Official horseshoe pit setup

Last Updated: December 29, References Approved. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 1,, times. Learn more Luckily, you can put together a regulation-style pit in your own backyard using only a few inexpensive materials.

To build a horseshoe pit, set up the frame for the pit in a flat area, and mark the perimeter of each pit using lawn chalk. Remove the frames and dig a pit inches deep inside of the perimeter in a rectangular shape. Then, lower the frame into the pit, and drive a metal stake into the center of each pit with inches of the stake above the frame. Fill the frames in with sand to complete the pit, and then use lawn chalk to add foul lines to the ground around the pit.

For information on building the frame and adding safety guards to the pit, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.

By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Gather the necessary materials. To build a single pit for casual games, use half of the materials listed here. Cut your lumber to the appropriate size. Do the same for the 2 6 ft 1.

I then added a piece of plastic. The plywood bottom is to act as a divider between the pit material and the regular ground. The plastic is designed to help hold in the water.

Since I am putting in clay pits and clay needs water to stay soft the plastic will help keep it moist. If you are using sand as the pit material don't use plastic but the plywood bottom is a good idea.

Now time to fill in the box with your pit material. This is one of my pits filled with clay. On my clay pits I generally keep the middle high at the proper height and keep the sides and front lower. As the clay gets pounded down it works towards the outside and back and you just keep moving it back to the middle. The other advantage is if it rains the water won't lay in the middle. Clay that gets too wet is unplayable. Now all I have to do is put in my walkways and backboards and I am done.

More to come. This is a pair of my back board support post. I reclaimed the post from my old court. These are your standard 4" by 4" deck spike post available from your local building center. These are quite long so be careful when installing them to make sure no hidden cables or such are buried near the location point.

Since the 4 by 4 was already installed when I pounded them in I used a piece of wood between the top and my sledge hammer as to not damage it too much.

After I have my post pounded in I cut off a pair of 2 by 8's at 36" long then screwed them to the support post. I cut off a few extra backboard blanks to be used at a latter date once these get beat up and trust me they will be in splinters by the end of the season if not sooner depending on how many horseshoes ping off the top of the stake. Once the back board is in place you need to install a pitching platform. Over the years I have seen all kinds of stuff used for this, from perfectly poured concrete, wood slabbed boards , crushed stone to even buried railroad ties.

All it needs to be is flat and firm. For me I have always used patio stones. I have seen some solid concrete that over the years has become twisted, heaved and cracked and of course hard to fix and pitch on. The patio stones I used are 18" square 4 per side. As you can see I still need to add some for the opposite side.

Dig a pit in the center of the pitching box that measures between 72 and 43 inches long and between 36 and 31 inches wide, with a depth of approximately 8 inches. Cut wooden planks to the widths and lengths required to cover the portion of the 6-by-6 foot square not occupied by the pit. Place the wooden planks around the periphery of the pit. Insert the stake into the center of the pit; angle the stake such that it leans forward by approximately 3 inches.

Confirm that only 14 to 15 inches protrude from the top of the pit; if necessary, choose a smaller stake or dig a deeper pit.

Select the type of substance you wish to use when filling the horseshoe pit; acceptable substances include clay, sand and dirt. Table of Contents. Why is my washer not spinning all the water out of my clothes? Where is the reset button on a Samsung Ice Maker? Share Pin Tweet. Previous Post Answer : What should be stored in climate control? Next Post How can we prevent soil runoff?

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