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HoofPrints Newsletter
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June 11, 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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 All Greeting Cards on Sale - HALF PRICE!
All fall/winter we take calls from budget-minded farriers and other equine professionals - trying to decide if it's worth the cost to send Christmas cards to their clients. If you're one of those - now might be the time to reconsider.
Anyone who has been getting this newsletter for very long probably has noticed that we aren't doing big sale promotions every time you turn around. We pretty much need to sell everything at regular price in order to stay in business. We are not Wal-Mart, and we hope that low prices are not the reason folks shop with us.
However, when we DO have sales, I try to make them memorable. And this one falls into that category, I hope. A special reward for those out there who are clever enough to anticipate how many cards they might need at Christmas time, AND organized enough to REMEMBER that they've already purchased them and WHERE they put them. That's not me. But I know you folks exist - I've heard stories... This glorious sale ends June 30, some of the card designs are low inventory and will NOT be reprinted, so make your selections early. To see them click here.
We frequently get request specifically for cards that say MERRY CHRISTMAS. Shown above are 4 of our favorites that say just that. The one on the far left was actually painted BY A HORSE, and there's a story on the back that tells about the horse artist, along with a photo of him painting. #2 is a design that often doesn't get considered because folks don't realize how it works. It's got little slots cut through the paper so you can stick your own business card in there - looks just like they're holding it in their mouths! The white square and "YOUR BUSINESS CARD GOES HERE" is NOT printed on the card; you see the rest of the horses - the palomino wears a wreath around his shoulders. The back of this card shows the horses (and the dog's) backsides. It's really cute.
Also, PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE read carefully the wording options available for the insides of the cards when you order. The website defaults to withOUT "thank you for your business" - but some cards are ONLY available WITH this option, so if you click those, that's what you're going to get. I Heard the Bells, Rejoice!, Peace on Earth and He Knows... are 4 examples of cards that are ONLY available WITH thank you. To get started click here |
Sometimes a Woman Needs a Horse A Personal Story of Discovery of a Spiritual Message in the Horse and Rider Experience
This book is one of my favorites. Author Betsy Talcott Kelleher is a horse lover who writes from a Christian perspective. While training her horse, working to instill trust and obedience, she realizes that God is working with her in much the same way. Through the details, principles and experiences of the horse and rider relationship, she shares her discovery of a spiritual parallel between horse training and Christian discipleship.
Consider this short excerpt:
"In the distance, maybe a quarter of a mile away, a white cat ran across the road. Fanny stopped immediately, flicked her ears and tucked her head. Her whole body tensed, and I knew she was getting ready to turn and run. I gave her a gentle kick to urge her forward, keeping a tight grip on the reins. 'Fanny, you foolish mare! That cat isn't going to hurt you. Now behave yourself.' I tried to relax and make my voice confident and reassuring. 'You don't understand, but I know it's all right. That white cat is a long way off and it's running the other way. You don't know about cats, but I do. Come on now, Fanny, you've got to learn to trust me!' Suddenly, I felt another gentle nudging and these silent words, 'You too! You are so anxious about things you don't understand. But I know about them. Trust Me!' I was awestruck. I knew I wasn't imagining these silent words that entered my thoughts. God wasn't just scolding me... He was encouraging me to have more faith." |
 Revisiting a favorite book & DVD Gallop to Freedom - Training Horses With The Founding Stars of Cavalia
If you've seen the DVD, (or the live show) and wondered how in the world they get those horses to perform so brilliantly, show after show, then this is the book for you.
When Cavalia first took North America by storm in 2003, few people knew who Frederic Pignon and Magali Delgado were. But the world was soon abuzz with talk of the magical display these two remarkable individuals provided their audience; none could walk away unaffected by the powerful connection they demonstrated with their unparalleled cast of beautiful horses.
In this profusely illustrated hardcover book, Frederic (a specialist in liberty and ground work) and Magali (a talented dressage rider at Grand Prix level) share the secrets of the relationships they have cultivated over the course of their lives with horses. They tell the story of Templado - the difficult and rebellious stallion who demanded they question all they had learned as horsemen and look at, in a whole new light, what it means to train horses. It was this tempestuous character that taught them that the process of building a relationship with a horse can be on more equal footing than most would dream possible.
It is with this lesson in mind that Frederic and Magali explain their Six Golden Principles. These include how you can become a "safe haven" (the most important being in your horse's life) while ensuring he gets the leadership he craves. And, how to establish acceptable limits of behavior, as well as respect, without ever succumbing to anger or using force. They describe how to read horse behavior so you can better understand and communicate with your equine partner as an individual. Plus, you'll see what it means to be patient and give your horse a say in his own training - and just how rewarding the results can be.
Gina's note - the three Cavalia products we sell all compliment each other:
The Cavalia DVD shows you what the show is all about - highlights of the actual performance, interviews with the cast, backstage and behind the scenes candid stuff.
The Cavalia Book has beautiful still shots from the show, and explains in detail how it came to be, and tells about the horses and the human actors.
Gallop to Freedom Book goes into detail about how Frederic and Magali came to be the talented horsemen that they are - and how the Cavalia horses learn to perform on stage. It's full of wonderful and surprising facts - like the fact that Templado learned on his own to swirl his incredibly long mane, because it pleased the audience and caused them to applaud.
