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Regulation Horseshoe Pits

The game of horseshoes involves competitors throwing horseshoes at stakes. The goal is to get the horseshoe to ring around the stake, which is called a ringer. These are worth three points. Horseshoes that are close can score one point. The game is made up of innings. Each competitor throws two horseshoes in the inning and the points are totaled at the end of the inning. A game can consist of a predetermined number of innings, or it can consist of a predetermined points goal. Here are the regulations regarding the horseshoe pits, according to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association.

Horseshoe Court
- The horseshoe pits are actually just one part of the entire horseshoe court. However, most people refer to the entire court as a horseshoe pit. You need to make the entire court 6 feet wide and it has to be at least 46 feet long and on a level playing surface. You also will need to surround the court with a protective barrier, such as a chain-link fence, that is at least 4 feet high.
Pitcher's Box
- The pitcher's box is a square area that is 6 feet by 6 feet at both ends of the court. The box is composed of the horseshoe pit and the pitching platform. You need to center the pit in the pitcher's box and have a pitching platform on both sides of the pit.
Horseshoe Pits
- The pit contains the stakes and is the area where the horseshoes will be pitched to. You need to make the pit rectangular, between 43 and 72 inches long and between 31 and 36 inches wide. You need to fill the pits with clay, sand, dirt or a synthetic composition that is at least 4 inches deep. The NHPA recommends 8 inches in depth.
  Before every game, you will need to make sure the substance in the pits remains soft and putty-like, so the horseshoes will bounce as little as possible when they are pitched.
  You also need to put a backboard behind each pit. The backboard has to be at least 1 foot high and extend the full width of the pit. If it is made of a solid material like wood, then you need to paint it a color that will contrast with the color of the horseshoes.
Stakes
- You need to make the stakes out of cold-rolled metal, mild iron, soft metal or a synthetic substance such as hard plastic. The top of the stake has to be between 14 and 15 inches above the substance in the bottom of the pit. You need to have the stakes centered in the pit and have them 40 feet apart and have a 3-inch lean toward each other.
Pitching Platforms
- The pitching platforms flank each pit and are made of material different from the substance filling the pit. They are usually made of wood and are level with the top of the pit. You need to make them 18 to 20 1/2 inches wide and at least 6 feet long.
  If you need to accommodate young players, old players or disabled players, you will need to provide an extended platform that extends 10 feet closer to the opposite stake. You will also need to make foul lines on each platform that are 37 and 27 feet from the opposite stake.

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