HoofPrints Newsletter
January 21, 2012 Issue
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Resolve for 2012 - a CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE ON DISCOUNTING:
| YOU ASKED FOR IT ...finally - a COUPON CODE for you to use!
|  All year we field calls and emails from customers asking how they can get a COUPON CODE that is requested online for special discounts/sales. The truth is, we don't do that very often. We pretty much need to sell our items for full price in order to maintain our business. Click here to download a short, but very enlightening article about how consumer-driven discounting ultimately has become a vicious cycle that's undermined the stability of our economy, and has cost more than anyone could have ever imagined. Then, before you order, view this coupon code NOT AS A DISCOUNT, but as a GIFT OF APPRECIATION from us to you.
With that said, in celebration of the successful completion of yet another year - we are offering this gift to all of you who've supported us along the way. Click here to get started. Remember, you need to enter the coupon code TY20 in the special box at checkout time in order to get the discount. The coupon code also works on our CLOSEOUT ITEMS and HALF PRICE ITEMS - so you get even more savings on those already marked-down products! The fine print: Offer ends 1/31/12, and canNOT be used on previously placed orders.
Shown here is our Framed Mule Print titled Stop for a Fix. This lovely picture by Larry Schultz depicts a farrier and mule who are NOT at odds - each a servant carrying a "load". We've paired it with the phrase "You can tell a lot about a man by whether he asks for a light load or a strong back." , double matted it, and framed it with horseshoe (mule shoe) frame stock. You can also add your own custom wording at no extra charge. Click here for details. |
| So - what's the best way to use the 20% discount? | | HoofPrints' owner Gina Keesling points out the best deals... |  My first pick would have to be the American West purses. Shown here is the Hill Country Collection - it was new for this year, but we debuted it in the Boobies Newsletter so maybe folks didn't notice it - the other content was so funny and/or inflammatory...
Anyway, his line blends rich, dark chocolate and raspberry tones to create a unique expression of western style. It's accented with cream leather trim, antiqued silver spots and a rope style buckle. Purse has interior zip pocket, accessory pouches and also includes a protective storage bag. The Trifold wallet has plenty of pockets and spaces for credit cards, a checkbook, money, driver's license and more.
The manufacturer raised their prices quite a bit this year, so we had to pass that on - making the regular retail price on this purse alone nearly $200. If you use the discount on this (don't forget, you have to enter the code TY20 in the box at checkout) this purse would be just $158.36! Wallet is regular $88.95 - with discount would be $71.16. Still a lot of money - but American West Products are built to last.
2006 was the first year HoofPrints carried the American West brand, I presented my mom with a red leather briefcase/laptop carrier as a gift. She uses it to organize and transport her paperwork pertaining to the many antique car events that she and my dad attend each year. And I must say, it still looks as good (if not better) as it did the day I gave it to her. Not many purses could ride around in the floorboard of an old car for 6 years and still look like brand new! To see the full selection click here.
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Here's some more good stuff that savings really add up on!
| Use coupon code TY20 to SAVE $12.00 on this cute embroidered hoodie
|  Here's a little pick-me-up for those days when your horse training endeavors leave you feeling a little frustrated... This light-hearted orange hoodie states the obvious! You can order it here. We'd also like to extend our special thanks to Ivetta Harte for coining the I Train Horses...To Eat Carrots phrase.
Also shown is our Horse Care Tools Charm Bracelet (two of the charms are tasty horse treats immortalized in sterling silver) Regular price is $179.95 - you save $36! with the discount. This is an extra good deal as the bracelet is sterling silver and we have not raised the price on it according to market fluctuations. You can order that here (be sure to check out the closeups of the charms - the detail on these is incredible. And the infamous Treat Pouch, carrier of all things wonderful for horses is here. One of my favorite positive trainers, Cheryl Ward, has written a little tribute to The Force of the Treat Pouch here.
