HoofPrints Newsletter
March 23, 2011 Issue
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"Well, I think what you're doing is most unladylike.
| I know these are modern times, but a woman your age should
|  stay at home. Why, people all over the country are laughing at you." She paused, then asked, "Do you mind? My saying such things to you, I mean?"
"Not at all," I said. And then, since she was no spring chicken, I asked, "And why don't you stay at home?"
"I'm always at home. My husband and I live in the trailer. And I wouldn't be caught dead dressed like a man. Oh, do you have an extra postcard?"
She bought three. I figured she was a woman of high morals, and my opinion only lasted until late the next morning when the state police dropped by and arrested her and the husband. They were wanted for thievery, and the man was not her husband. I heard they had even stolen the trailer.
-from "Last of the Saddle Tramps" a book about one woman's trek across the US, from Maine to California, on horseback. To order, click here
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| Now, a Purse / Fanny Pack / Treat Pouch for the canine crowd | Something no dog owner should be without...
|  Great for training, or can double as a purse or fanny pack! Made by hand (by a fellow dog lover) in Indiana, USA - this sturdy quilted treat pouch loaded with details. Under the magnetically closing flap is a nice big space for all your doggie goodies, and a separate zippered outer pocket for your keys, cell phone, etc.
Each has it's own handmade clay medallion (embossed with a pawprint and heart) sewn to the flap; no two are alike - so each pouch is an original.
The treat compartment is fully lined with soft, moisture resistant material, so if you need to use bits of cooked meat or cheese, etc to accomplish your training goals, feel free - as this pouch is fully washable. Measures 6" tall x 7" wide, adjustable waistband goes from 28" - 48". We've also got a LIMITED NUMBER of Muddy Pawprint pouches - the fabric is discontinued, so once these are sold we can't make any more. To see those, click here
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Preserve your horsey memories...
| This is so incredibly important, please take a moment to consider
|  how many times you've stumbled upon a forgotten photograph, or other momento that brought with it a flood of wonderful memories. Memories that may well have faded into obscurity had you not had a visual reminder of the time in your past.
There's no better time than the present to archive mementos from a horsewoman (or man)'s life. Many a great story has been told based on someone's "ordinary" life and the accompanying memories. Having something tangible to pass on is of utmost importance.
The wonderful story of Beautiful Jim Key would have been lost forever had author Mim Eichler Rivas not stumbled upon a dusty old trunk of mementos and newspaper clippings that Dr. Key had collected, chronicling his and his horse's life. Her discovery propelled her on a journey by which she pieced together this incredible true story of a man and his horse. Rivas' exhaustive research led her to a variety of sources, a significant amount being personal collections and mementos (scrapbooks) as well as libraries and other genealogical sources. The photo used on the cover belies it's fragile heritage - creased and frayed - it could have easily been discarded because of the damage - a snapshot of important history would have been lost forever.
The back of the book cites all these sources - a whopping 42 pages worth! So, if the story wasn't wonderful enough by itself, you can marvel at the incredible thoroughness by which the author researched the facts and wove them into a cohesive (true) tale. Here's an excerpt from the author's note at the beginning of the book:
"Initial research very quickly turned up a wealth of documentation that provided answers. But other questions emerged, questions that plagued Beautiful Jim Key even at the height of his career. Was his act a hoax? Were ten million Americans taken for a ride? On the other hand, if Bill and Jim were faking it, what kind of elaborate system allowed them to pull it off? These questions will be explored in the pages ahead. In order to both validate this story and allow readers to determine what processes were and weren't at work, I have resisted my storytelling temptation to invent scenic details and dialogue as texture to this narrative. Dialogue in quotation marks is quoted from actual sources; scenes described in detail are likewise taken from detailed documents, except in those instances where I have added connective tissue between events when certain moments have been suggested by sources but can still be considered speculative."
Wow. It's a marvel to consider that this gripping, "can't-put-it-down" story that's chock-full of rich (and historically accurate) detail, is pieced together with information gleaned from SCRAPBOOKS.
You'd better get started on yours now. We've got just the stuff to help you. Read on for details.
