About the Game of Horseshoes
Pitching horseshoes is a game that involves throwing horseshoes at a stake in the ground. Scoring is based on how close the horseshoe gets to the stake.
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History
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Roman soldiers are credited with inventing the game of horseshoes around the year 100 A.D. It was played in Roman army camps. American Revolutionary War soldiers pitched horseshoes, and it was said that the Duke of Wellington declared the war was won by the pitchers of steel, meaning horseshoes.
The game became popular in both America and Canada. It didn't have set rules until 1914. Around that time a group of men established rules and standardized equipment. In 1920, the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America was incorporated. Canada followed suit in 1929 when it incorporated the Canadian Horseshoe Pitching Association, which eventually changed its name to the Horseshoe Canada Association.
Expert Insight
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Today, the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association includes a federation of 60 charters from Canada and the United States. The federations include numerous club and individual members. The game has gone international and has been introduced to numerous countries including Australia, England, Israel, Italy, Russia and Sweden. This association estimates there are more than 15 million horseshoe enthusiasts enjoying the game, playing in tournaments leagues, backyards and recreational areas. Blind Horseshoe Pitchers' Association promotes horseshoe pitching for the blind and visually impaired, and develops assistive devices and methods for the players.
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Benefits
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Pitching horseshoes is a popular outdoor game, adaptable for people of all ages. It is well suited for family gatherings, group picnics and park-like settings. Because it requires minimal equipment and setup, it is adaptable as a portable game. Many public parks have horseshoe pits for its visitors.
Function
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The game takes place in the pitching court, which is approximately 6 feet wide and 50 feet long. Two steel stakes are driven into the ground, about 40 feet apart. Each stake should protrude about 15 inches from the ground. Surrounding each stake is a 6-foot square pitching box, which is filled with sand or clay to provide a soft landing for the horseshoes. Each player makes two tosses in a turn. If the shoe encircles the stake, it is deemed a ringer, scoring three points. A shoe that lands within 6 inches of the stake, or leans against the stake (deemed a leaner), counts for one point.
Types
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There are two primary systems of scoring horseshoe games: cancellation and count-all. When using the cancellation system, if the opposing players throw equal tosses, they cancel each other out. When playing count-all, all tosses are scored according to their distance to the stake.
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