Horseshoe pitching is a game played by throwing horseshoes at a stake. Two or four people can play at a time. Players score points by getting the horseshoes close to or around the stake.
Rules.
Regulation horseshoes are flat, U-shaped pieces of iron with a calk (small toe) at the closed end and at each tip. A shoe may not be more than 71/4 inches (18.4 centimeters) wide and 75/8 inches (19.4 centimeters) long. It must not weigh over 2 pounds 10 ounces (1.2 kilograms), and it must have no more than 31/2 inches (8.9 centimeters) of space between the calks at the open end.
A pitching court is about 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide and at least 46 feet (14 meters) long. Within this area, two steel or iron stakes 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter are driven or anchored into the ground 40 feet (12 meters) apart. Each stake stands 15 inches (38 centimeters) high in a pitching box that is 6 feet (1.8 meters) square. Each pitching box has an area of clay, soil, or sand, in which the horseshoes land.
If two people play a game, they compete individually. If four play, two people make up each team. Players take turns throwing the horseshoes. A player throws two shoes each turn. Men pitch from a distance of 40 feet from the stake. Women and juniors (players under age 17) throw from a distance of 30 feet (9 meters). Players pitch horseshoes with an underhand motion. Fingertip control gives the shoe a flip or turn so the open end faces the stake as the shoe lands.
Scoring.
A ringer is a shoe that encircles the stake so that a straight edge can touch both tips of the shoe without touching the stake. A ringer scores 3 points. A shoe that comes to rest within 6 inches (15 centimeters) of the stake scores 1 point. A leaner (a shoe that leans against the stake) is also worth 1 point. There are two main systems of scoring horseshoe pitching contests, cancellation and count-all. In cancellation, a game usually consists of 40 points. If opposing players throw ringers or shoes that land equally close to the stake, the shoes cancel each other. Points are scored by counting the ringer or shoe closest to the stake that is not tied by the opposing player. A count-all game normally consists of 25 innings (50 shoes thrown by each player). In a count-all game, all ringers and horseshoes within 6 inches of the stake are scored according to their point values.
History.
Horseshoe pitching originated in Roman army camps about A.D. 100. The game has long been popular in the United States and Canada, but for many years it had no set rules. In 1914, a group of men set up standards of play and equipment, and the popularity of the game increased. The National Horseshoe Pitchers’ Association of America, incorporated in 1920, developed from this group. The Canadian Horseshoe Pitching Association, now called Horseshoe Canada Association, was incorporated in 1929.
