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!
I use one daily to mislead all those who follow me when I go to work- They all think a large horse goes there, while in fact it is little me with my size 8.5 human feet...
this is strapped on over the base of the tail to keep the
horse from rubbing it against things and messing it up.
It actually looks like a door opener.
You attach the hoof side at the bottom of a door. the "cage" part is what you hook the tip of your boot into, and pull with your foot. This way you can open doors without using your hands, or if your hands are full.
Horseshoes are made into all kinds of decorative fixtures. Generally new horseshoes are used for this, and then coated with rust preventative of various kinds. They're used as coat hooks, wine racks, gun racks, paper towel holders, and so on. It looks like this is in that general category, but my best guess for the actual use of the thing is "torch holder."
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.