The three horseshoes

[4getmenot]

Why are houses and pubs called 3 horseshoes and never 2 or 4 when surely 4 is more appropriate

[chrisrob]

Found here: http://www.camulos.com/fordham/shoes.htm
"Whenever a pub takes the name of the Three Horseshoes, it is an indicator that a blacksmith or farrier was not far away. Why three shoes and not four? Because the horse would stand on three when he was being shod."

[Narolines]

H'mmm.......that theory may be right, but I'm inclined to think it has more of a superstitious origin. The horseshoe is obviously regarded as a lucky symbol (now why that should be is probably material for another question!) and the number 3 (along with 7) was thought to have mystic powers and used in incantations and spells for that reason. Same reasoning applies to pubs called The 7 Stars.