Do you display it like a U or turned the horseshoe other way, with the points down and the curve on top. Is their a meaning which way it should be hung? Thank you all answers welcome.

Answer 1

Hi Chilly,

Thanks for asking this. In researching the question, I learned that my kitchen and front-door horseshoes are turned the wrong way!

Here's what I found:

Horseshoe--A “U”-shaped object, traditionally made of iron, attached to the hooves of horses to prevent the hooves from wearing away due to the added weight of carrying people and things. The horseshoe has been a symbol of good luck for centuries. Originally a representation of the Goddess and Her genitalia, Pagans would hang them over doors with the open end pointed down so that the blessings of the Goddess would pour upon them. Later, Christians attributed the good luck to the actions of Saint Dunstan, a blacksmith who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in 959 c.e. According to legend, he was able to nail a horseshoe to the Devil’s hoof. Only after the Devil promised not to enter a place where a horseshoe was over the door did Dunstan free him. (This is a curious myth. Why did Dunstan free him at all?) It was at this time that the direction of the horseshoe began to change so that the open end was pointing up. This reversed the Pagan method of display and, it was said, prevented the luck from running out at the bottom.

So my horseshoes at home are letting my luck run out at the bottom! I'll have to go home tonight and flip them over--maybe I'll start having good luck!

Thanks, and good luck to you!
searcher

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Right way to display a horseshoe ?
When hanging horseshoes on the wall for showing, what is the correct way? Do you display it like a U or turned the horseshoe other way, with the points down and the curve on top. Is their a meaning which way it should be hung? Thank you all answers welcome.

Answer 3

My mother used to say you need to hang a horseshoe with the top/curve at the bottom to hold the luck inside it.

Answer 4

Hang it like a U. It is bad luck to do it upside-down. As mentioned before, the U holds the luck in.

Answer 5

Display it like a U so "all the luck won't run out." Thats the tradition anyway. :-)

Answer 6

Facing up to hold the luck in.

Answer 7

like a U usually.