Iron Nails and Horse Brasses
Iron horseshoes and nails were used as simple charms to protect the home, whilst blacksmiths made more sophisticated amulets out of iron to protect against the evil eye. Iron itself was of course considered a sacred and magical material, and the Blacksmith considered a magician.
Horse brasses with symbols (such as the sun, greenery, hobgoblins, and lucky horseshoes) were also made to protect horses as they worked. The moon was a particularly frequent symbol to decorate horse trappings, being associated with various aspects of horsemanship including shoeing: ‘continue the shooing of him…until his heels be well shaped and large which will be infallibly after twice or thrice shooing; do it at the change, about the fourth or fifth day of the new moon.’
– Vikki Bramshaw, author of the book ‘New Forest Folklore, Traditions & Charms’