How to Build a Backyard Horseshoe Pit

One of the great things about building your own horseshoe pit is that you can create a playing field that matches your level of enthusiasm, interest or skill. If you're just a casual player who is looking for a way to pass the time while Uncle Morty finishes grilling the steaks, you can simply shove two sticks in the ground and call it a court. But if you're taking the time to read an article about how to build horseshoe pits, chances are that you're a bit more serious about the sport, or else just like to do things right. In that case, you'll want to lay out a pit to the specifications of the U.S. Horseshoe Pitchers Association for competitive play. "Mediocre conditions favor weaker players," writes expert Steven Boga in his book "Horseshoes." "Quality courts reward merit and intensify competition."

In picking out a spot for your horseshoe pit, look for a fairly level space that's about 10 feet (3 meters) wide and 50 feet (15 meters) long, and is free of obstructions such as trees, clotheslines and electrical wires. Ideally, it should run north to south, so that the players won't get the sun in their eyes [source: Boga].

If you just need a minimalistic horseshoe pit that's good for practicing, all you need to do is drive a pair of 3-foot-long (1-meter-long) iron or steel stakes into the ground about 40 feet (12 meters) apart from each other, leaving about 14 to 15 inches (35 to 38 centimeters) of the stakes above ground. Players will be throwing from the middle in either direction, so tilt the stakes slightly toward you. Then just dig up the soil a little around each stake, and you're ready to go [sources: Boga, NHPA].

If you want a real regulation court, you'll need to get some materials and do a more elaborate construction job. We'll explain how in the next section.

If you're going to build a serious horseshoe court with the regulation two pits, you need the right materials. The good news is that you can find most everything you will need at your local home improvement supply store. Here's your list:

The first thing that you need to do is mark off the right dimensions for the court with a pit at each end. The complete playing area should be 48 feet (14.6 meters) long and 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide. At each end, there's a 6-by-6-foot box that contains both the area where the players pitch and the pits themselves, each of which should be 3 feet by 4 feet (1 by 1.2 meters) in area [sources: NHPA, SportsKnowHow.com]. Use paint or chalk to mark where everything goes.

Next, it's time to dig the pit and set up the stakes. The pit doesn't have to be too deep — 8 inches (20 centimeters) or so is great. Dig out a hole in the center that's roughly another foot (30 centimeters) or so. Position the stake so that it's sticking precisely 14 inches (26 centimeters) out of the ground, and angled at a 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) slant from where it comes out of the ground. If you're using the bucket as a base, then pour the cement around it, and let it harden a little [sources: Boga, NHPA ]. Then shovel the clay into the pit, a couple of inches at a time, and pack it in [sources: Beam Clay].

Now, dig out the areas around the pits and along the edges of the court, and lay the flagstones. You don't need to dig very deep, just enough so that the stones are solidly seated in the ground.

Now it's time to build the backstop. Use the sledgehammer to pound the deck posts into the ground. Then use your electric screwdriver and the wood screws to attach the boards to the posts. Make sure it's all nice and sturdy [source: M&M Horseshoe Company].

When that's finished, you need to get some NHPA regulation horseshoes, which you can buy from a variety of Web-based dealers or sporting goods stores. Horseshoes designed for horses won't work as they're not uniform in size. Look for ones weighing 2.5 pounds (1 kilogram) with openings no greater than 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) [source: NHPA].