Horseshoe pitching can be enjoyed by the blind also

February 1, 2011

Horseshoe Pitching for the Blind

The United States Blind Horseshoe Pitchers Association provides resources and strategies to help make the popular American pastime accessible to the blind.

As with many target-based sports and games (e.g. curling, darts, riflery) that seem to demand maximum hand-eye coordination, horseshoes is gaining in popularity among the blind, due largely to community building by theU.S. Blind Horseshoe Pitchers Association (USBHPA), a.k.a. the Midnite Ringers.

The USBHPA organizes tournaments, provides information on how to learn and improving one’s game, and seeks to help the sight impaired find local places to pitch.

In horseshoes, players toss U-shaped metal bars at a metal stake 40 feet away. Points are scored for “ringers” (the horseshoe encircles the stake) and/or for pitches landing nearest the stake within six inches.
Horseshoe Adaptations for the Visually Impaired

The National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (whose website covers the rules, scoring, and etiquette of horseshoes) generally allows the blind and visually impaired to pitch from 30 feet away.

For blind and visually impaired participants, the USBHPA suggests the following modifications:

For the visually impaired:

* Paint stakes and horseshoes white for a more visible target and to distinguish horseshoes from one’s opponent
* Use white paint to mark the boundary lines of the three-foot pitching area
* Fold a white towel over the backstop to enhance targeting.

For the blind:

* Mark the pitching area with a 3’ rubber mat or tent stakes
* Install a beeper behind the backstop or under a bike helmet behind the stake to facilitate targeting by sound.

For both blind and visually impaired persons, pitch partners may provide sufficient assistance. The pitch partner also warns blind players of eminent pitches from the opposite side of the pit.

Pitch partners can be anyone from a spouse, friend, or neighbor to an experienced player met through a local pitching club, recreation department, or organization such as a local Lions Club or Blinded American Veterans chapter.

There are many methods for holding and pitching a horseshoe. The straight flip, holding the shoe at the bottom of the “U” and throwing it underhand so it flips once or twice in midair may be the most effective method pitching from 30 feet.

Feedback from a pitch partner, neighbor, or club member is a good way to gauge the effectiveness of one’s technique and what adjustments will help improve performance. The Midnite Ringers also maintains a handicapping system against which one can measure progress.
Finding Horseshoe Sets and Places to Pitch

Horseshoe sets, which consist of two metal stakes and four horseshoes, are available at chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Ace Hardware, and on the web at retail sites (e.g. Amazon.com) and specialty vendors such as HorseshoesOnline. Prices range from $20 to $80 per set.

Some areas have horseshoe clubs and most have parks and recreation centers with permanent horseshoe pits. Pits can also be set up in one’s backyard (a great solution for those with limited transportation) or for an hour or two in a public park.

Horseshoe pitching is played at the picnic grounds called Frolic Garden in this hotel in Clark Pampanga. This beach resort is famous for its rendition of the Clark lifestyle which appeals to visitors from Manila traveling north to Pampanga to enjoy a laidback lifestyle of peach and quiet. Clearwater is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, on foot or a bike.

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