Your view of what horse shoes are for may very well have to do with how and where you grew up. Some think of them as something that goes on a horse, which of course is their true use, but there are other things they have been used for. You may use them for all of those things, or you may have never laid eyes on one in person. Though the most common use is on horses, many have these in their homes as a matter of luck, and some think of these as something that makes for a great game.
Horse shoes have long been thought of as a bringer of luck. I am not sure where it comes from, but it has been around for a long time. Many hang them around their homes and properties for that good luck, or possibly as a protection from bad luck, but many differ on how to hang them. Some hang them with the ends down. That is actually most common. However, some like to hang horse shoes with the ends up so that the luck does not run out. Some do both because they really aren’t sure which is right.
The game of horse shoes is more common in rural areas, but most have at least heard of it. The game consists of two poles situated in the ground a certain amount of feet apart. A box is built around those poles and then sand or some other soft landing material is put in the box and around the poles. Without a softer landing, the horse shoes that are thrown tend to bounce and scatter wildly, and that means the game is not going to go right.
When the horse shoes are thrown, you can points when the shoe goes around the pole. Some call it a ringer, and some call it something else. You also get less points when the horse shoes land within a shoe length of the pole. You can also knock others shoes away, though that is actually very hard to do on purpose. It is a game of skill and accuracy, and much to my own surprise, this game is actually a lot of fun. If you ever have the chance to try it, give it a go. It may not be the most glamorous game, but it can be a lot of fun and quite challenging.