Bunnock was developed in the early 1800s by the Russian military. Stories are told relating how the Russian soldiers posted in the frozen tundra of northern Siberia, found the time endless. To help pass the time they tried to play horseshoes, but found it impossible to drive the peg into the frozen ground. With a little ingenuity, some of the soldiers discovered that the ankle bones of a horse could be set up on the frozen ground and so a new game called Bunnock (Bones) was born.

Bunnock was a valuable form of entertainment. Because horses were the only form of transportation, they were plentiful and the bones of long dead animals could be found throughout the countryside. This made the game affordable for all. The bones were often used as nature had left them, weathered and bleached by the sun. Often the bones would be carved with different Roman numerals to identify the position. Today the bones are painted different colors representing their positions.