A symbol for luck. The British admiral Lord Nelson had a horseshoe nailed to the mast of his ship Victory that was supposed to bring success in battle. It is thought that the horseshoe became a good luck symbol by virtue of being crescent in shape, like the moon; by being made of iron, which is a "magical" metal; and by being associated with the horse, which is often linked with gods and goddesses.
An old Gypsy folktale tells of a young Rom (male Gypsy) who was riding back to camp late one night. He suddenly realized that he was being pursued by four demons: Bad Luck, Ill Health, Unhappiness, and Death. He managed to keep ahead of them, but Bad Luck started to draw away from the others and gain ground. As they crossed a road, the Gypsy's horse threw a shoe, which flew through the air and struck Bad Luck in the forehead, knocking him from his horse and killing him. The Gypsy stopped to pick up the shoe then hurried on to the campground. The other three demons took their dead brother and buried him. The young Gypsy nailed the horseshoe up over the door to his vardo (Gypsy wagon), telling the rest of the tribe how it had killed Bad Luck. The next day the three demons came seeking revenge, but when they saw the horseshoe that had killed Bad Luck hanging over the door, they turned tail and fled. To this day, the Gypsies believe a horseshoe will keep bad luck away.
Traditionally, a horseshoe found lying on the ground is the best one to hang for luck. If it is found with its open end toward you and the calks (the "toes" on the end of the shanks) pointing upward, then simply toss it over your left shoulder for luck, spitting as you do so. However, if the open ends of a found shoe point toward you and the calks are turned down, then it is best to hang it from a nearby tree or fence with the ends down so that the bad luck may run out. If the closed end points toward you, with calks either up or down, then take the shoe home and hang it over your front door with the pointed ends up. It will retain luck and keep all negativity away from the house and its occupants.
One superstition says that hanging a horseshoe in the chimney prevents witch- es from flying in on their broomsticks. Another says that a horseshoe at the head of the bed prevents nightmares.
In Sir Walter Scott's novel Redgauntlet, a character says, "Your wife's a witch, man; you should nail a horseshoe on your chamber door." A common seventeenth century greeting was "May the horseshoe never be pulled from your threshold." Bessie Bathgate of Eymouth, Scotland, nailed a horseshoe to the door of her house in 1634, but she was actually indicted for it. It seems the court believed that it the horseshoe was "a devilish means of instruction from the Devil to make her goods and all her other affairs to prosper and succeed."
The horseshoe is often a lucky portent of success in the dreamer’s endeavors. Myth and folklore associate good fortune and protection with this symbol.