How to Set Up a Game of Horseshoes
The evolution of horseshoe pitching began when Roman soldiers made a game of throwing rings over anchored metal stakes during the 2nd century. Horseshoe pitching evolved from wartime recreation to a popular backyard game and tournament sport. A game of horseshoes may seem like a lackadaisical tossing game, but there are specific set-up rules for the court and the stakes, as well as tossing rules for tournament play that are based on age and gender.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 1-inch diameter iron rods, 36 inches long
- Measuring tape
- Level ground
- Shovel
- Spray paint
- 2-inch thick by 4-inch-wide hardwood boards
- Saw
- Drill
- 1-inch diameter drill bit
- Moist blue clay
- 10 15-inch square concrete pavers
Instructions
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Simple Set Up
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1
Measure a 40-foot distance between two points directly opposite each other on level ground.
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2
Insert a 36-inch long, one-inch diameter iron rod 22 inches into the ground at each point. Each rod should extend 14 inches above the ground. Angle each stake 12-degrees from vertical with the angles leaning towards the opposite stake.
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3
Loosen the soil two to four inches deep around each iron rod.
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4
Measure 27 and 37 feet from each stake. Spray paint or otherwise mark a foul line at each measurement. The foul lines are the pitching lines. Children up to age 18, women and men over 70 pitch from the 27-foot line. Adult men between the ages of 19 and 70 pitch from the 37-foot line.
Make a Pit, Anchor the Stakes, Build a Platform
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5
Excavate the area around each stake to measure 32 inches wide by 42 inches long. The stake should be the center of the pit.
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6
Cut a two-inch thick by four-inch wide hardwood board into two six-inch long sections. Drill a one-inch hole through the center of each board at a 12-degree angle.
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7
Remove the iron stakes. Dig an eight-inch deep cavity to fit the board beneath the existing stake positions. Place one wood board in each cavity. Insert the stakes through each angled hole. Bury the wood board. The stakes should extend 14 inches above the ground at a 12-degree angle. Fill in the pit area around the stakes with moist blue clay to better hold the horseshoes where they land.
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8
Excavate a 15-inch wide by 75-inch long section of the topsoil on each side of both horseshoe pits with the pits in the center of the two linear sections.
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9
Line five 15-inch square concrete pavers along each excavated section to make pitching platforms.
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1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Time to play horseshoes image by mcsgraphic from Fotolia.com
