Horseshoes are often associated with lucky charms, and typical "lucky horseshoe" tattoos contain items that are perceived to be lucky, such as dice, four-leaf clovers, rabbit's feet and Lady Luck herself. Flowers and banners often wrap around the horseshoe, while other items go inside in a collage of sorts, with the horseshoe as the frame. These tattoos often lend themselves to bright colors, although black and grey are common as well. This horseshoe design might also be flipped upside-down for a "bad luck" tattoo.
Horseshoes lend themselves to tales of Old West cowboys, outlaws and Native Americans. Horseshoe tattoo designs draw from the mystique of these stories and often incorporate the imagery associated with them. Tomahawks for Native Americans, six-shooters for cowboys and countless other images can be chosen from the cache of Americana designs. Often a collage of images is created and bordered by the shape of the horseshoe. These tattoo designs lend themselves to muted colors, although any color option is possible.
The horseshoe shape is a perfect frame inside which any image can be placed: your country or state flag, your favorite Western movie star (or any other portrait), a landscape, your favorite quote---the possibilities are quite endless. It is also possible to incorporate a filigree or a banner of text that follows the bottom contour of the horseshoe.