I Was Today Years Old When I Learned Why Horseshoes Are Lucky

I Was Today Years Old When I Learned Why Horseshoes Are Lucky

I was today years old when I learned that horseshoes are lucky has nothing to do with horses.

They were made of iron, and people once believed iron scared off evil spirits.

The same metal we used to fix tractors and hang signs was once mankind’s demon repellent.

The story goes back to Saint Dunstan, a blacksmith in 10th-century England.

The devil walked into his forge one day, asking for a horseshoe.

As a bold son of a gun, Dunstan nailed one right to the devil’s foot.

The devil screamed like a kid stepping on a Lego in the dark, and Dunstan told him he’d only take it off if he promised never to enter a house with a horseshoe nailed above the door. The devil agreed.

That’s how an old blacksmith trick became a global symbol of good luck.

Since then, it’s become common practice to hang a horseshoe over a doorway, open end up to catch luck or open end down to pour it out on guests, depending on who you ask. (In Kentucky, we nail it where it looks good.)

Even the Romans did it.

They forged iron charms to keep away witches and used circular metal pieces to symbolize protection and unity.

So, if you’ve ever walked under one hanging in a barn, you’ve technically passed through an ancient spiritual firewall.

These days, you’ll find horseshoes in man caves, tattoo designs, and above every other garage in rural Kentucky, partly for decoration, partly because none of us wants to be the one who tempts fate.