forum members. this spring i'll be building a horse shoe pitching pit (actually 2 side by side) for the pleasure of my (friendly) redneck neighbors. i'm aware of regulations & dimensions & have a general design in mind, but am open to any ideas & suggestions you might have (including pics! etc) of your own @ this brain storming stage. the project gives me an exciting spring jolt during these cold winter days. thanks in advance! bb :drink:
ideas on building a horse shoe pit?
- Thread starter big bubba
- Start date
Beltzington
Platinum Member
Hot day, cold beer and pitching shoes make for a good afternoon. Enjoy.
More than you ever need to know. Go to the How To menu.
The National Horseshoe Pitchers Association - Backyard Horseshoe Court
More than you ever need to know. Go to the How To menu.
The National Horseshoe Pitchers Association - Backyard Horseshoe Court
schmism
Super Member
fairly standard pit. 4' ish square with a backstop. useing 5x4 decking material half burried in the ground, mason sand used as fill. If they get enough use to wear out the grass to either side of the pit i usually put some bricks in to stand on.
hey thanks beltzington for the excellent info resource. and schmism for that plan. gone back & forth on securing the stakes...have thought about the 5 gal bucket w/cement, or the method in your design. mounting the stake to a plate is a great idea as an alternative as i have a welder handy. cheers
Beltzington
Platinum Member
schmism - how do you score points off the back-board? also takes the excitement out of having to watch out for wild bounces.
yuccafarmer
Member
Imbedding an iron pipe in a bucket of concrete as a sleeve for the stake works very well and allows stake replacement without a shovel.
Mace Canute
Elite Member
I remember when I was a very young kid and my father would regularly have a bunch of his cronies over on a summer's evening. Playing horseshoes was a major pastime that went well with the beer, rollies and bull sessions they would have. As I recall all anyone used for a "pit" back then was a steel shaft drove into the earth deep enough to be solid. The horseshoes were real horseshoes too since dad used to be a cowboy before he traded the ranch out on the Big Muddy in for a farm close to town so us kids could get to school easily. Seemed to work well and no one complained...unless they lost of course! 
calman93611
Member
fairly standard pit. 4' ish square with a backstop. useing 5x4 decking material half burried in the ground, mason sand used as fill. If they get enough use to wear out the grass to either side of the pit i usually put some bricks in to stand on.
I like Schmism's design, the only change I would suggest is to cut a railroad tie to 4' length, drill a hole through it to allow the horseshoe stake to pass through. Bury the railroad tie so it lines up with the railroad tie on the opposite side. You will never have to interrupt a game to straighten a stake or to pound it back into the ground. Just a suggestion.
yes, thanks to you both on that as i was initially thinking of doing the bucket/cement idea.... but think i'll go w/the route with the stake going through the mounting plate into the timber as you suggested. drilling the lag screw holes in the plates are not a problem, but not set up for drilling the 1" stake hole. (wish i had my set up as i did in my machinist days!) so (in keeping w/the redneck tradition) i'll just carefully use a torch & then weld the assembly @ the 12 degree angle. thinking 7018 RP on that new material? thx again, having the forum ideas helps me past my own flawed thinking....going to be a great spring w/all this snow....