Horseshoes are usually made of metal, although sometimes part or all of them are made of modern synthetic materials, but their purpose is to prevent the wear of horseshoes. Shoes are fixed to the palmar surface (ground) of the hoof, usually nailed to an insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically similar to a human toenail, although larger and thicker. However, in some cases, the shoes will stick on.

Horseshoe dressing is a professional profession, headed by a pastor who specializes in foot preparation, assessing potential me problems, and making appropriate shoe corrections, including remedial measures, when needed. In some countries, such as the UK, horseshoes are legally limited to persons with specific qualifications and experience. In other regions, such as the United States, professional licenses are not required by law, so certification programs provided by professional organizations can publicly identify qualified individuals. People sometimes wear fancy horseshoes on their horses if they want to compete.

Horseshoes are available in a variety of materials and styles, developed for different types of horses and their work. The most common materials are steel and aluminum, but professional shoes may include the use of rubber, plastic, magnesium, titanium or copper. Steel is often used in sports that require strong and durable sneakers, such as polo, games, jumping platforms and Western cycling. Aluminum shoes are lighter, which makes them popular in horse racing and require lighter shoes. And it usually promotes some kinds of sports, so it is favored in dressage. Some horseshoes have "caulking," "caulking," or "calfskin": protrusions on the toes or heels of shoes, or both, to provide extra traction.

It is said that horseshoes are used as talismans to bring good luck. Some people think that it's good luck to hang it upside down, because it serves as a storage container for any kind of good luck that happens to float in it, while it's good luck to hang it upside down, because I wish you good luck. Others think the horseshoe should be hung in a different way (with its end down), because in this way, the horseshoe will release luck to the people around it. A stylized variant of the horseshoe is used in the popular throwing game, horseshoe.