www.bevolw.com

Whether you have played the game in the past or you are looking for something to do at the next picnic, horseshoes can provide hours of entertainment for everyone. One of the really appealing aspects of horseshoes is that anyone can play. Men, women, children, even the elderly can play the game without risking injury or building up too much of a sweat!

The first thing that should be discussed are the basics of horseshoes. You can play a game with either two players competing against eachother, or two teams of two players each. I will assume that you have two teams of two players each for this article. If you play with just two players competing against eachother then you just need to modify how the turn works to accomodate one person instead of two.

Horseshoe Equipment

The equipment needed for horseshoes is minimal. You need two sets of horseshoes (four total horseshoes because they are paired), two metal stakes, and a scoreboard is optional. That’s it! You can usually get a set of horseshoes (stakes included) from a local store such as Walmart. If you are looking for a professional set, you can find them by typing “horseshoes set” into your favorite search engine online.

Basic Game Play

Take the horseshoe stakes and place them into the ground 40 feet apart from eachother. These become the “pits” and are the spots each team will be aiming for when throwing the horseshoes. Now that the setup is complete, let’s get into the action!

One member from each team stands on opposite sides. So each side has a member from Team A and a member from Team B. Flip a coin to see how throws first. When throwing the horseshoe, the pitcher (the person throwing the horseshoe) must stand 37 feet from the opposite stake. An easy way to do this is to place a marker 3 feet in front of each stake and this will be considered the foul line. The pitcher throws both horseshoes at the opposite stake. The object is to get your horseshoes to land as close to the stake as possible. When the first pitcher is done, the other pitcher then throws the horseshoes from his team. So both teams on one side throw their horseshoes at the same stake. When both pitchers have thrown the score is tallied and the inning is considered to be over.

Scoring

Only one team may score per inning. Whichever team has the closest horseshoe to the stake, scores. If both horseshoes from one team are closer than any other horseshoe from the other team, then both horseshoes are scored. A team is awarded one point if a horseshoe is within 6 inches from the stake and 3 points if the horseshoes is around the stake (call a ringer). An easy way to visualize this is to take your left arm with elbow bent, and point your hand upwards. Make your right hand into a “C” shape and grab your left arm. That is what a ringer is in horseshoes, one horseshoe wraps around the stake. The “hooks” of the horseshoe (the points that point inwards on the bottom of the horseshoe) is the boundary line when determining a ringer. The stake must be within these hooks.

Some amateur games play with “leaners”. This means that if a horseshoe is leaning on the stake, or touching the stake (but not a ringer) then it is worth two points. There are a few variations of what counts as a leaner that differs from game to game depending on where you play and who you play with.

Winning

A team wins when they are the only team to hit 21 or above at the end of the inning. If an inning ends and both teams are tied (have the exact same score) then you continue to play until one teams ends an inning with a higher score.

Want more information on horseshoes? Please visit the author’s website for quality information on the game of horseshoes, rules, tips and techniques!

Share This

It does not matter if you have the best footwork in the league. It does not matter if you have perfect balance and the eyesight of an eagle. If you cannot release the horseshoe properly you will not be scoring any points.

During your entire swing you should have a firm grip on the horseshoe. You do not want it too loose as this can lead to letting go unexpectedly, or too much motion of the horseshoe while swinging. If you hold it too tight, you will end up jerking the horseshoe upon release. What you are looking for is a balanced, flexible, grip on the horseshoe. This will allow you to have more of a fine tuned control with your fingertips. Since your fingertips are really the only things holding onto the horseshoe they play a crucial role in the flight and rotation.

Before starting your swing you should be holding up the horseshoe and aiming at the stake on the opposite side. It is important to release the horseshoe at that same point. For example, if you are aiming with the horseshoe at a height of your nose then you do not want to release the horseshoe at your chin. The aiming point and exit point of the horseshoe should always be the same. This way your body will adjust and begin to “learn” your throw. You will also keep much more consistency with all of your throws.

When releasing the horseshoe, your rotation is dependent on your grip. As stated earlier, the fingertips control your turn or rotation. Your index finger has the most control over the horseshoe because it is in contact with it longer than your other fingers. As you release the horseshoe, make sure that the shoe is in a horizontal position. Your fingers are going to have to support the weight of the horseshoe here to keep it from hanging down towards the ground. This is something that will just take practice to get used to. During the release you want the horseshoe to have a nice smooth exit. You want to avoid any drag against your fingers as much as possible. A nice smooth release will give your horseshoe a beautiful loft and horizontal positioning in the air. This will allow you to land more horseshoes flat around the stake.

Want more information on horseshoes? Please visit the author’s website for information and articles on the game of horseshoes, rules, tips and techniques!

Share This

An experienced, professional horseshoe player does not have to actually see clearly where he or she is throwing the horseshoe. It is as though the horseshoe thrower can feel where the horseshoe is supposed to go. The distance, angle, and velocity at which the horseshoe is thrown, becomes a part of the horseshoe player’s very being. I realized this phenomenon many times and tested my theory as I played horseshoes in the dark. Some may think it is luck that I can throw well in the dark; however, the quantity of successful dark throws contradicts this completely false and ridiculous assumption. Some may claim that my idea of successful horseshoe throws is an inaccurate quantitative measure of what is in actuality a successful throw, that my horseshoe throwing is never good whether in the light or in the dark. However, this assumption is based on completely false and inaccurate data. Nobody who makes such statements has seen me play in the dark, and how could they see where my horseshoes were going anyway if it was too dark to see. The only way they could tell is if they had the horseshoe sixth sense which allows expert horseshoe throwers to estimate blindly where their horseshoe is going as accurately as they do.

The horseshoe sixth sense does not come immediately to the novice horseshoes thrower, but is developed over long periods of time. It is a language that one must learn, the language of the horseshoe. If you are real quiet and listen very closely you can sometimes hear the horseshoes whispering. Some people think that I am crazy for talking to horseshoes, and blasphemously claim that horseshoes do not speak, but their lies cannot influence the steady mind of the horseshoe whisperer. So next time you are throwing horseshoes, or are just sitting around your house without any friends, because you are a nerd and nobody likes you, just sit quietly and listen to the horseshoes. Hear what they have to say. Learn their language and become one with them and soon the crowds will flock to you; you the horseshoe champion.

Anyway, as one who has learned the language of the horseshoes, yes, I am the horseshoe whisperer; I can confidently claim that I can throw horseshoes in the dark. I know my horseshoes game and my horseshoes. I know where they are going and how to get them there, whether it is in the light or in the dark. I can sense where the horseshoes are going and where they need to go.
When I played horseshoes in the dark, the only guidance I had to where they were going, that is when I had guidance, or physical visible guidance that is, there was a small sparkle or reflection of light off the tip of the pole in the horseshoe pit. You had to bend over slightly and look very closely to see it or it would be drowned out in the darkness. Before each throw I would listen carefully to the horseshoes whisper and whisper something in return to guide the horseshoe safely to its horseshoe pit home. When I felt like the horseshoe was ready, I would let it fly, and fly it did. It flew like a bat into the darkness, silently, except for those who can hear the whisper. Those who know the horseshoes can help the horseshoes to find their own way to the horseshoe home.

With these extra senses and understanding of the horseshoe language, one who is able to hear and speak the horseshoe whisper, I have the ability as other horseshoe throwers do, to throw a horseshoe without a clear view of where the horseshoe is going. The distance, angle, and velocity at which the horseshoe is thrown, became a part of my very being.

Peter Jay is a Vice President with Yard Game Central and a manager and web administrator with TheShoePit.com. For more information about horseshoes, visit http://www.thehorseshoepit.com

Share This