HorseShoes - How lucky are you? This game can be traced back to Roman soldiers but during the Revolutionary war, US soldiers could be found playing horseshoes. Union soldiers pitched "mule" shoes in Civil war camps! During the Roaring 20's, this popular game was renamed "barnyard golf". Over the years, the difference in the game was in the height of the stakes. In the beginning, the stakes were only 2 inches high. Over the years they were raised to 6 inches. In 1950, the stakes were adjusted to 14 and 15 inches which is the current regulation height. The stakes in men's competition are now 40 feet apart while women's courts have 30 feet between them. In 1982, the last major rule change was instituted. That rule, to set the win at 40 points. The playing area for horseshoes can be anything from two pits dug 48 feet apart to hard-surface courts also 48 feet apart and 6 feet wide. Equipment includes 2 stakes and 4 horseshoes. An estimated 15 million people play horseshoes recreationally!
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