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Is this a weird present? Be honest please!

183 replies

sparklingWine4 · 08/07/2026 13:47

Just asking for opinions as I’m totally overthinking this!

I’ve got a really close friend who isn’t European. She moved here from across the world, we met at uni, and have been best friends ever since. She’s moving away for a new job and I’ve been trying to think of a nice personal present for her. She got me a cracking gift for a big event in my life and it was really personal and meaningful so I wanted to do something similar for her. I’ve got her some jewellery and other things as the main present, but I’ve had an idea and I’m just not sure now if she’ll like it and I’m over thinking it!

shes always been fascinated by the Irish rural equestrian sort of culture, and while she doesn’t ride herself, she really likes horses and that sort of vibe. I do eventing and have a set of 4 lucky horseshoes (taken off my horse) which I’ve got one in a frame and 3 basically in my outhouse.

I decided to get one of them redesigned into an ornament for her, as a keepsake from her time in rural Ireland. I know it’s not lucky for her in the same personal way it is for me, but it’s sort of a running superstition that if you keep it upright it’ll bring you good luck and she loves that sort of good luck / fortune kind of thing. And it’s just an ornament/ keepsake. But now I’m totally overthinking it and I’m thinking what if she thinks wtf why has she given me a horse shoe, what am I supposed to do with this etc, or that it looks like I’m forcing my interest on her

ill attach a pic of what it’ll look like to give an idea

is this a nice present given the context above? I don’t want it to look like a weird present that I’m forcing on her because I’m horsey, but I know she’s always loved that sort of thing and I know she wants some kind of meaningful keepsake from her time here

if someone could give me an honest opinion I’d be really grateful haha. Thanks so much! X

OP posts:
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Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 09/07/2026 09:23

Alittlefrustrated · 09/07/2026 08:42

It's a fantastic idea - but not shiney and blingy. I'd want it to look "real". They look like fake horseshoes to me.
Can you not have one just box framed, with hay and a liitle message?
Edited to say, I'd love it just in a nice gift box, with hay, then I could do what I liked with it.

Edited

The friend is from 'across the world', if that's Australia (and probably same in New Zealand) it likely won't get past biosecurity screening on the way home if it's got hay in it.

KissKissByeBye · 09/07/2026 09:19

Just frame it and don’t mirror it or hang it on a ribbon. If you frame it, you could put a handwritten note explaining its significance in the frame. The shiny, beribboned ones look like tacky wedding favours and look like they should come in a pack with a blue garter.

PermanentlyExhaustedPigeonZZZ · 09/07/2026 09:13

I love the idea of giving it alongside a picture of the horse, or ideally you and the horse.

PermanentlyExhaustedPigeonZZZ · 09/07/2026 09:13

I think it's a lovely gift and really special. It's definitely the sort of thing I'd cherish for years in the circumstances you've explained.

ClairDeLaLune · 09/07/2026 09:09

It’s a beautiful idea, really thoughtful and personal. I would treasure a gift like that. You might have to explain it to her like you have to us.

Alittlefrustrated · 09/07/2026 08:42

It's a fantastic idea - but not shiney and blingy. I'd want it to look "real". They look like fake horseshoes to me.
Can you not have one just box framed, with hay and a liitle message?
Edited to say, I'd love it just in a nice gift box, with hay, then I could do what I liked with it.

IsThistheMiddleofNowhere · 09/07/2026 08:29

I think it's a really thoughtful and personal keepsake. She will be really touched by the thought that went behind it, and the addition of the ribbon in Irish colours just tops it off beautifully. Go for it!

JustJugglingCats · 09/07/2026 08:23

What a lovely, thoughtful present. Minus any bling or ribbon. I'd simply shine it up and then she can hang it / prop it, wherever she wants. Or, if she is packing up a house to move, so wouldn't have to carry it with her, you could frame it for her, that would also be lovely. I have one that I actually found that has special meaning to me and lives just propped up against the wall by the front door.

OneFineDay22 · 09/07/2026 08:19

I can’t think of a reason she wouldn’t love it! What a nice idea!

Sereine · 09/07/2026 08:09

If she's into horses it sounds like an excellent present.

lulubalu · 09/07/2026 08:06

I'm a 'yes' to the idea too, I think it's lovely

although I'm a little biased as I actually asked a friend if I could have one of their horses shoes (obviously after they were done with it lol) and I've had it outside my front door for years now.

MyArtfulGreySloth · 09/07/2026 07:57

I don’t think I’d do the ribbon, looks too weddingy.

Summerlovin24 · 09/07/2026 07:54

Really thoughtful. What a lovely friend you are

Hiyaeveryone · 09/07/2026 07:43

I love it when someone has thought about the gift for me even if I don't much love the gift. She'll probably love it but even if she doesn't she will love that you have thought about it. I would be really pleased with this gift even though I'm not much of a horsey person.

värskekapsas · 09/07/2026 07:42

such a special gift!

CluelessAboutBiology · 09/07/2026 07:41

Pureclass · 08/07/2026 14:04

Id say lovely.- maybe biased as I have loads of horseshoes in my house
Just got one as a present from Croatia so they are lucky in other parts of the world too

But not with white ribbon- that makes it too weddingy. Actually are horseshoes a wedding thing in GB?

Maybe green for Ireland?

I don’t like the white ribbon either, but flag ribbon is a great idea.

Is this a weird present? Be honest please!
Corianda · 09/07/2026 07:38

I imagined it in a stand with a few clover leaves

Enko · 09/07/2026 07:31

Beautiful idea so personal.

longhotsummer2026 · 09/07/2026 07:29

As soon as you said you had 3 spare horseshoes in your outhouse I immediately thought of making an ornament out of them. Can they be soldered or glued together so they are standing upright in a triangular shape? I would also keep them rustic and not made “bling”. They are even more sentimental as they came from one of your horses.

TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis · 09/07/2026 07:28

Davros · 08/07/2026 14:14

I like the idea but I’d go more rustic/natural. The ones in the photos are too clingy and weddingy

Yeah, the bling is really off-putting to me.

I have one right next to me that was reworked into a rustic heart shaped, stamped with our wedding date and initials. It was one of my favourite gifts.

Member984815 · 09/07/2026 07:24

Frumpitydoo · 09/07/2026 07:19

That is not good luck. The devil sits in a horseshoe that way up and if you hang it the other way the luck runs out. I wouldn't welcome this gift.

I've never heard that. The different superstitions surrounding horse shoes is fascinating,

Frumpitydoo · 09/07/2026 07:19

That is not good luck. The devil sits in a horseshoe that way up and if you hang it the other way the luck runs out. I wouldn't welcome this gift.

Member984815 · 09/07/2026 07:17

It's a lovely present, I'm from rural Ireland we used to have a horseshoe above the front door for good luck, they were often gifts for weddings .

lemonsqueezymissy · 09/07/2026 07:16

I think that’s a really lovely idea. Just make sure you include a nice card explaining what it is. It’s a really thoughtful gift.

OnlyHasEyesForLoki · 09/07/2026 07:00

I think that would be lovely!!

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