Gina's comments on the use of treats: There are volumes of information written on positive reinforcement, clicker training, and the like. Some of it can get quite technical, and a bit overwhelming. We've assembled a few of our favorites to get you started here. Having been taught from the beginning that hand-feeding treats will create a horse that bites, I had a great deal of un-learning to do before I could fully appreciate this way of interacting with horses. I have my mare Allie to thank for that. Like a sensitive, timid little girl, she became offended and withdrawn at any interaction I had with her that involved any sort of correction. As I continued with my tried and true methods (ha ha) she morphed into the difficult adolescent (after all, she IS a chestnut mare) and her responses oscillated between obvious irritation AND blind panic. If I persisted, and I did... (how dumb was that?) she eventually shut down and acted as if she knew absolutely nothing. Because she was apprehensive of being corrected, she quit trying ANYTHING. And, let me clarify, my corrections were not at all harsh or dramatic. Just stuff along the "make the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy" philosophy.
I had to find another way. Or get rid of the horse, because we were getting nowhere - after YEARS of trying (I am a slow learner). When I first started with my treat pouch and my carrots, I had this nagging feeling that I was "cheating" and that I was belittling myself to little more than a food dispenser to bribe and cajole my horse into MAYBE doing what I wanted, IF she felt like it.
But, it was really quite remarkable. There is nothing quite like the moment when the "light bulb comes on" and the horse realizes that he is not going to "get in trouble" for offering a wrong answer. And that the right answer would gain her a tasty reward. It was like a had a different horse! And the cool part is, you can't really mess it up. Unlike an unjust or poorly timed correction, a botched reward does NOT do the damage to the horses motivation to try. Try it! You'll like it. And if you're concerned about being bitten, be sure to read up on mugging for treats. The gist of which is that you never give a treat to a horse who is rooting or pushing for it rudely in their enthusiasm to get it. You WAIT until they wait politely - before you reward. It's amazing how quickly they learn... |
Horse Woman's Balm - another one you should use your discount on...
| 30 bucks is quite a bit of money for hand cream...
|  but this stuff is totally worth it. It's made especially for us by the folks at Little Moon Essentials (they make the Tired Old Ass packs). This special balm is formulated specifically to be soothing and healing to skin AND pleasant smelling to horses. As it turns out, we think it smells pretty good, too. Laura did considerable research, and even consulted an animal communicator friend as she worked on the formula. The result is a fragrant blend of lavender, sage, cinnamon, and oat extract in an emollient base of cocoa butter, vitamin E and essential oils. This stuff is great for dry skin, ragged cuticles, cracked heels, etc. And the scent stays there long after the balm has been absorbed - withOUT being too strong or overpowering. These are super-high quality ingredients and a little dab goes a long way.
And, like the rest of our products, we test this ourselves (more about R&D here). This particular product was put through it's paces quite a bit this fall. Most people don't think about cardboard being a drying agent to skin. But it is. Anyone who handles boxes all day will testify to that. It strips the oils right out of your hands, scuffs them, scratches them... ever get a paper cut from cardboard? It hurts badly - and is a nightmare to get healed.
So, as I entered January my hands were really feeling challenged after handling so many boxes. Then, the side of beef that we'd spoken for from a local farmer was ready to be picked up at the processing house. We always can a portion of our meat (in quart glass Ball jars) so there's a ready supply of pre-cooked meat on hand for fast meals. It's great for vegetable soup, barbecue, beef manhattan, beef & noodles, etc. Just open the jar and heat. But getting it to that point requires a bit of work. The meat comes in chunks from the butcher unfrozen in big plastic bags. The procedure after that is to stuff the raw meat into clean jars, put on the lids, and pressure cook each batch for the required time. Do you have any idea how many times a person washes their hands in hot, soapy water while processing 80 pounds of meat? Me neither, but it's a LOT. Between the physical effort required to pack the cold meat tightly into the jars, along with being wet/washed/dried over and over - my hands were a mess at the end of the day. All I had to do was slather on some Horse Woman's Balm at bedtime and they were like new in the morning. Whatever is in this stuff is what hands need - that's for sure. The great thing is, too, you can use a little - or a lot. For minor dryness, a little dab makes a thin film that absorbs quickly and doesn't feel greasy. For major dryness like I was having - you can use quite a bit so it continues to "feed" your skin as it soaks in overnight.
