Wisconsin Hoofers Outdoor Recreation For All Abilities At the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Outdoor Programs Office 800 Langdon St. Madison, WI 53706 Office: (608) 262-1630 Fax: (608) 262-0156

The Emblem of the Wisconsin Hoofers

The Hoofer bylaws state: "The emblem of the Wisconsin Hoofers of the Wisconsin Union, herein referred to as Hoofers, shall be a red W superimposed upon a black horseshoe." A seemingly simple statement, but open to many different interpretations.

The original emblem, designed by Sally Owen Marshall, featured a large horseshoe, open end down, with a smaller W completely inside it. The Outing Club for many years has marked its equipment with an emblem in which an omega-like horseshoe passes, again open end down, through the arms of a similar-sized W.

But those who argue for the current emblem have a good point. As everybody knows, you must hang a horseshoe open end up— otherwise the good luck falls out! What's more, the up-ended horseshoe looks like a U, giving the emblem the look of the letters U and W for "University of Wisconsin," or W and U, for "Wisconsin Union." Pretty sneaky, wouldn't you say?

Sponsored by Wisconsin Union Directorate, part of the Wisconsin Union
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.