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HoofPrints Newsletter
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April 22, 2012
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ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTERFarriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling in 1986 (in a very small way) to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way we became HoofPrints.com, too, adding a selection of fun horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. 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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BLACKSMITH CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT
After many years of producing this wonderful calendar, antique blacksmith image guru Gill Fahrenwald is stepping down.
HoofPrints has purchased his remaining inventory and we plan to try our hand at making a 2013 version. Trouble is, we don't have an amazing stash of images to draw upon like Gill did. As a lifelong collector, he had thousands to choose from, using only the the very best examples for these fine calendars.
With that said, I'd like to invite our customers to submit images for consideration for the 2013 Blacksmith Calendar (and possibly subsequent editions). Images must be free of copyright restrictions, and in submitting you grant the right for them to be reproduced in this calendar for sale. In return for the use of the image, you'll receive 10 copies of the calendar at no charge. Source of image will be appropriately credited, along with any family history and/or other historical trivia, if known. Unlike previous calendars, this version will be in COLOR. Email submissions to gina@hoofprints.com
In celebration of our new endeavor, we've marked the 2012 Calendar down to HALF PRICE, along with all back issues to $2.99! You can order those here
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 Antique Blacksmith Images
You never know when you might need them!
A while back I answered the phone, and found someone on the other end wanting to know all about our blacksmith calendars. This wasn't the typical person that's interested in these - a farrier, or artist blacksmith, or person looking to order a unique gift for the same. This was a set designer.
She was in charge of recreating an authentic blacksmith shop of old - and needed historically accurate photographs of the shops, equipment/tools, and especially the clothing worn by the blacksmiths. Well, she came to the right place. I sat down with our inventory of blacksmith calendar back issues, paging through them to find the the ones with best exemplary photos of the things she was asking for. I popped them into a UPS Next Day Air envelope and they were in her hands less than 24 hours later! She promised to keep me informed about her project - as I told her my farrier and blacksmith customers would LOVE to see the result of her efforts when they show up on tv.
Months later, we saw the results of the endeavor - Kraft Cheesy Skillets commercials - that are, well, cheesy. The NY Times press release for the campaign is here. The commercials I found on youtube are here, here, and here*. *Farriers will get a kick out of this one. Enjoy!
These calendars are a remarkable collection of photos, postcards, cartoons, advertising memorabilia and more. Shown above are some examples from back issues:
Check out the HOCKS on that horse in the top picture! I bet he doesn't get the luxury of corrective shoes and joint injections.
The second picture is a political cartoon - "Jar the kicker off the anvil and get an election cigar" (not sure what that means) but Satan pounding the anvil and that creepy demon in the background with his tally sheet make an interesting image.
Third is a candid shot of a working blacksmith shop - this is just a small portion of the whole image - which is packed with all sorts of interesting details. Sign behind the guy: IN GOD WE TRUST - OTHERS PAY CASH.
We are selling back issue calendars (2002-2011) for just $2.99 each! And a whopping set of 25 blacksmith image postcards for just $8.75 (which is HALF OFF the regular price of $17.50)! Single blacksmith postcards sell for more than this on ebay - this is a great deal for anyone crafty to frame these up, make collages, do scrapbooks, etc. All the cool stuff I was planning to do with them when I got time. I've finally decided to move on and let them go. You can get inexpensive black frames at the dollar store or a rummage sale, frame these up and hang them as a group on the wall in your den. Stick a couple worn-out tools up there, and an empty Hooflex can or two... you'll be as quaint as Cracker Barrel!
Each calendar has a picture for every month, and some have bonus images, so there is plenty to work with for multiple projects if you're so inclined.
To order click here |
 FREE GIFT WITH EVERY ORDER
This magnet measures 3.5" wide x 2" tall, and is FREE with every order placed (while supplies last) Not ready to order right now? Send us a self-addressed, stamped LONG envelope and we will still send you one for free!
Send your envelope to:
Free Blacksmith Magnet offer
13849 N 200 E
Alexandria, IN 46001
This is a collectible series, and once this version is gone we will go on to the next. Feel free to send me your own photos and ideas; email gina@hoofprints.com.
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Got HOOF PROBLEMS? So do we!
This is unheard-of: a hardcover, profusely illustrated text for UNDER $50. And this is not an old book - full of stuff you already know - it's cutting edge information and imaging - released just a few years ago!
