HoofPrints Newsletter
November 13, 2011 Issue
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Are you POSITIVE? What would your horse(s) and dog(s) say?
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Read how I solved real problems using positive methods below...
|  If you've never tried positive reinforcement training, DON'T do what I did. I viewed it as a curious novelty - but never gave it much consideration. After all - I had kept horses and dogs my whole life - and pretty much had everybody doing what I asked. Without carrying around treats and risking being bitten. (I came from the crowd that thought that hand feeding created biters.)
It wasn't until Allie came along (and I was desparate for something that could help us get along) that I revisited the idea again. My first attempts have been awkward and full of mistakes - but nonetheless - what an amazing breakthrough! The proverbial "light bulb" came on - for both of us. Her distant attitude toward me warmed - and my appreciation for her tries grew. I won't go into method specifics here - there are lots of great references online here. I personally don't use a clicker - but instead substitute a word; "good". The idea is to create a marker that tells the animal when he or she is doing correctly - and that a tasty food reward is forthcoming for a job well done. For the record, I have not been bitten, either. They get pretty excited sometimes - but there are ways to teach them politeness that are effective and still maintain enthusiasm. Plenty of info online about that under mugging for treats.
Shown above is our Genuine Leather TREAT POUCH. I have been using the same one for years and it's held up great. The closure is magnetic - so it stays shut AND there is no distracting velcro sound when it's opened. The extra zippered compartment keeps your phone, keys, whatever, separate from the treats. For a fun comparison you can see Robert Redford's Sundance Catalog had a similar pouch for $70. here. Our version is under $20. - you can order yours' from us here.
 New this year for us is Karen Pryor's Clicker Training Kit for Horses. For less than $20. it includes all you need to get the learning started (for both you and your horse) about positive reinforcement training. The kit includes:
Getting Started: 40 page clicker training Book
A clicker
An instruction booklet on how to use the clicker
A small sample of horse treats
This is a very basic intro that guides you, step-by-step, through the process. If you want to get more in depth, we have Alexandra Kurland's Clicker Training for Your Horse book; it's 176 profusely illustrated pages of detailed instructions. The kit and the book are for sale here (we also have a dog Clicker Training kit on the same page)
And it's not all about doing silly tricks that don't have much purpose. I've used this method with my own to solve a couple problems that were previously unsolvable using all of my lifelong horse owning experiences. (which, as I get further into this journey I am learning don't really make up much...)
My particular horsekeeping situation involves moving the horses from their stalls through the barn aisle and out a door to the pasture. Most days they are only in at night if it is bad weather, and they are eager to dash off to graze as soon as allowed. I don't usually put a halter on anybody - they know the way to the door and it's not likely they'll attempt to go any other direction. However, the charging out of the stalls is troublesome and dangerous. Jack, the Hackney pony, was OK to come out of his stall quietly, but once he got past me a bit he would "launch", and be at a gallop in the three strides it took to get to the door. NOT safe, as he is not above throwing in a kick/buck along the way.
For years I threatened him to make him slow down. He knew better than to act like that, but if I didn't have a halter on him, he knew I had no control and behaved accordingly. I could put a halter on and force the issue - leading him bug-eyed and prancing to the door, only to repeat the scenario once the halter came off - and often getting a shower of mud in the process as he dashed off. We've had this pony for many years, and the problem never got any better. A great deal of which I owe to the fact that first thing in the morning is not my best hour for outwitting a pony.
As much as this behavior made me want to kick his bratty little butt, I decided one day to try an approach using treats. He got a treat in the stall doorway for waiting quietly, another one after taking a few steps at a walk, another after a few more quiet steps... and finally a handful at the barn door where he usually took off. At that point, I was the one that ended the interaction - leaving him standing there hoping for another treat - instead of showing his butt and throwing mud at me as he dashed off. Within a few days the problem was solved. I was able to phase out the frequency of treats to one at the end for good behavior, then finally substitute just a pat and a word of praise and sometimes a treat. The positive training books teach us that once a behavior is learned, and OCCASIONAL reward is more powerful in maintaining it than getting a reward every single time. Sort of like playing the lottery...
My other horse, Allie, wanted to leave her stall as if it were a starting gate. As soon as the door came open she was ready to dash through. Which was really bad if she tried before it was all the way open and couldn't fit. It was easy enough to "get big" (as some of the trainers teach) so she'd back off and wait for the OK, but then it seemed I was just replacing my body for the door - and as soon as she was given the OK I got the same rush through. Unlike Jack, after that her walk out was sensible.
To solve this one, I used treats to teach her that leaving the stall was only allowed after she put her nose on the opposite side of the door frame, and kept it there until given the OK. This put the ball in her court - the door was open, but she wasn't to go through until she used self control and completed the required task. Sometimes we'd repeat the "wait" command more than once, just so doing that and getting a treat was more interesting than going out. In time, getting to go out BECAME the treat and I didn't need them any more.
Billy, my third horse (more about him below) is so dopey in the morning that I need a treat just to wake him up and get him going. Most days he just stands there blinking sleepily "where am I?" when I open his door.
