How to Build a Horseshoe Pit

With a little bit of extra room in your backyard, you can build a horseshoe pit. Have your friends over for a friendly game of horseshoe pitching. Anyone can play and you will soon find yourself hooked on a game that is popular all over the country. Follow the steps below to build your very own horseshoe pit.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• 2 36-inch 2 by 4-inch boards
• 2 48-inch 2 by 4-inch boards
• 1 24-inch long by 1-inch diameter steel rod
• 4-inch long wood screws
• Power screwdriver
• Sand
• Horseshoes

Instructions

1. Make the frame for your horseshoe pit by taking 2 36-inch 2-by-4 inch boards and 2 48" 2-by-4 inch boards and screwing them together with 4-inch long wood screws to form a rectangle.

2. Take a shovel and dig a rectangular area that is 2 inch larger on each side than the frame you constructed with the 2-by-4 inch boards. The measurement should be 38 inches by 50 inches. Dig the rectangle approximately 4 inches deep so that your frame is flush with the ground.

3. Place the frame in the hole that you have finished digging. Take the 24-inch rod and pound it into the ground in the middle of the framed area. The length of rod that you want to be above the ground is approximately 15 inches.

4. Fill the horseshoe pit with sand to about 1/2 inch below the top of the frame. After you play a few games, the sand will get tapped down so you will want to keep extra sand on hand to fill the pit back up.

5. Measure 40 feet from the stake in the middle of the horseshoe pit and start all over with Step 1. When the second pit is complete you will have a regulation size horseshoe pit that you built.

Tips & Warnings

• Use moist sand around stakes to hold shoes better when thrown.

• For safety reasons, do not build back-to-back horseshoe pits unless you have 16 feet between the stakes.

Resources

• Website will direct you to information about the game of horseshoes