Here's what the publisher says about it:
Hoof Problems by Rob Van Nassau is a much needed text that can be studied and enjoyed by farriers, veterinary surgeons and horse owners. Books have been written on the subject of horseshoeing for more than 500 years. However they have rarely been written by a practicing farrier and seldom with such detail.
The illustrations are detailed and there are many examples comparing various conformational faults which affect the equine leg and foot. A wide range of horse breeds and types are covered, including a chapter devoted to analyzing the link between the less than perfect leg - and it's effect upon the hoof capsule.
The author has obviously carried a camera throughout much of his shoeing career, documenting thousands of hooves as he worked on them. Hoof Problems is full of good case histories with "before" and "after" photography. A great, current reference book for anyone who deals with horses and their feet and legs.
To order Hoof Problems, and to see our complete selection of specially chosen books on farriery and lameness, click here.
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More Farriers Business Cards added to online directory
I belong to several online horse groups, and nearly every day someone islooking for a farrier. There are many reasons for this - and I think we are quick to assume the worst when the "I can't find a farrier..." scenario comes up. Sometimes there's a reason that owners can't get a farrier to come, (bad working conditions, slow to pay, etc) or sometimes it's the farrier (won't show up on time, is rough with the horse(s), etc.) and we tend to gravitate toward that kind of thinking. But the fact is, there are lots of reasons farriers and owners need to "shop around" until they find a good fit. And they aren't all negative. For every story I hear about a farrier that won't keep appointments, or an owner who has unruly horses, I also hear stories about wonderful relationships between owners, farriers and their horses. If you take the time to get it right, hoof care can be a whole lot less of a headache for everybody involved. Since I started listing the business cards on Facebook as well as in the directory) I am delighted that our followers frequently take the time to chime in a kind word about their farrier. So, it's in that spirit that I list below our current batch of directory additions. (The cards shown here are for illustration purposes, were randomly chosen and are in no particular order.) Click on the state to view details for each farrier listed below. Arkansas - Mark Bradshaw Arizona - Preston Cline, John Samsill California - Davey Fraser, Jose Vazquez Colorado - Micah Riehl, Jeff Shepherd Connecticut - Matt Lewis, Bill Longley Florida - Jake Ross Georgia - B. Flanagan, Matt Wheeler Iowa - Jeff Beck Illinois - Donnie Perkinson Indiana - John Hinton Massachusetts - Patrick Strong Michigan - Dave Hogan Missouri - Russell Swanson Montana - Hoof Beat Recreational Serv. North Carolina - Ralph Coley, Jeff Pauley Nebraska - Dawn Singleton-Olson Nevada - Rhodes Farrier Service Pennsylvania - James Miller You will notice that these folks' cards appear LARGER in the directory. We are in the process of changing over to this new larger size, so any order (or reorder) placed from now on will appear at the larger size. These free listings are good for two years and then drop off, unless renewed by reordering. There you have it, at least for now. We will feature the next batch of cards once we get some accumulated. If you're a farrier (or other equine professional) and are interested in ordering custom business cards, we have dozens of lovely full color logos to choose from here. And don't forget to look at page 2 here.
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WHAT'S ON SALE?
~ Half Price ~
"Won't You Fix My Horse Too?" art print here |
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EMBROIDERED CAPS
for Farriers
Unique, high quality caps designed espcially for Farriers more info here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Dog Business Card
New business card for dog lovers HALF PRICE to shelter workers and volunteers here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ Horse Books ~
Horse Tales from Heaven and Heavenly Horse Sense Christian Horse titles here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ Dog Book ~
I'm Listening witha Broken Ear here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ Christian Products ~
Cowboy & Cowgirl Bible Pocket Partners here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ for Horsewomen ~
Horsewoman's Long Tall List of Things to Do here
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Message
We LOVE hearing from our customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at gina@hoofprints.com |
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Find us on facebook
Be sure to LIKE our facebook page - it's where we announce special sales, breaking news and everything else we find interesting. To see it go here |
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Our Current Catalog
Request your copy of HoofPrints Spring Catalog by clicking here |
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Memorable Quote:
| This weeks quotes about PROBLEMS:
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." ~Albert Einstein
"Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them." ~Ronald Reagan
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were." ~John F. Kennedy
"Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country."
~Margaret Thatcher
"What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them."
~Henry Ford
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Share our emails
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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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