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HoofPrints Newsletter
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May 13, 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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20% OFF Your Entire Order!
What Mom doesn't love a bargain? In celebration of Mother's Day, we are offering a gift of 20% OFF every order placed.
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. We are especially grateful for the opportunity to work with Sarah K. Andrew on the Horses & Hope Calendar (photo shown above is from April). My assessment of the experience is here, along with more details about the project and volunteers involved.
Click here to get started with your shopping. Remember, you need to enter the coupon code MAY20 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 5/18/12, and canNOT be used on previously placed orders.
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More Farriers Business Cards added to online directory
I belong to several online horse groups, and nearly every day someone is looking 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 - Lilly Ice
California - Sam Fabila, Jacob Rexius
Florida - Heath Dorr
Georgia - Eddy Dukes, Richard Stephens, Shane Wood
Illinois - Lamar Plank, Lewis Yoder
Kansas - Dean Stockert
Louisiana - Ben King
Maryland - TJ Lord
Michigan - Penny Sutton
North Carolina - Billy Harris
Nevada - Red Rock Horseshoeing School
New York - Joshua Conley, Tom Howard
Ohio - David Beam, Alan Taylor
Pennsylvania - David Minnich, Ernie Sieber, David Werkiser
Rhode Island - Michael Paparo
South Carolina - Lonnie Fletcher
Texas - David Frey, Ray Bach
Virginia - Walter Davis, Randy Tuck
Washington - Ray Cunnington
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. |
 Dump Him, Marry the Horse Book Forget the knight in shining armor, take his horse instead! Any man who loves a horsewoman knows that he would be the first to go if she had to choose between him and her equine. After all, what man lets you take the reins and doesn't complain about being saddled? This humorous book combines color photos with the many reasons why horses and women make a perfect match, including the facts that horses never care what you look like, they mow the grass with pleasure, and they love taking long walks... This makes a perfect bridal shower gift. 6" x 6" hardcover 96 pages - To order click here
GOOD THINGS ABOUT HUSBANDS:
1. Husbands are less expensive to shoe than horses.
2. Feeding a husband doesn't require anything that even mildly compares with the hassle of putting up hay
3. A lame husband can still work
4. A husband with a bellyache doesn't have to be walked
5. Husbands don't try to scratch their heads on your back
6. They are better able to understand puns
7. If they are playing hard to catch, you **may** be able to run them down on foot
8. They know their name
9. They usually pay their own bills
10. They apologize when they step on your toes
11. No saddle fitting problems
12. They seldom refuse to get into the vehicle
13. They don't panic - running and yelling all through the house when you leave them alone (unless you've left the kids with them too!)
14. For a nominal fee, you can hire someone else to clip them
15. They don't like the lady next door just as well as you, just because she fed him for 3 days straight
THE HORSE'S ADVANTAGE:
1. If they don't work out you can sell them
2. They don't come complete with in-laws
3. You don't have to worry about your children looking like them
4. You never have to iron their saddle pads
5. If you get too fat for one, you can shop for a bigger one
6. They smell good when they sweat
7. You can repair their "clothes" with duct tape
8. It's possible to keep them from "jumping the fence"
9. You can force them to stay in good physical condition with a whip if necessary
10. They don't want their turn at the computer
11. They may turn white with age, but never go bald
12. They have never heard of PMS
13. They learn to accept restraint
14. They don't care what you look like as long as you have a carrot or an apple
-author unknown. |
 HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY - to my mom and all the other moms out there...
I've known my mom for a long time. (my whole life) She's always been an inspiration with her "can do" attitude. There was no task that could not be accomplished with perseverance and hard work. Now that she and dad are retired, she's applied that same philosophy to having fun and adventure. They set off across the country in 60+ year old cars. They climb to the top of Sydney Harbor bridge in Australia (gasp) and last December they rode mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The old car stuff is pretty much dad's idea, but the mule ride was something mom always wanted to do. So, she booked the trip, and they did it. For those of you who don't know about this ride, it involves riding mules on skinny trails next to steep cliffs with deadly drop-offs. And riding on a wooden suspension bridge that goes waaaayyy across - a huge distance above a river (and lots of sharp rocks). The fact that they've never "lost a rider" would be little consolation to my very much afraid of heights brain. But they survived, and had a very good time, too. I am flattered that she chose our Tao of Equus jacket to wear on such a memorable trip.
