These horse rings not only served the practical purpose but also held certain cultural importance.

These denote an age where transport was a shared undertaking and cities were laid out to the needs of a society that revolved around horse-drawn carriages.

The preservation of these rings is an indication of the society’s understanding of history and appreciation of the urban heritage.

These rings have become popular in Portland in the recent past and have been adopted by the city as part of its culture. People have begun to attach model horses to the rings and create art objects that can be touched, attracting people’s attention and making them discuss the topic of the city. This movement, known as The Horse Project, started in 2005 in the Woodstock neighborhood and has evolved into an annual event that transforms these functional objects

into art objects that represent the community.

Discussing horse rings is as if one is telling stories about the good old days; it is a method of cherishing the little things that truly define the towns and cities we live in. These rings are not mere pieces of metal cast in concrete; they are chroniclers of a period when time was slow and the world was kinder.