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HoofPrints Newsletter
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June 14, 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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 Things not to say to a hot, tired farrier - ABOUT MONEY!
We've gotten a lot of mileage out of this series - We've filled 4 t-shirts and 2 mugs with Things not to say to a hot, tired farrier; it never fails to get a chuckle. Farriers all over have heard these (or variations thereof) on a daily basis for most of their careers. Farriers have told me that wearing our shirts on the job has actually helped improve the behavior of some of their inconsiderate clients.
Shown here are 13 that I hand-picked concerning the subject of money. The illustration is by Lesley Bruce and the poor farrier certainly looks hot and tired as he struggles to hold up the leaning horse with the owner asleep at the lead. To see a larger, clearer version click here
There is a special perspective that comes with being self-employed (especially if that employment involves back-breaking labor) A great sense of humor is one of them. Another is the wisdom and wherewithal to interact pleasantly with others on a personal and professional level, no matter what's going on reciprocally. While we all know of cranky farriers who've got a chip on their shoulder from hearing all the annoying owner comments, most of you have a level of maturity that lets you focus your efforts on doing the job at hand, rather than continually chafing at others' rude behavior.
And that's pretty cool.
Here at HoofPrints, we use an outside Call Center to answer our phones when we are out of the office. This has proven to be much better than an answering machine as the call center staff can take orders, relay messages and answer questions for callers after hours. Often, though, the calls they get are from folks who've come home at the end of a day to the unhappy situation of a damaged package or incorrect shipment - and they need to talk to someone about rectifying the problem. Call Center Plus is a fairly large company, and the owner has told me on more than one occasion that OUR CUSTOMERS (that's you all) are BY FAR the best to deal with of any of the companies they answer phones for. Bar none. We already knew that - but it's nice to be reminded - and I wanted to pass along the compliment. Thanks for being great customers!
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 All Greeting Cards - 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 |
 Get your invoices at the OLD PRICE! We announced before that we use a local printer for our 2-part carbonless farrier invoice pads and he'd absorbed the increase in paper costs for a lot longer than he should have. He warned me that there was going to have to be an adjustment... you know - like having to pass on the increased price of shoes, nails, and shipping - after you finally sit down and realize how much more they are costing you vs how much the customer is paying for shoeing; you've given yourself a PAY CUT by not raising prices as materials increase? Anyway, that's what happened here, too.
The official increase took effect with the last catalog. However, we've held the old price ($9.00 per pad) on invoice pad ASSORTMENTS. With the assortment option, you get to choose the "A" or "B" body style, but WE pick the logos that you get. If it's important that your invoices match your business cards, then this might not be for you. But if you're wanting to save money, then here's a way to do it. The price is $40. for 5 pads - which is a savings of $1.00 per pad! To order, click here and scroll down to the yellow box. |
 Last year, I struggled with the idea for a new book category
"We All Fall Down"...
And wondered if it was a good idea to showcase stories about folks who'd had experiences with issues that many would rather not read about; alcoholism, drug use, depression and more. Until someone has experienced something like this, it can be awfully easy to assume that those who have are just not trying hard enough to solve their problems. And by making dumb choices they are bringing more misery on themselves, etc.
Based on everyone's response, the decision has proven to be a good one. Susan Richards' books (shown here) have been out for quite a while. Personally, I liked them a lot, but the underlying alcoholic struggle, along with the relationship difficulties, made me wonder if they were right for HoofPrints . We all have our problems - do we really want to read about someone else's? It turns out, we do. Consider this excerpt from Saddled about the author's Morgan mare Georgia:
"Stacked wood wasn't the only thing that frightened her. She was a afraid of snakes, squirrels, bridges, and hummingbirds. If a squirrel ran across our path, she'd either stop dead in her tracks or buck. If she heard the buzz of a hummingbird, she'd bolt if I didn't hold her back. Every morning we crossed the same small concrete bridge, and every morning she'd stop before I urged her forward, and then she'd prance across it with her head held so high that sometimes her forelock would flick across my face. Except for bridges, I never insisted she overcome her fears. Maybe because I didn't really think it was possible, but mostly because I didn't think it was necessary. She'd overcome them herself when she was ready. Who didn't have baseless fears? I was riddled with them and knew no amount of reasoning would make them go away. I did for Georgia what I wished someone would do for me - patted her on the head and told her everything would be all right. As I rode in the woods that spring morning, I was afraid of the new job I'd be starting the next day. I was afraid of leaving the horses and meeting new people and doing things I'd never done before. I was afraid I'd fail. I'd been worried about money, especially as I poured more and more of it into the barn, but I felt like such a wreck in my early sobriety I didn't know how I could possibly work. I wasn't certified to teach in New York, and I didn't want to go back to the ski business with the traveling, the drinking, and the ex-husband. Still, I knew I had to earn a living but had no idea how. In the back of my mind, I'd always wanted to write, for as long as I could remember. One afternoon, with all the free time I had hiding from the world, I sat down and wrote a story about the time I came across a group of loggers in the woods while on a morning ride with Georgia. They had been debating what to do about a hawk's nest with two babies in an area they had planned to log that day. In the end they decided not to log there and climbed back into their trucks and drove away. Their kindness impressed me, so I wrote about it and sent it to a small weekly publication called Lifestyle, which featured human interest stories from around the Hudson Valley. A few days later the editor called and offered $35. for the piece. Do you have anything else? he asked. That simple question released a 20 year logjam. Suddenly I found plenty to write about. I wrote a story about my neighbor Henry and another about my farrier Bill Benson. I wrote about how bossy Georgia could be and how much Bear loved vanilla ice cream from Dairy Queen..."
