The horse shoe is considered a lucky charm in the West as well as India.

The shape of the horse shoe describes the ideal land configuration of Feng Shui, hence it is considered a favourable shape as per Feng Shui also.

In India, traditionally people considered the horsee shoe as a lucky charm and use it by affixing it above their main doors for protection and good luck.

It is said that the real horse shoe which a horse has worn, and which has been energised by the horse's galloping, is really lucky! If you happen to find such a horse shoe, you can affix it above your main door on the outside above the door frame. The ideal way is to affix it with its prongs pointing downwards.

Since the horse shoe is of the metal element, avoid its usage, for east and south east facing doors. It is especially effective for west, north west and north facing doors.

When Neils Bohr won the Nobel Prize for Atomic theory, a lot of journalists visited his place to interview him. After the meeting, when they were leaving, Bohr came out to see them off to the door of the house.

One of the press man saw a horse shoe fixed on the top of the main door of the house. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked Dr. Bohr, "Sir, you are such a great scientist, and you believe in all this? Is there a science associated with all this?"

Dr. Bohr, whose mother it was who had placed the horse shoe on the door, replied, "I do not know the science behind this but one thing I can say - It works."

I do not know whether this anecdote is correct or not nevertheless it is interesting because, it talks about a dimension which is beyond the current understanding of science. There is more to life and experiences than what current science has understood.

Coming back to Horseshoe as a remedy in Vastu, Horseshoe is a traditional western symbol, used to stimulate good luck. In Vastu it is used to ward off the negative and evil energies which effect the house and its residents.

The horseshoe should be placed correctly for it to be auspicious. Its two ends should point upward and never downward. The entrance should be under it and the horse shoe should face outwards. In India and some other countries it is easier to get an original horseshoe.

Most of us understand that many in the West associate the horse shoe with good luck.

In traditional Feng Shui, this relates more towards the `profile' of a land.

For example, if you have the opportunity to see a Chinese burial site, you will see that each traditional gravesite has a "horse shoe" i.e. if you have a topview of a gravesite, it looks like a horse shoe.

Why is this so?

If you can visualise, the horse shoe looks like a protective backing or solid backing protecting the entire gravesite.

Similiarly, under the Shapes and Form School - the Four symbolic animals, you will notice that many Chinese cities were in the past built on this premise. For example Canton etc.

Therefore, the horse shoe comes to be symbolised as = tortise or solid back.

The horse-shoe is considered a symbol of good luck in many cultures across the world. In Feng Shui, the horse-shoe represents the ideal land configuration. For this reason, the horse-shoe can be used in Feng Shui to bring positive energy and prosperity to your home.

The horse-shoe is considered a lucky charm and so its is nailed above the main door. It provides protection from evil spirits and negative energies.

The horse-shoe is most effective after it is worn by a horse. The horse’s galloping energizes the horse-shoe and increases its effectiveness in warding off bad-luck. If you find a worn horse-shoe, you can nail it above your main door for bringing prosperity to your family and home. The correct way to nail the horse-shoe is that the prongs should point downwards.

Note: You should never nail a horse-shoe above east and south-east facing doors. This is because it is made of metal and so doesn’t go well in these directions. You can use it for maximum benefit on west, north-west and north-facing doors.