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Get started on your scrapbook with
| our Tooled Leather Binder and Horsey Scrapbook page kits.
|  With horse show and trail riding season upon us, you'll want to preserve your horsey memories in this archival quality scrapbook with a lovely faux tooled leather cover. It comes with 20 standard size top loading pages that have heavy paper inserts - so you can get started right away without buying anything extra. After you've filled these, then the spine expands to hold even more pages (we've got those, too). It's also got a sturdy clear vinyl cover - to protect the cover and keep it nice.
If you want to really fancy things up, consider springing for one of the Scrapbook Kits, which are chock full of all sorts of idea-inspiring papers, cards, lettering and more. Choose from Western, Cowboys or Cowgirls - all carefully chosen coordinating components to make assembling your memory book a breeze - details here.
Gina's note: My mom is the photo-archivist in our family - she's always there snapping pictures to document every event - large or small. One of the best gifts I have EVER received in my life, bar none, is the scrapbook she presented to me as a college graduation gift. It was chronologically arranged, from my birth through all my school years, and finally college. Most of the photos had horses, and there were lots of newspaper clippings of 4-H accomplishments and what-not. Little mementos that didn't seem like they should be important enough to even save, suddenly became part of a cohesive story that documented my life from birth, until that day. What a wonderful treasure - a visual spark for hundreds of small memories that otherwise would have been forgotten. Thanks Mom!
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Another scrapbook helper
| That didn't start out that way...
|  Our HORSE WOMEN wall calendar is packed full of beautiful, full color photos of women and horses. It's still got 9 months of use left in it, after that you can use the pictures as background pages for your scrapbook. We've marked these down to below HALF PRICE, which is a real bargain when you consider what you'd pay for 12 big, full color pictures on heavy glossy paper to use as backgrounds.
Can't you just visualize the photo shown here surrounded by small newspaper clippings? Each month also has an inspirational quote that could also be incorporated in the page. I can imagine this one for October written in silver ink across the bottom:
"Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge. Some of us have ventured out nevertheless, and so far we have not fallen off." -Andrea Dworkin
To order the calendar (hurry, supplies are limited) click here
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Here's another one that was almost lost forever
| I had saved this prayer for years - it came in a forwarded email with no author
|  I printed it and taped it to the front of my dog photo album, and each time I looked at it wondered who the author was. After considerable research, I found some online evidence citing that
A Dog Lover's Prayer was written by Toni Fulco:
My prayer book's unconventional,
An Album scarred with age.
The dogs who shared their lives with mine
Stand out on every page.
The Spaniels of my childhood days,
All floppy ears and fluff;
The Dobermans who shared my bed,
Magnificent and tough.
Though some folks picture Heaven's gates
Atop a golden stair,
The precious photos in my book inspire this humble prayer:
Lord, lead me to a sun-washed field,
Then send them one by one;
Let yelps of joy lead wagging tails as to my arms they run.
Sad eyes so pleading, paws that beg,
A symphony of barks
Invite a romp in fragrant grass to songs of meadowlarks.
This Heaven that I pray for, Lord,
Where lilacs scent the air,
Is blessed with all the dogs I've loved
Who come to greet me there.
Gina's note: When I decided that the Dog Lover's Prayer might make a fitting bookmark, I needed to track down the author and secure her permission to use it on a product that would be for sale. This took quite a while, as I was not able to easily find current contact info for Toni Fulco - I sent an inquiry to an address I found online... Finally, months later, a letter came in the mail from Toni! She informed me that she'd been writing poetry & prose since the 7th grade (she's now 74) and that she's had some other stories published in the popular Chicken Soup book series. A Dog Lover's Prayer was originally published in a now-defunct poetry magazine, so it could well had disappeared into obscurity, too, had someone not typed it into an email and sent it out into cyberspace - to be forwarded all around to dog lovers everywhere.