To see all the Cavalia items, click here |
 MORE GOSSIP: Revisiting folks talking about farriers. Like the barefoot vs shoes debate fires up horse owners, few things get farriers more engaged than telling stories about bad horses and their owners. I shared in a previous newsletter here, a warning to farriers to be aware that folks were watching, talking about, and even photographing them every single day on the job. Sounds creepy, huh? With the internet and various social networks being what they are - unsavory stories can get out in a very big way. And once they do, there's not much a person can do to stop them. That's why it makes me so very happy to read success stories like this one. Shown here is Abby riding Dakota. Abby's mom belongs to an online Yahoo! group that I subscribe to, and she had posted asking for advice for getting this horse's ears clipped. She described his violent outbursts that occurred whenever they even thought about approaching his head with the clippers. A lively discussion ensued with a great deal of thoughtful advice.
But the rest of Dakota's story is what touched me:
First about the clipping problem:
"I have clipped my fair share of problems horses and this guy is beyond anything I have ever seen. I must tell you he was abused when we purchased him; had also been caught in hi-tensile fence and tore his legs up like mincemeat! It took almost 6 months before we were able to shoe him without a heavy tranquilizer, but for the last 6 months he has been an angel. (Grant a lot of the credit to our Farrier that had so much patience with him) He is to the point he will let us clip his legs, you do not even have to hold or cross tie him, but make one step toward his head and he flips. And I do mean flip! Up on his hind legs, strikes out with both front legs and has his eyes rolled back in his head so all white is showing. - Last year he was like this with getting his legs touched, and because my daughter has more patience than I do she was able to overcome this with him."
Then on the problem with having feet handled:
"I do not know if I would have never considered using a tranquilizer had it not been for the fact his feet had to be done when we got him. When I called the farrier and told him about this gelding, he asked me to have a tranquilizer on hand in case it was needed. It was more than needed. After giving him a standard dose he still was impossible to handle, so he was given enough Rompun to lay out an elephant, (we spoke with the vet before giving him more) yet this horse did not appear effected at all! He would be wobbly, almost falling down drunken acting and when they went to touch a leg he would flat out come unglued! The first time we trimmed him last May (2010) it took almost 3 hours for a trim job. My daughter continued to work with him daily, the second and third time we trimmed him it required less Rompun, the 4th time we had the partial injection but never had to administer it! Two weeks ago I ground tied him while the same farrier put a full set of shoes on him. Not one problem!"
Kudos to the owner and her daughter for rescuing this abused horse and rehabbing him. The farrier knew beforehand the horse had issues, everyone was prepared and they got the job done - taking the time it took - which apparently was quite a while. Subsequent farrier visits saw the horse improving, and as you can read by her note he now stands like a champ. And kudos to the farrier, who worked with these owners through a difficult and dangerous problem. The end result is a horse that is much safer for him to work on. I love a happy ending. |
 GOOD STUFF: Other people forget and lose things too. If you've ever lost or forgotten about something important - READ THIS and you will feel better.
This week's good stuff column is in honor of all those folks (myself included) who, unlike our friends who are hopefully BUYING HALF PRICE CHRISTMAS CARDS right now, are a little less organized.
One of my favorite websites thereifixedit.com tells the story of the Thai government misplacing a solid gold statue weighing 5 1/2 tons. The Thai king ordered the statue hidden from the Burmese army invasion. Once that was over with... they all FORGOT about it. Until it was found again in the 1950's. And what a "find" it was - worth two hundred million dollars. Full story here Now, the next time you buy someone the perfect Christmas present (early) and forget to give it to them, or put something up in a "safe place" only to forget where that was... remember the Thai government and their $200,000,000. statue.
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RECAP - From the last newsletter: Here's what we talked about last time:
The value of a life here
Desiderata - spiritual book for Horse Lovers here
Farrier gossip and overweight horses (with photos) here Cowgirls Cookbook recipes here
New books for farriers here
New Books by Tom Moates include FREE bookmark here
Beautiful Jim Key book a true story here
Make a Horsey Scrapbook here
Dump Him, Marry the Horse here
Cowboy 10 Commandments here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - See what you missed! Catch up on the news here
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WHAT'S NEW?
Farrier Book
Millwater's Farriery here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Farrier Book
Order Confessions of a Horseshoer here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
The Faraway Horses by Buck Brannaman
Read more about the life of best-selling DVD star 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?
Spiritual Book
Desiderata for Horse Lovers makes a great gift! order here |
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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 ~
New Bookmark FREE with purchase of Tom Moates books on Honest Horsemanship here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ Christian Book ~
The Invisible Woman - When Only God Sees 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 week's quote is by Frederic Pignon - from Gallop To Freedom:
"This was an unexpected and strange situation for me. I rather thought I knew how to train any horse. I'd had a lot of experience with horses and had learned to communicate well with them - or so I thought - and reckoned I was able to tell them what I wanted. ... I had done trick riding in lots of shows and successfully performed potentially dangerous acts, but here I was presented with a horse that did not respond to anything I asked of him. It was as if all my considerable experience was for nothing."
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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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