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HoofPrints Newsletter
July 18, 2011 Issue
FARRIERS: Not to be alarmist - but there is a price increase coming...
We use a local printer for our 2-part carbonless farrier invoice pads and he's
Invoices together absorbed the increase in paper costs for a lot longer than he should have. He's warned me a couple times that there's going to have to be an adjustment... you know - like having to pass on the increased price of shoes, nails, and shipping - after you finally sit down and realize how much more they are costing you vs how much the customer is paying for shoeing; you've given yourself a PAY CUT by not raising prices as materials increase? Anyway, that's what's going on here, too.

The official increase will take effect with the next catalog that will be mailed this fall. In the meantime, you can take advantage of an actual PRICE REDUCTION (what!? am I crazy?) on invoice pad ASSORTMENTS. You all can be a part of a little experiment to see if this arrangement will fly. You get to choose the "A" or "B" body style, but WE pick the logos that you get. If it's important that your invoices match your business cards, then this might not be for you. But if you're wanting to save money, then here's a way to do it. The price is $40. for 5 pads - which is a savings of $1.00 per pad! To order, click here and scroll down to the yellow box.

Things not to say to a hot, tired farrier - ABOUT MONEY!
We've gotten a lot of mileage out of this series -
Things not to say to a farrier about money We've filled 4 t-shirts and 2 mugs with Things not to say to a hot, tired farrier; it never fails to get a chuckle. Farriers all over have heard these (or variations thereof) on a daily basis for most of their careers. Farriers have told me that wearing our shirts on the job has actually helped improve the behavior of some of their inconsiderate clients.

Shown here are 13 that I hand-picked concerning the subject of money. The illustration is by Lesley Bruce and the poor farrier certainly looks hot and tired as he struggles to hold up the leaning horse with the owner asleep at the lead. To see a larger, clearer version click  here

There is a special perspective that comes with being self-employed (especially if that employment involves back-breaking labor) A great sense of humor is one of them. Another is the wisdom and wherewithal to interact pleasantly with others on a personal and professional level, no matter what's going on reciprocally. While we all know of cranky farriers who've got a chip on their shoulder from hearing all the annoying owner comments, most of you have a level of maturity that lets you focus your efforts on doing the job at hand, rather than continually chafing at others' rude behavior.
And that's pretty cool.
Here at HoofPrints, we use an outside Call Center to answer our phones when we are out of the office. This has proven to be much better than an answering machine as the call center staff can take orders, relay messages and answer questions for callers after hours. Often, though, the calls they get are from folks who've come home at the end of a day to the unhappy situation of a damaged package or incorrect shipment - and they need to talk to someone about rectifying the problem. Call Center Plus is a fairly large company, and the owner has told me on more than one occasion that OUR CUSTOMERS (that's you all) are BY FAR the best to deal with of any of the companies they answer phones for. Bar none. We already knew that - but it's nice to be reminded - and I wanted to pass along the compliment. Thanks for being great customers!

It was a tough decision to make...
I struggled with the idea for a new book category "We All Fall Down"...
Susan Richard book setAnd wondered if it was a good idea to showcase stories about folks who'd had experiences with issues that many would rather not read about; alcoholism, drug use, depression and more. Until someone has experienced something like this, it can be awfully easy to assume that those who have are just not trying hard enough to solve their problems. And by making dumb choices they are bringing more misery on themselves, etc.
Based on response to our last newsletter, though, the decision has proven to be a good one. Susan Richards' books (shown here) have been out for quite a while. Personally, I liked them a lot, but the underlying alcoholic struggle, along with the relationship difficulties, made me wonder if they were right for HoofPrints . We all have our problems - do we really want to read about someone else's? It turns out, we do. Consider this excerpt from Saddled about the author's Morgan horse Georgia:

"Stacked wood wasn't the only thing that frightened her. She was a afraid of snakes, squirrels, bridges, and hummingbirds. If a squirrel ran across our path, she'd either stop dead in her tracks or buck. If she heard the buzz of a hummingbird, she'd bolt if I didn't hold her back. Every morning we crossed the same small concrete bridge, and every morning she'd stop before I urged her forward, and then she'd prance across it with her head held so high that sometimes her forelock would flick across my face.

 

Except for bridges, I never insisted she overcome her fears. Maybe because I didn't really think it was possible, but mostly because I didn't think it was necessary. She'd overcome them herself when she was ready. Who didn't have baseless fears? I was riddled with them and knew no amount of reasoning would make them go away. I did for Georgia what I wished someone would do for me - patted her on the head and told her everything would be all right.

 

As I rode in the woods that spring morning, I was afraid of the new job I'd be starting the next day. I was afraid of leaving the horses and meeting new people and doing things I'd never done before. I was afraid I'd fail.

 

I'd been worried about money, especially as I poured more and more of it into the barn, but I felt like such a wreck in my early sobriety I didn't know how I could possibly work. I wasn't certified to teach in New York, and I didn't want to go back to the ski business with the traveling, the drinking, and the ex-husband. Still, I knew I had to earn a living but had no idea how.