So, if the price on this discouraged you from trying it in the past - give it a shot now at 20% off - you won't regret it. To order, click here .
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What's New for 2012? More FACEBOOK!
| It started out as a marketing project - and it turned into a lot of fun!
|  All the marketing gurus say that businesses need to have a presence on social media like Twitter, Facebook, etc. Quite a while back, I made a Facebook account for myself, and quickly got confused and overwhelmed. I put it aside and went on to things I knew how to do - like the catalog. And for months kind folks invited me to be their "friend" on Facebook. Well, that just sounded a little juvenile (not that I am unfriendly...) so I continued to ignore.
Now I understand that befriending someone on Facebook allows you to receive updates whenever they post them to their wall (which is like a web page). This initially sounds like it could get tedious... but I have found it to be very enjoyable to catch up on what my former classmates are doing now, family members and former co-workers, etc. I can send a short note and let them know I am thinking of them. It's a wonderful way to send a kind word to a whole lot of people - in not so much time as a phone call or a visit. My days are so full with the business and taking care of the animals, etc. by the time I collapse in the chair at night I don't have it in me to call or visit with anyone. But I can commandeer Jordan's laptop computer and post a kind comment or two to friends' Facebook pages, right there from the recliner. And they do it for me. It's nice.
So, I took the plunge and set up a page for the business. Click here to go to the HoofPrints.com Facebook page. I plan to experiment with using it as a supplement to this newsletter, so please be sure to take a minute and sign up as a fan - so you won't miss any of our important news. Currently we've posted the latest batch of Farrier Business Cards in photo albums by state. If you've ordered in the last couple months your card should be pictured. You can find the picture and Click the SHARE button to send it to your facebook friends if you're so inclined.
To get our updates from Facebook, you have to click the "LIKE" button. If later, you decide we are annoying, you can easily remove yourself from the list. If you're not a Facebook member, consider taking a moment to sign up. It's easy, and you CAN easily control the information that you share for public viewing. Lot's of folks, including my husband's 80+ year old grandmother, are using Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family all over the country. To borrow from Martha Stewart - "it's a good thing." |
Recap - From the last newsletter...
| Here's what we talked about last time:
|  I'm Listening With A Broken Ear inspirational new book here
Smart Woman's Guide to Midlife Horses here
Still cleaning (ware)house - Wool Flap Hat on sale here
Tails of a Horseshoer hilarious book by Ray Legel here
Top Five HoofPrints Customer Favorites here
Cavalia DVDs & books here
I Only Clean Up After My Horse Sweatshirt here
Gina's favorite horse movie (Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron) is a cartoon 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 an oft-requested repeat - and of course a lesson on perspective:
Your Hut's on Fire.... (author unknown)
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?"
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
The Moral of This Story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going badly, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering.
Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground.
It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
P.S. You may want to consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today.
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Thanks everyone, for reading!
Gina Keesling, owner
Contact Information
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GOOD STUFF - here's something that'll inspire you for sure...
| Links to things we like, things that make us smile, things we want to share...
|  Puppy-Girl (shown here) is the subject of another interesting tale on perspective. Read about her abandonment, accident, our crotchety neighbor's unsolicited advice and the unfair vet bill here
A while back we gave you a little quiz. We told you to watch the lovely video here. Look at the horses and at the scenery and try to guess where it's from... Here is another one from the same user. Be sure to listen to the catchy little song that goes with.
Did you guess? I looked at the scenery and the appaloosa horses - and guessed several places in the United States that seemed likely... But I was wrong. It's Czechoslovakia. Based on my limited geographical perspective, I envisioned this part of the world to be inhospitable; dreary, dirty cities inhabited by industry and workers. Obviously I was wrong. Thanks to proximka (whoever you are) for setting me straight.
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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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