662 
ON HORSE-SHOES. 
In Egypt and the surrounding countries the horse-shoes 
are made of iron, much smaller and thinner than those of 
Europe, and nearly round, with a very small circular hole in 
the middle; the same fashion is also in use in Asiatic Turkey. 
In the museum of the United Service Institution are a pair 
of horse-shoes, with the nails used in fixing them, in common 
use in Syria; these form good examples of the Asiatic horse¬ 
shoe. 
In conclusion, we may observe that some few years back 
the itinerant farrier used to wear across his breast a broad 
canvass belt, painted with yellow horse-shoes on a bright-blue 
ground; a person so accoutred is to be seen in Hogarth’s 
6 Enraged Musician.’ * * * § The horse-doctor was also known 
by having a little iron shoe fastened in front of the hat.f 
The farrier’s smithy J was once distinguished by a large 
iron horse-shoe being suspended above the door; it was some¬ 
times gilt. The horse-shoe is still retained as a tavern sign; 
witness the “ Horse-shoe Inn/’ Southwark; the “ Horse¬ 
shoe,” Goswell Street; the “ Horse-shoe and Magpie,” Fetter 
Lane; and the “Black Boy and Horse-shoe,” Nicholas Lane.§ 
Throwing the horse-shoe used to be a favorite rustic pas¬ 
time; but both in town and village the main use of the shoe, 
when not employed to protect the hoofs of horses, was as a 
charm against witches. Nailed either on, above, but most 
commonly below, the door of the dwelling, the cow-house, 
and the barn, it was believed to prevent the entrance of any 
of the weird sisterhood. The potent powers of the horse¬ 
shoe is alluded to by Butler in c Hudibras’ (book ii, chap iii, 
p. 291), w r here he declares of the conjuror that he could— 
“ Chase evil spirits away by dint 
Of Cickle Horse-shoe , hollow flint.” 
Sir Walter Scott, too, makes mention of the employment 
of the horse-shoe as a charm against witches in his novel of 
* The rat-catcher used to wear a similar blue belt, painted with large 
rats. 
f The horse-shoe is still retained as the horse-doctor’s sign; on the gate¬ 
post of the Talbot Inn, Southwark, is painted a yellow horse-shoe on a red 
ground, and the words, “Evans, Veterinary Surgeon, down this yard.” 
On the gate-post of the White Hart Inn, there is also painted a horse-shoe, 
with the words, “ Shepherd’s Veterinary Eorge.” 
| Eosbrook states that farriers “ had, in 1267, open shops, as now, by 
the road-side. See I)u Cange, v, ‘Cluarium Travallum.’ A farrier’s paring 
and incision knife is engraved in c Montfaucon,’ iii, pp. 2, 6, v, c. 8. 
§ The horse-shoe has not only been used as a sign, but has given name to 
certain localities, as, for instance, “Horse-shoe Court,” Ludgate Hill; 
“Horse-shoe Alley,” Moorfields, &c. 
