Basic Rules
of Horseshoe Pitching
A popular sport in
the US and Canada, horse pitching’s
essential feature is the tossing
or throwing of a horseshoe at a pin,
peg, or stake. A game for two or
four players, horse pitching’s
main object is to ring the pin or
throw the horseshoe as close to the
pin as possible. Each player stands
at one stake and throws two horseshoes
at the other stake. A horseshoe encircling
the stake is called a ringer and
counts for the highest score. A ringer
is made when the thrown horseshoe
encloses the stake; it counts three
points in scoring.
The rules of horseshoes allow one
point if no player throws
a ringer, for
the shoe closest to the stake as
long as it is within the width of
a shoe itself. Regulation games are
played to a winning score of 50,
while informal games are played up
to 21.
Horseshoe pitching
is played on a court 50 ft (15.24
m) long and 10 ft (3.05 m) wide.
Iron stakes extending 14 in. (35.56
cm) above the ground are planted
40 ft (12.19 m) apart. The horseshoe,
a U-shaped plate, usually of iron
or steel, must not weigh more than
40 oz (1134 g).
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