With the purchase of every dog book, you get a FREE Dog Lover's Prayer bookmark featuring Toni's lovely verse above. Additional copies are just $1.99 each. To order, click here. |
Recap - From the last newsletter...
| Here's what we talked about last time:
|  I only clean up after my HORSE! Sweatshirt here
Good Horsekeeping Sweatshirt here
Pamper Your Horse book ON SALE here
HORSEwork before HOUSEwork tin sign $1.99 here
More about our embroidered logos here
BLESS this BARN wood sign here
Temple Grandin Movie wins Positive Psychology Oscar Award - order her DVD/Books here
Train your horse to eat carrots here
Cowgirls Cookbook Rio Brazos salad recipe here
Horses in the Yard book here, excerpt here
Same Sh*t, Different Day mug here
Puppy's Breath Candle here
HALF PRICE Greeting Card Assortment here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - See what you missed! Click HERE to catch up on the news.
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| More about HoofPrints | | Be sure to check out the "GOOD STUFF" links at the bottom of this section |  ABOUT THE COMPANY
Farriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling in 1986 (in a very small way) to provide helpful promotional materials for her farrier husband Rob.
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
It's written by Gina Keesling, and emailed to subscribers a few times a month, depending on how often I have something to share. Watch for special sales, interesting stories, uplifting quotes and maybe some personal stuff. Let me know if you like it, and if you don't. We aim to please.
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This week's quote is by Mim Eichler Rivas:
"During the late 1800's, a time that called forth for a being like Beautiful Jim Key, animal rights activists - many of the same groups who promoted such outlandish ideas as women's suffrage, racial equality, conservation, literacy, the humane reform of labor, welfare, schools, and prisons - were generally viewed as radicals and kooks. In a kind of spooky rerun, current advocates for animal and environmental protection - in fact, most progressive organizations - are once again being labeled extremists and nuisances. "Special interest groups." In an age of terror, war, and plagues - by no means exclusive to our times - the values of nonviolence, tolerance, kindness, and the quest for peace on our fragile planet seem to have fallen into disrepute. Maybe that's why this story has resurfaced now. It's possible that a horse and a man of color from Tennessee have as much to teach us today as they did at the turn of the last century. Maybe more."
from Beautiful Jim Key -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Thanks everyone, for reading!
Gina Keesling, owner
Contact Information
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GOOD STUFF: Canine Comfort in Crisis
| Thousands of Japanese residents suddenly found themselves homeless
|  after the earthquake and tsunami. Despite dire conditions in shelters, some dog owners are finding the comfort of home in their faithful four-legged friends.
Akane Ito embraces her dog Mei at an evacuation centre in Natori near Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, Japan, Friday, March 18, 2011. Mei was returned to her seven days after she went missing following the earthquake triggered tsunami.
AP Photo/Mark Baker - more here
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Share our emails
| Viral marketing... it sounds bad, doesn't it?
| You can ask my husband - a frequent topic around here is that of forwarded emails - and the psychology behind them - just WHAT prompts people to decide; "I am going to send this to everyone I know!".
We receive a lot of them. Some are pretty good, and others are dumb. Dumb in a myriad of ways... Alarmist email rumors that have been around forever - that folks keep sending "just in case it's true" Pictures of someone's butt (or worse) - don't even get me started about the firecracker butt - but at least that one was timely when it showed up around July 4. Christian messages that are uplifting - until you get to the end and you're threatened "if you're not ashamed that you love Jesus, forward this - if you are, then delete." Pictures of cute puppies and kittens (awww)
I enjoy writing these newsletters - and sharing all this stuff with you all. But the fact is, it's also a way to help us stay connected with customers and sell products during the time between catalog mailings (which is only once a year) So I really, really like it when someone new stumbles upon the newsletter and is excited to "discover" our company and the products we offer.
In all my efforts to make the newsletter interesting and forward-worthy - it never occurred to me to JUST ASK you all to send it! Duh. Sometimes the obvious is elusive, I guess. So here goes - my request to ask you to forward our email newsletter to your horsey friends. All we ask is that you please be judicious and only send to folks who might be interested. Otherwise we are no better than the "firecracker butt". Click the Forward email link below to get started. (please note - using this form does NOT subscribe anyone to our list - it is a one-time only forward) |
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