To read what happens next you'll need to order Saddled here |
 This one's another title for the "We All Fall Down" category Bad Dog - A Love Story (It's also a true story) Meet Hola. She's a nightmare, but it's not her fault if she tackles strangers and chews on furniture, or if she runs after buses and fried chicken containers and drug dealers. No one ever told her not to. Worse yet, she scares her family. Hola may be the most beautiful Bernese mountain dog in the world, but she's never been trained. At least not by anyone who knew what he was doing.Hola's supposed master, Marty, is a high-functioning alcoholic. A TV writer turned management consultant, Marty's in debt and out of shape; he's about to lose his job, and one day he emerges from a haze of peach-flavored vodka to find he's on the verge of losing his wife, too, if he can't get his life - and his dog - under control.
Desperately trying to save his marriage, Marty throws himself headlong into the world of dog training. Unfortunately, he knows even less than Hola, the only dog ever to be expelled from her puppy preschool twice. Somehow, together, they need to get through the American Kennel Club's rigorous Canine Good Citizen test. Of course, Hola first needs to learn how to sit.
Gina's note: Above is the publisher's description of the book. It's pretty good, but doesn't really touch much on the meat of the story; the parallels between the author struggling with his alcohol addiction, mirrored by the out-of-control behavior of his dog - who doesn't just jump on people and tear up things. She. Attacks. Them. And bites. It's a serious deal. This story is an epic journey to sobriety and a well behaved dog at the same time. At one point a professional tells the author that his angst is responsible for a great deal of the reason his dog acts out. (How many of us horse owners are learning the exact same thing?) There's excellent commentary on dog training methods currently popular today woven in with the author's experience with AA's 12 step program. This book is funny, serious, and thought provoking at the same time. I highly recommend.
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RECAP - From the last newsletter: Here's what we talked about last time:
Gallop to Freedom & Cavalia DVD here
Sometimes a Woman Needs a Horse here
The value of a life here
Desiderata - spiritual book for Horse Lovers here Cowgirls Cookbook recipes here
New books for farriers here
New Books by Tom Moates here
Beautiful Jim Key book a true story here
Make a Horsey Scrapbook here
Cowboy 10 Commandments here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - See what you missed! Catch up on the news here
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CHECK IT OUT!
SALE on Spring T's
BIG sale on Springy Horsey T-shirts less than $10 each 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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Farrier Business Cards
Dozens of professionally designed cards, printed in full color with your info! Includes a FREE 2 Year listing in our online directory. Details here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Farrier Book
Millwater's Farriery here |
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ON SALE HALF PRICE!
Best Selling Card
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WHAT'S NEW?
Farrier Book
Order Confessions of a Horseshoer here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Spiritual Book
Desiderata for Horse Lovers makes a great gift! order 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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 Last time I shared a "farrier gossip story" about a family who took in a horse with major issues. This guy had been traumatized on multiple levels and was extremely reactive to any attempt to handle him. He was dangerous and they had to sedate him heavily just to trim his feet. Full story here.
The family's young daughter Abby made a project of working with Dakota and he's improved tremendously. I sent a note to Abby's mom, letting her know that the whole world (well, at least HoofPrints' newsletter subscribers) would be reading about their success, and here's her reply:
"Abby and Dakota are doing GREAT, as a matter of fact they are at the Area 6 Horsemanship camp this week. One of the instructors sent me a text last night that I will cherish for years to come. 'You daughter and her horse have a bond that I seldom see - they are one, and will excel to great heights; I am enjoying working with them'"
Isn't that cool? The part I like best is that this is not some amazing horse guru's success story about "fixing" an unfixable horse. It's a young girl - doing it by herself with a whole lot of determination, patience, and love. We sell stacks of books outlining specific methods for working with horses to get good results - but none of these methods can replace patience and love. Way to go Abby and Dakota!
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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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