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Do you ever wonder how we come up with all this stuff?
| We make it (or find it) and then we test it out...
|  If we don't like it, then you never see it. And we're pretty picky about our stuff. I have no tolerance for any garment that can't survive normal laundering. We wash test everything - and if it looks different once it's been washed, we don't sell it. Sloppy seams that look like they'll come out? Axed. Zippers, buttons, fasteners that look wimpy? It's out. If a garment makes the cut, then we have it decorated locally with one of our unique horsey logos. They're not the cheapest, but a good quality, long lasting garment trumps a cheap one in my book any day.
Shown here are a few of our favorites (both garments and animals). If you click the picture it will take you to a larger version. The fleece Headband is new for this year - it's a great little ear-warmer that would be easily worth $9.95 withOUT the spiffy Bucephaus embroidery that makes it stand out as a horsey statement. I like it especially because the black trim on top and bottom has just the right grip to keep it positioned over your ears. And it's the perfect width to fit under a ponytail.
Also new is the Zippered BARN Girl hood. It's a lovely celadon green and is super soft inside. We've embroidered it with our intricate logo of a gal struggling with a bale of hay.
The Fleece-Lined washed cotton vest is an older version of our dark blue Diamond Quilt Vest that now sports the Wild White Mare embroidery. I like the newer version best as it has a taller zip-up collar (lined with cozy fleece) that covers your neck to keep out drafts. The one shown here was featured in our 2007 catalog - I've been wearing it all this time and it still looks great.
It seems dumb to promote a product that we don't sell (we don't have the space to stock all the sizes) - but if you've not "discovered" fleece lined jeans, then be sure to give them a look this season. They're the best thing to help you stay warm, and much easier to manage than long underwear. Lots of places carry them, a good place to start is here.
The horse I am riding is Billy, he's doing well despite is advanced (and still undetermined) age. Longtime newsletter subscribers will remember the exciting tale of his "discovery" here, his arrival in Indiana here, his accident (you can still see the scar on his ribs) here, some fascinating clues to his past here, and all the things I learned along the way here and here. ***Please keep in mind as you read these old newsletters that the links/products/sales contained therein may no longer be valid.*** Once a newsletter is archived I am unable to edit it. (solving that is on my to-do list... thanks for understanding)
The black dog is Bailey, one of a pair of young Labs who were dumped here last year. Thanks to HoofPrints newsletter subscriber Bonnie - she gave the other pup (Ellie) a wonderful home. Bailey has settled in here nicely and continues to amuse with her silly antics, there's a story about her here - scroll down to GOOD STUFF .
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ON SALE! Sleepy Head Horsey Creeper
| Just $14.95 while supplies last...
|  This is the first time we've found something for our smallest customers that we really liked. In the past, the choices were always pink vs blue - which meant keeping inventory in both colors and all the sizes. To make matters worse, usually one version was really cute - and the other not so much. We never could find BOTH a boy and girl version that we liked.
And I didn't have the nerve to offer one without the other. But this solves everything. A nice, neutral, dirt/stain hiding brown & tan combo. Great for both little boys and little girls.
Check out this, and the rest of our sleepwear and slippers (for bigger kids and adults) here.
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Recap - From the last newsletter
| Here's what we talked about last time:
|  More about the Horses & Hope calendar here
Deceptive marketing confessions here
Horsewoman's Pampering set here
A Horsewoman's Prayer here
Farriers Truck Air Fresheners here
I rescued a human today... here
Crossroads Sculpture here
New book - Farriery, Foal to Racehorse here
New Christmas Cards here
BUCK DVD here
HoofPrint Magnets are BACK! here
Horse Woman stylish Wool Flap hat here
Freeze Dried Horse Hoof Models here
BARN Girl Bales again! here
Pink products for breast cancer research here
Protect this HORSE medallion here
NEW Hill Country purse & wallet here
Oh, What Fun it is to Ride T-shirt here
Life is Short, Play with Your Dog here
Snuggly Turquoise Thermal Jacket here
KEEP CALM & HANG ON Sweatshirt here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - See what you missed! Click HERE to catch up on the news.
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| More about HoofPrints - and miscellaneous ramblings from Gina | | Check out our NEW "GOOD STUFF" links at the bottom of this section! |  ABOUT 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 quotes are from Beyond Blue
Mindful Monday: Quotes on Perspective
"He who binds to himself a joy? Doth the winged life destroy? He who kisses the joy as it flies? Lives in eternity's sunrise." -William Blake
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eyes."
-Antoine de Saint-Exup�ry
"The closest to being in control we will ever be is in the moment that we realize we're not." -Brian Kessler
"You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew." -Albert Einstein
"The beauty of balance is that I can do it all and not feel bad about my choices, because every moment is an opportunity to start all over again." -Jorge Perez
"Life is a kaleidoscope. Turn your head a different angle and see it a whole new way."?-Anonymous
"Life can only be understood backwards; it has to be lived forwards." -Soren Kierkegaard
"We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are." -The Talmud
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." -Marcel Proust
"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Instead of seeing the rug being pulled from under us, we can learn to dance on the shifting carpet." -Thomas Crum
"Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was." -Dag Hammarskjold
"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." -William Blake -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thanks everyone, for reading!
Gina Keesling, owner
Contact Information
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GOOD STUFF: I rescued a human today
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Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor
|  peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.
-author unknown
Pictured above is our clay plaque "Hug" - a great little gift for a dog lover - is on sale for just $9.95 (or 4 for $30!). No deception here, that's really the price.
This and more dog / animal rescuer gifts available 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 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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