The horseshoe is a traditional symbol offered to couples on their wedding day and it has its roots in pagan mythology and Roman warfare.

The U-shape of the horseshoe was a potent symbol in the ancient world as it related to the crescent Moon and its associated fertility. The goddess Astarte, who was predominant in the fourth century BC, wore a headdress of horns, which looked just like the horseshoe.

The Roman army also saw the benefits of shoeing their horses. The sight of hundreds of horses with sparks flying from their feet intimidated many of their enemies, because they believed the Romans possessed superior magic. This is why horseshoes are still considered magical talismans today.

To find a fallen shoe on the road was like a gift from the gods of luck and fertility. To give it to a bride would pass the luck and fertility into the marriage. Nowadays, with the shortage of the real thing, brides are given decorative silver horseshoes instead.

The good luck aspect of the horseshoe intensified in the early 10th century when it assumed powers to keep evil at bay. The story goes that St Dunstan, a blacksmith, was making shoes for a horse. The devil was passing by, saw the smith fit the shoes and noticed how comfortable and happy the horse seemed.

The Devil fancied such a set of shoes for himself. He approached the blacksmith, who realised it was the devil because of his cloven feet. So he made the shoes too small, trimmed the hooves too tightly and nailed them so they’d be very hard to remove. The devil limped away in great pain. Cursing the smith, he vowed never again to go near a smithy or a horseshoe.

There are many bridal myths and superstitions surrounding horses, horseshoes and the art of blacksmithing. Here are some of the most popular and enduring.

Mystical blacksmiths

The work of blacksmiths has always been regarded as sacred and magical. The ancients believed that the first iron that was ever worked fell to earth from the heavens as a meteor a gift from the gods. Blacksmiths were masters of their craft. They tamed the primal element of fire and used it to transform lumps of rock into useful items.

This ability was regarded as supernatural and the power smiths wielded was transferred into everything they made. To give someone a piece of worked iron, such as an ornate horseshoe, was to give them a sacred gift and to pass on something of the supernatural protection which blacksmiths enjoyed.

Bridal horses

Grey mares are considered to be very lucky where weddings are concerned. It was lucky if the bride saw a grey horse on the way to the church and even luckier if she travelled to the church in a carriage drawn by one. She would be luckier still if she was given a horseshoe that had fallen from the hind feet of a grey mare.

This superstition has its basis in ancient realities. The Celtic love goddess Rhiannon was linked with Epona, the horse goddess. The British countryside has horsed carved into hillsides, harking back to Epona.

Number of nails

The number of nails in the horseshoe added to its mystical and supernatural associations. This was because iron nails were hard-worked and precious, so blacksmiths used them sparingly. They knew that the inside of the hoof needed less than the outside part, so only three nails were used to fasten this area whereas four went on the other side.

This made a total of seven, a number that has always been regarded as lucky. With the rise of better production methods during the industrial age, smiths were able to afford the extra nail. Today, horseshoes have eight nails, but the luckiest, and the rarest to find, still have seven.

Horseshoe on a door

Everyone knows that hanging a horseshoe over the front door is lucky. The shoulders of the horseshoe should be vertical and at the top to keep the luck in. Evil could not cross where there was iron, no doubt because of St Dunstan’s good work in offending the devil, so to put an iron horseshoe over the door kept evil spirits away.

Eventually the horseshoe developed as a door knocked and its original role as a talisman for protection was forgotten. Blacksmiths will always hang the horseshoe upside down over the forge, so its good luck will continue to run into the smithy.