 

In the back of my mind, I'd always wanted to write, for as long as I could remember. One afternoon, with all the free time I had hiding from the world, I sat down and wrote a story about the time I came across a group of loggers in the woods while on a morning ride with Georgia. They had been debating what to do about a hawk's nest with two babies in an area they had planned to log that day. In the end they decided not to log there and climbed back into their trucks and drove away. Their kindness impressed me, so I wrote about it and sent it to a small weekly publication called Lifestyle, which featured human interest stories from around the Hudson Valley. A few days later the editor called and offered $35. for the piece. Do you have anything else? he asked.

 

That simple question released a 20 year logjam. Suddenly I found plenty to write about. I wrote a story about my neighbor Henry and another about my farrier Bill Benson. I wrote about how bossy Georgia could be and how much Bear loved vanilla ice cream from Dairy Queen..."

 

To read what happens next you'll need to order Saddled here
Gina's vacation & women who "fell down"
I just returned from a short vacation in Saratoga Springs, New York
Women Riders Cover Not a horsey vacation, but instead to attend the Eastern National Meet of the Early Ford V8 Club of America . Our son Jordan has a 1952 Ford pickup truck that he restored with his grandpa (my dad). They started when he was just 11 and finished a few years later. Now, at 17, he's enjoying the fruits of their efforts - galavanting all over the countryside drawing admiring glances from everyone on the road and at (frequent) fuel stops.
In between car stuff, I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of (horse) Racing & Hall of Fame. It's a lovely place - with something for everyone - beautiful paintings and sculpture, racing memorabilia, and quite an impressive horse anatomy exhibit with a full size galloping skeleton. On the wall behind the skeleton were 6 foot tall panels featuring anatomy engravings from our Atlas of Animal Anatomy book. There were numerous educational videos to watch, including one called The Hoof produced by the Jockey Club. It is very good and free for the asking (download) or pay postage for actual dvd here.

A highlight of the visit was the fact that jockey Julie Krone is a member of the Hall of Fame there. Inducted in 2000, she is the first woman to earn that honor. Her racing silks, helmet, boots, crop, etc are also on display at the museum. Julie is also featured in the book (shown above) Women Riders Who Could, And Did. Here's an excerpt from her chapter that further emphasizes that we all have our demons and that they can, indeed, be overcome:

"Overwhelmed by her success and all the attention she received as an outstanding woman in an almost exclusively male sport, Julie hit a rocky stretch of road. A fall 'fried' her, threw her into a tailspin during which she completely lost confidence on the track and started losing badly.  

 

Previously a confident, relaxed person on a horse, one who never allowed herself to remember bad things like previous falls, now she could not get dire possibilities out of her mind. She was beset by anxieties and fears of getting killed. Even small everyday occurrences could prompt a panic attack. She contemplated ways to kill herself.

 

"I couldn't talk" she told New York Times journalist Robert Lipsyte in May 2000. "The straw didn't break the camel's back; it gutted the sucker, left the camel for dead. I was numb, couldn't think. I was afraid of horses, hated riding."

 

She felt as if she had missed the class where they taught people how to handle trauma, as if, she recalled, 'I had to do this really hard test. I never got to study and I didn't know these things. I didn't get it. I thought. 'Did they talk about this? I don't remember this.' That's what it felt like ... It couldn't have gotten any worse, from divorce, to mental illness, to physical illness, to death in the family, cross country move. I'm talking, just put your head down on the pillow at night and there was no relief from any direction you looked. And it was brutal."

 

Read how Julie found her way back with more coping skills and self-esteem than ever in the book here
Equestrian Hymn for my Beloved
This is one we were really excited about when we found it...
Equestrian Hymn Book It's published in Germany, but distributed by one of our current book suppliers. So I made a spot for it in the catalog, and wrote a lovely, compelling description to tell you all about it. When our order for inventory didn't come, I got a little worried - as I didn't want to be selling something in a new catalog that I didn't have on the shelf to ship. After multiple delays, I gave up and scrapped the whole idea. Nearly a YEAR later - our order showed up.

The brief pages of Equestrian Hymn for my Beloved were likely never meant to be published, but were indeed an equestrian guideline for the author's loved one. Nonetheless, in 1928 Binding received a silver medal at the Olympic Games for this book, when still performance in art was honoured. The book is filled with wisdom, sensitivity and passion for all that is beautiful and worthy in horsemanship. Imagine reading letters written by a master horseman - to his true love - filled with love, affection, and wisdom about all aspects of horsemanship. This is better than any romance novel - at least to a horsewoman! From page 24:

"Be on guard: your horse reads you and your most secret thoughts. If you are not intent in reigning over him, he will not obey you; if it is not your will to be stronger, the extraordinary power of the best will defy you. Your call, your click of the tongue, your spurs, your whip shall not belie you; you wanted this or that, but you only wanted it halfway.

 

Your horse will punish you for lying.

