This Horse in a Well Ornament
is about 3½ inches tall and hangs from a jute cord. The Western Christmas Ornaments horse is gray and wearing a tan cowboy hat and red bandana. The Well is made from stacking horseshoes. The Horse is on a spring so he bounces around inside the Well. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

What are Horseshoes?
A horseshoe is a "U" shaped item made of metal or of modern synthetic materials, nailed or glued to the hooves of horses and some other draught animals. Like a shoe on a human, it is used to protect the animal's feet from wear and tear. Professional horseshoers, called farriers, usually place horseshoes on the outer surface of the hoof by nailing through the insensitive hoof wall, which is similar to the human toenail, though much larger and thicker. Some horseshoes have protrusions at the toe or heels of the shoe, to provide additional traction.
Horseshoes are available in a wide variety of materials and styles, developed for different types of horses and the work they do. The most common materials are steel and aluminum, but specialized shoes may include use of rubber, plastic, magnesium, titanium or copper. Steel tends to be preferred in sports where a strong, long wearing shoe is needed, such as polo, show jumping, and western riding events. Aluminum shoes are lighter, making them common in horse racing, where a lighter shoe is desired.
When kept as a talisman, a horseshoe is said to bring good luck. A stylized variation of the horseshoe is used for a popular throwing game called horseshoes.
Horseshoes are considered a good luck charm in many cultures. The shape, fabrication, placement, and manner of sourcing are all important. A common tradition is that if a horseshoe is hung on a door with the two ends pointing up then good luck will occur. However, if the two ends point downwards then bad luck will occur. Traditions do differ on this point, though. In some cultures, the horseshoe is hung points down, so the luck pours onto you. In others, it is hung points up, so the luck doesn't fall out. Still in others it doesn't matter so long as the horseshoe has been used, not new, was found, not purchased, and can be touched. In all traditions, luck is contained in the shoe and can pour out through the ends. Check out our selection of Unique Christmas Ornaments.

Cowboy Boots.
Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally made from cowhide leather but are also sometimes made from "exotic" skins such as alligator, snake, ostrich, lizard, eel, elephant, sting ray, elk, buffalo, and the like. There are two basic styles of cowboy boots, western and roper. The western style is distinguished by a tall boot shaft, going to at least mid-calf, with an angled "cowboy" heel, usually over one inch high. A slightly lower, still angled, "walking" heel is also common. Although western boots can be customized with a wide variety of toe shapes, the classic design is a narrowed, usually pointed, toe.
A newer design, the "roper" style, has a short boot shaft that stops above the ankle but before the middle of the calf, with a very low and squared off "roper" heel, shaped to the sole of the boot, usually less than one inch high. Roper boots are usually made with rounded toes, but, styles with a squared toe are seen. The roper style is also manufactured in a lace up design which often fits better around the ankle and is less likely to slip off, but these two features also create safety issues for riding. Select this link to view our Decorated Country Holiday Garland.