Mother's day marks the three-year anniversary of my grandmother's death on Mother's Day weekend, 2009. My grandma (tribute here - scroll down to nearly the bottom) was one of the strongest women I ever knew, she was a hard worker, enterprising, and smart. She lived her life to it's fullest, right up til the end, even when her aging body was failing her spirit was strong. Noted women's health doctor Christiane Northrup speaks of mother-daughter wisdom, and the role of mitochondrial DNA. mtDNA is essentially your cells' mechanism by which food is converted to energy. Your ability to take a little fuel and keep going, your guts and fortitude, so to speak. The fascinating thing about this dna is that it only is passed from mother to daughter. Not one bit of mitochondrial genetic material is inherited from the father. This explains perfectly, now, why horse breeders of old placed such value on the tail-female line, and why the mares (mothers) were so prized.
So, I hope that I can live up to the legacy of the mothers that came before me. I am just not quite ready to ride a strange mule along the side of a cliff to the bottom of a rocky canyon. But maybe someday I will...
French & Saunders are a comedy duo from the UK. Check out this spot featuring two women and their horses here. |
 RECAP - From the last newsletter
Here's what we talked about last time:
Cowboy 10 Commandments here
Doctor is In Horse Thermometer here
Crappy Gift Ideas for Mom here
Special Mention for mothers & babies here
Cowgirl Note Cards here
Revisiting weirdness - Macaroni's horse hoof made into an ashtray (with pictures) here A special story for mothers here
PROTECT THIS RIDER pendant here
Crossroads Sculpture Father's Day Gift here
Cowboy (and Cowgirl) Cookbooks here
A Dog's Purpose book here
Leather Treat Pouch here
Play with your Dog T-shirt here
Hoof Problems Book UNDER $50! here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - See what you missed! Catch up on the news here
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WHAT'S NEW?
Cowboy 10 Commandments Sign
Sturdy Embossed Tin Sign is under $10. - order here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Horse Breeds Playing Cards & Dice
2 Decks of Playing Cards (each card of the suit features a different breed) & 5 Dice in a felt lined collectible tin here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
SALE on Spring T's
BIG sale on Springy Horsey T-shirts less than $10 each here! |
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WHAT'S NEW?
FREE Spring Magnet
with every order shipped, while supplies last. Get one withOUT ordering by sending self addressed, stamped LONG envelope to:
HoofPrints Free Magnet Offer
13849 N 200 E
Alexandria, IN 46001
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Father's Day Gift Idea
Crossroads Sculpture here |
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WHAT'S ON SALE?
MORE stuff 50% OFF
Won't You Fix My Horse, Too? vintage art print $9.95 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?
~ 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:
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This is a "rerun" but it's so good it merits repeating
Life is a Bag of Frozen Peas
A few weeks after my first wife, Georgia, was called to heaven, I was cooking dinner for my son and myself. For a vegetable, I decided on frozen peas. As I was cutting open the bag, it slipped from my hands and crashed to the floor. The peas, like marbles, rolled everywhere. I tried to use a broom, but with each swipe, the peas rolled across the kitchen, bounced off the wall on the other side and rolled in another direction.
My mental state at the time was fragile. Losing a spouse is an unbearable pain. I got on my hands and knees and pulled them into a pile to dispose of. I was half laughing and half crying as I collected them. I could see the humor in what happened, but it doesn't take much for a person dealing with grief to break down.
For the next week, every time I was in the kitchen, I would find a pea that had escaped my first clean up. In a corner, behind a table leg, in the frays at the end of a mat, or hidden under a heater, they kept turning up. Eight months later, I pulled out the refrigerator to clean, and found a dozen or so petrified peas hidden underneath.
At the time I found those few remaining peas, I was in a new relationship with a wonderful woman I met in a widow/widower support group. After we married, I was reminded of those peas under the refrigerator. I realized my life had been like that bag of frozen peas. It had shattered. My wife was gone. I was in a new city with a busy job and a son having trouble adjusting to his new surroundings and the loss of his mother. I was a wreck. I was a bag of spilled, frozen peas. My life had come apart and scattered.
When life gets you down; when everything you know comes apart; when you think you can never get through the tough times, remember, it is just a bag of scattered frozen peas. The peas can be collected and life will move on. You will find all the peas. First, the easy peas come together in a pile. You pick them up and start to move on. Later, you will find the bigger and harder to find peas. When you pull all the peas together, life will be whole again.
The life you know can be scattered at any time. You will move on, but how fast you collect your peas depends on you. Will you keep scattering them around with a broom, or will you pick them up one-by-one and put your life back together?
How will you collect your peas?
--Michael T. Smith
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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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