If you do not trust him, he will not trust you;

if you waver, he will go his own way.

If you panic, he will panic;

but he will be filled with courage and good spirit

if you are courageous and in good spirit.

If you are unsteady, he will be unsteady.

If your will is not set on perpetual forward motion,

he will slow down and eventually stand still.

If you are without vigor, he will be without impulsion;

if you wish to fly, he will fly,

his feet will hardly seem to touch the ground."

 

To order Equestrian Hymn for my Beloved click here
Recap - From the last newsletter
Here's what we talked about last time:
Bad Dog cover We All Fall Down is our newest book category featuring stories about animals healing people with addictions. BAD DOG (shown on the left) is about the struggle and triumph of an alcoholic man and his badly-behaving Bernese Mountain Dog, Hola. See it here
New Book Love is the Best Medicine here
Great gift ideas for dog lovers here
Great Riding & Training advice from an OLD LADY here
Beyond the Homestretch racehorse book review (+ video link) here
Antique Balinese horse coin & gemstone Spirit necklace here 
Barefoot Hoofprint pewter pendant here 
Revisiting folks talking about farriers here
New Christian Horse Book
- Horse Tales from Heaven here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - See what you missed!
Click HERE to catch up on the news.
More about HoofPrints - and miscellaneous ramblings from Gina 
Check out our NEW "GOOD STUFF" links at the bottom of this section! 
Rob shoeing RockyABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTER
Farriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling in 1986 (in a very small way) to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. This newsletter is 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 more.


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This week's quote is a MountainWings Original:

Buzz Lightyear's Helmet

 

"See how Buzz Lightyear's helmet flips up! It is a working helmet," my five-year-old excitedly explained. He was sitting in the bathtub playing with an action figure called Buzz Lightyear from the movie "Toy Story." I listened and watched intently as he explained every detail of the toy. It was about as exciting as mini-bike brakes. In fact, it was exactly as exciting as mini-bike brakes.

 

Over 30 years ago, I bought a brand new, candy apple red, 3.5 horsepower, Cyclops mini-bike for $175.00. I worked during the summer and saved $25.00 per week for seven weeks to pay for it. I earned $1.00 per hour, so it took most of my pay to put $25.00 aside for the mini-bike.

 

If I could afford and purchased a multi-million dollar Lear Jet tomorrow, it wouldn't have half of the excitement that the Cyclops had. I remember that I rolled it inside of the house and parked it in my bedroom for the night.

 

My mother noticed the smell of gasoline in the house and asked what the smell was. When she discovered I had parked the mini- bike in my bedroom, she promptly made me take it to the garage.

 

Nothing material has ever come close to the mini-bike in terms of raw excitement and the fulfillment of a dream. So what does that have to do with Buzz Lightyear and his helmet?

 

You see, the mini-bike had drum brakes, just like a car. The brakes weren't operated by hydraulics but rather by a cable from levers on the handlebars.

 

I remember proudly explaining to my father about the brakes on the Cyclops. How they operated just like his car. I explained how safe they were and the principle on which they worked.

 

My father listened as though I was explaining the secret of life to him. My father was not a mechanical man. I now know that he didn't really know what drum brakes were. He didn't care either but I didn't know that.

 

He knew that his son cared about them. He knew the importance of listening, even if it was something that he wasn't interested in. I remember his intense steel gray eyes as they peered at the brake mechanism nodding approval.

 

Drum brakes on the Cyclops, hinged helmet on Buzz, same thing. It's been over 30 years. My father has been gone from this life nearly ten years. I still remember.

 

The Cyclops is now nothing more than dust in some junkyard or landfill. The memory of the intense gaze and the nodding approval is still strong.

 

It's why I gazed so strongly and paid so much attention to the hinged helmet. Buzz, like the Cyclops, will soon be gone, but the memories will shape a spirit and remain.

 

Little things that you do can change a life. You never know when that moment is. What a person puts in front of you could be their dream and constant labor. You never know what a little attention can do. You also never know what inattention can do.

 

My son was naked in more than the physical when he showed me Buzz. He had the shields removed and opened his heart to share what he held precious.

 

I thought that my father listened as though I was explaining the secret of life to him. I now realize that he was showing the secret of life to me.

 

Remember what is precious to another, may not be to you, but it is precious nonetheless.

You'll have your opportunities to shape a spirit.

Don't let it pass you by, be it Buzz or brakes.

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Thanks everyone, for reading!
Gina Keesling, owner 

 Contact Information

GOOD STUFF   

Here's a cool video of dogs executing an everyday act 

jumping dog from a unique perspective. If you look carefully in the upper left corner of the picture shown here, you can see a treat flying through the air - the dog is leaping to catch it.

Enjoy the footage here of all manner of dogs leaping to get their treats - in slow motion, set to music. And the ones who smile at the end are sure to bring a smile to the viewer.

Need some more happy dog stuff? Check out the funny photos of running Basset Hounds here
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 to get started. (please note - using this form does NOT subscribe anyone to our list - it is a one-time only forward)