While there is considerable debate among historians as to when the now modern variant of horseshoes truly began, it is generally understood that a precursor to the game can be traced back to ancient Greece.
According to the NHPA, the Grecian sport of discus throwing served as the initial inspiration. Legend has it that peasants who couldn’t get their hands on proper discuses would instead use discarded horseshoes. This poor man’s game was slightly different from discus throwing however, as a stake would be drove and the horseshoes would be thrown at it much in the same way that the modern game is now played.
This tradition continued through to the 1800’s, where the game was most popular among soldiers. It is known for example that throwing mule shoes was a preferred activity of Union soldiers during the American Civil War.
It wasn’t until 1869 however that official rules were finally created to regulate the game. Originating in England, these rules set the distance between stakes at 19 yards and made it so that the ground around the stakes was clay. The horseshoes themselves were also regulated. While there was no weight restriction, the overall diameter could not exceed 8 inches.
Following this standardization, many major events would occur that slightly tweaked the rules in each particular instance.
In 1910 for example, the first World Championship horseshoe tournament was held in Bronson, Kansas. In this tournament stakes were only 2 inches above the ground, and the distance between them was shortened considerably to just 38 feet. Furthermore, there was no restriction on the size of the shoe.
The scoring system used was 1 point for the closest shoe (regardless of actual distance from the stake), 3 for a leaner and 5 for a ringer. Games were set at 21 points.
The following year saw the stakes raised to 6 inches, however the scoring system from the previous year was maintained.
In 1914 the American Horseshoe Pitchers Association was legally established via the Kansas court system. This body was responsible for the rule of equidistant shoes cancelling each other out as well as a shoe having to be within 6 inches from the stake in order to score a point.
The stakes themselves were now raised to 8 inches and for the first time, there was a weight restriction put on the shoes. Any horseshoes used could weigh no less than 2 pounds and no more than 2 pounds, 2 ounces.
A tournament held on February 26, 1919 in St. Petersburg, Florida marked the creation of yet another governing body as well as a few adjustments to the game itself.
In this tournament, the newly established National League of Horseshoe and Quoit Pitchers changed the distance between stakes to the now standard 40 feet and they were made to be 3 quarters of an inch in diameter.
In 1920 however, the rules changed yet again and stakes were now 10 inches high and 1 inch in diameter. The scoring system was also changed so that leaners didn’t count and a ringer was worth only 3 points.
Moving forward to 1950, a final height of between 14-15 inches for the stakes was introduced as well as the 40 points per game rule that is still in effect today.
With such a long and illustrious history, it’s hardly surprising that more than 15 million people regularly play the game of horseshoes in North America alone.
Whether it’s competitive play on an official court or a reason to get friends into your backyard on a beautiful summer day, there is little doubt that horseshoes is both a fun and enduring game.
SOURCES:
History of Horseshoe Pitching, horseshoepitching.com
