Hand Painted Horseshoes

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History of the Horseshoe

Considered the most universal of all good luck charms, the horseshoe was introduced to our western culture by the Greeks in the 4th Century. The horseshoe, hung over the door, was given special powers against evil by St Dunston, a blacksmith by trade, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in AD 959.

For centuries people have held the horseshoe in high esteem. At first, it was placed over a door frame with pointed ends up, "lest the luck would drain out". Later it was moved midway down the door, serving the dual function of a talisman and door knocker.

A good source for the history of the horseshoe can be found on Wikipedia.