Other Definitions
horseshoes (dict)
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HorseshoesHorseshoes are partial metal rings placed on the bottom of horses hooves and some other hooved animals, they are used to protect the hooves from wear and tear. Horseshoes are also considered an item of luck. They are considered the most universal of all the good luck charms, the horseshoe was introduced to our western culture by the Greeks in the 4th Century. The horseshoe, hung above the door, was given special powers against evil by St Dunston, a blacksmith by trade, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in AD 959. For centuries people have held the horseshoe in high esteem. At first, it was placed above a door frame with pointed ends up, "lest the luck would drain out". Later it was moved midway down the door, serving the dual function of a talisman and door knocker.es Horseshoes are available in a wide variety of materials and styles, developed for different types of horses and the work they do. Common materials are steel, aluminum and plastic, and some specialized shoes are made from magnesium, titanium or copper. Some of the common styles of shoes are: * aluminum racing plates for thoroughbred racehorses * steel swaged shoes for standardbred racehorses * steel or aluminum wide-web shoes for show horses * steel toe-weight shoes for walking horses and gaited horses * steel "keg shoes" for riding horses * steel draft shoes for draft horses * aluminum and plastic glue-on shoes for injured horse or horses with poor hooves Nowadays, most types of horseshoes can be bought ready-made and shaped and fitted to the horse's foot. However, a good horseshoer or "farrier" is competent to make most of these shoes himself using his hammer, anvil and forge. The shoes are attached to the foot with a special horseshoe nail that is driven into the foot at such an angle that it comes out the side of the hoof where it is cut off and the end "clinched" over. The nail only penetrates the keratin of the hoof wall, without touching any live tissue, and without hurting the horse. In recent years there has been considerable success with making shoes that can be glued on to the foot without the use of nails.
Horseshoes is a game played between two people or a pair of people. The game is played by the players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at steaks in the ground which are 40 feet (12.19 meters) away. Game play The game begins with a flip of a coin to determine who goes first. Then the winner of the coin toss throws both horseshoes, one at a time, at the opponent's steak, and then the second player throws both of their horseshoes at the other player's steak. After scoring that round, the next round is done in reverse order. Play continues until at the end of the round one player has at least 21 points. Scoring In horseshoes the goal of the game is to be the first player to reach 21 points. To score, a player must throw a ringer, that is the horseshoe is thrown such that the steak in the ground is completely within the loop of the horseshoe. If there is question whether it is a ringer, the use of a straight edge is employed to touch the two points at the ends of the horseshoe. If the straight edge doesn't touch the steak, then it is considered a ringer. However the ringer can be cancelled by the opponent throwing a ringer in the same round. However there are a few simple rules that can be followed to simplify the scoring procedure: - . If no ringers are thrown, the nearest horseshoe to the stake counts one point.
- . If both players throw a single ringer each, the ringers are cancelled out and the nearest of the other two horseshoes scores one point.
- . Should both players score two ringers each, they cancel each other out and no points are scored.
- . If one player manages one ringer but the other player pitches two ringers, three points are scored.
- . If a single ringer has been scored that player wins three points plus an extra point if that player's other horseshoe is the closest of the remaining three.
#. Finally, if a player achieves two ringers and the other player manages none, six points are scored.
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