So let me write about those and perhaps my viewpoint will help you pitch ringers more frequently.

Consistency
When one pitches horseshoes, whether in practice or competition, one pitches a horseshoe again and again. Pitch two (four) shoes, walk to the other court, pick up the horseshoes, pitch them to the other court, repeat, and repeat.

Because of the repetition of the same motions (standing, greeting the stake, back swing, step, forward swing, release, and follow-through), I have found it essential to minimize the differences among these motions each time I pitch a shoe. If I can find the best combination of the motions that results in the most ringers, then I want to duplicate that series of motions every time I pitch a horseshoe.

When I am participating in our local horseshoe league or in a tournament, I enjoy watching people pitch. I have yet to see two pitchers with the exact same style of pitching. Yet they are successful, they pitch ringers. Whatever they do works for them. There is not a "right" way or a "wrong" way to pitch, it's what works for you that makes it "right" for you.

For example, I noticed a pitcher vary the location of where he stands to the left of the stake, from a few inches behind the stake to a few inches in front of the stake. With this variation of at least 6 to 8 inches, I wonder if he notices this when he pitches. The stakes are always 40 feet apart, but when the placement of his feet varies, it's as if the stake moves to be less than or more than 40 feet away.

Once I have found the foot location that works best for me, I note where that is, either by marking with a stick, stone, chalk, or counting the number of shoe steps to the foul line. At some point I need to get an accurate measurement of this foot placement so that when I pitch on another court, I can note where my location should be.

So, one of the uniformities needed in horseshoe pitching is to be consistent with foot placement. And this is also one of the easiest to discover and record.

The other motions that need to be uniform in pitching are more difficult to discern and control. A video of one's pitching motions could be very helpful in assisting a pitcher to find the most effective motions to get ringers consistently.

But without this technical record of motions, how one swings and releases a horseshoe, one has to rely on an observant buddy or one's self. My point being, to regularly pitch ringers, one needs to be as consistent as possible with the steps involved. I leave it to the reader to do her/his own self-analysis.

Physics
The second point I want to share is how important it is for a horseshoe pitcher to understand the science (physics) of what the pitched horseshoe will do when gravity takes over and the horseshoe lands in the opposite pit. How does the horseshoe's center of gravity come into play as it flies through the air? If the shoe is off-target, to the right or left (or long or short), what will it do? When the shoe lands where the pitcher intended, what will it do? Newton's First Law of Motion states that a body in motion will remain in motion.

Let's talk about the physics of a flipped horseshoe since flipping a shoe is what I know best.

My goal in flipping a horseshoe is to have a fairly high arc such that the shoe turns end over end one time and is on a parallel plane with the ground just as the shoe encompasses the stake, landing flat with the closed end (back) of the horseshoe just an inch or so in front of the stake (not hitting the stake). Why do I want the shoe to do this?

I am attempting to limit as much as possible the actions (metal hitting metal) that can result from the horseshoe striking the stake or other horseshoes. It seems that the most "dangerous" physical action a flipped horseshoe can do is "bounce back" when it hits the stake. I can toss a beautifully flipping horseshoe only to have the back of the shoe strike the stake with such force that the shoe bounces off and becomes a point (at best) instead of a ringer. Thus, I try to make a high arc so that the shoe drops around the stake, not hitting the stake at all. My shoe may experience "bounce up" if it lands on another horseshoe around or near the stake (which is why I pitch a "softer" shoe). Yet on the other hand, if there's already a shoe that's leaning against the stake before my shoe lands, my shoe should land on top of it and either stay hanging above it as a ringer or push the other shoe down (and, I hope, not to make my opponent's shoe into a ringer).

If my flipped horseshoe lands to the right or left of the stake, it may just smoothly slide by the stake and go beyond the six inches it needs to be a point. That sort of miss is one of the big risks of a flip shoe. I try to minimize that by the high arc so that the shoe comes down to land rather than slide by, and keeping my arm swing consistent can help keep the shoe on its preferred path.

So, try to be as consistent with the motions that result in the most ringers for you. When doing that, try to keep in mind what the science is behind the flying horseshoe.

And, have fun, no matter the number of ringers!

Flipping a Horseshoe
I taught myself to pitch a horseshoe and didn't know better, so the "grip" I use is for a single flip (aka "flop"), which also works for a double or multiple flip. I hold the shoe at the rear thumb cleat and give it an even, underhanded toss to the opposite stake. Not much has been written about how to flip a horseshoe, so I wrote "How to Throw a Flip Horseshoe" (PDF) from my experience. I am not a "Joan Elmore" or a "Sue Snyder," but my ringer percentage is around 50%, so maybe my information will help others.

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