w00t! It's time for this week's collaboration with the always fascinating What is it? Blog. Can you guess what the strange object above is for?
Place your guess in the comment section - no prize this week, so you're playing for fame and glory (and fun, of course). Be sure to check the What is it? Blog for more clues! Good luck!
Update 7/10/09 - the answer is: A stifle or patten horseshoe, when a horse injures the stifle joint, they put one of these shoes on the opposite leg of the injured one so the horse will put weight on the hurt leg so it will not be further damaged. Congratulations to Jess who got it right, though I must say that I love Jared's horsestiletto idea!
Click on it and you will find pictures of an actual patten horseshoe. Now, all you good people, tell me again that the object is a patten horseshoe. The object in question is a homemade hat rack, made to hang one hat. Good golly people, get a grip on reality.
Now, how do I know this? Because I had one just like it. My uncle made it for me in 1966.
BTW, even the description of the purpose is incorrect. The purpose is to make the injured leg 'NON WEIGHT BEARING'. Doh.