Playing Hillbilly Horse Shoes

• Hillbilly horse shoes can be played with two or more players. Officially, a toss line is set 15 paces away from the ladder, though for friendly games five paces will do as children can also play easily. Each player will be given three bolas that they need to throw so it hooks on to any one of the three steps on the ladder. The bottom step accounts for one point, the middle step for two points and the top step for three points. The winner is the person who reaches exactly 21 points. If the player reaches more than 21 points, then he enters the next round with the previous amount of points.
  
  In case two players get 21 points, then the tie round is a two-point round. The first player to get two points more than the other player is the winner.
  
  Each team stands on either side of the ladder and throw the bolas one by one. The next team then throws the bolas trying to knock off the bolas thrown by the opponent team. In this game, the team can distract, make fun, divert attention to make sure they win, However, touching the ladders or removing bolas is prohibited.
  
  Once six bolas are thrown, points are added up and the next round played. Only bolas that are left on the ladder are considered as points. Bonus points can also be awarded and may be decided at commencement of play.
  
  

Safety Considerations

• Because a bola is a nylon rope with golf balls on either side, one needs to use it carefully. Do not simply toss them around as they may cause injury to you or others. Do not leave children with it unattended, as they may try dangerous things with the bola. The ladder is generally foldable or can be assembled so is easy to carry around. Avoid standing on the ladder or using it for any other purpose. A little caution, humor, fun play can go a long way in making your hillbilly horse shoe game an exhilarating experience.