newsletter header wide
HoofPrints Newsletter
July 10, 2012
Rob shoeing Rocky
ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTER
Farriers 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.

Moving past the bad day.
Last time, we revisited cantankerous computers, broken vehicles, ruined plants and more. I talked about how the gift messages and comments included with orders for the now sold out pink Breyer Horse changed my perspective. Some folks read what I'd shared and thought I was referring to myself;  
"Sending you a reminder of the healing power of the horse. May you have a speedy recovery." 
"How timely....I hope there is a horse left for me...I was just diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and this horse needs to sit by my side during my battle." 
For the record, I do NOT have cancer. However, right about that time MyHorse Daily author Amy Herdy announced that she does. You can read her poignant account in When Your Horse is Literally Your Lifeline here. We'll be praying for Amy, and appreciate her candor and bravery in sharing her story online.  
.  
Pink Breyer Horse The big Breast Cancer Awareness horse (shown at left) that was on sale is now SOLD OUT. Breyer has replaced it with another mold and we've not received our sample of that one yet. The picture I saw on their website looks to be a Tennessee Walking Horse. And though the horse doesn't look to be a high-stepping "big lick", the front feet look to be a little on the long side. You can see for yourself here. With the recent focus on controversy surrounding the extreme training methods used on this gentle breed, I am surprised Breyer would choose this mold. But again, I've not seen it in person, so may be making a big deal out of nothing (the shape of a plastic horse foot). We'll keep you posted.

Breyer pink stablemate In the meantime, if you missed ordering the traditional sized horse, or the price was out of your budget, check out this NEW little version! Breyer calls these their Stablemates. It's the same pearly translucent resin as the large version - but only about 3" tall. And you'll love the price at $8.95. It comes in a cute little gift/display box.

To order click here

Floral Cap
NEW Hair control ideas for horsewomen After spending the winter with my ears covered by a headband or hat (after all these years I finally listened to my mom and covered my ears) - it's warm enough I can go without. Except every year I forget how annoying all that flyaway hair can be.
How come we never see the long-tressed women in the  action/western movies with bits of their own hair stuck in their eyes and mouth? At my house, you're in the middle of an important task - both hands engaged - and the wind picks up a big clump of hair and deposits it right over your eyes so you can't see what you're doing. Or you open your mouth to say something, and hair blows in. Grrr.
The chin-length bob that looked pretty cute after I chopped off my long pony tail (story here - click 3rd picture for details) defies containment. It's too short to pull back. Too long to tolerate unfettered. Enter the solution: the lowly baseball cap. It contains all those flyaways AND shades your eyes from the sun. If your hair's long enough for a ponytail, there's an opening above the fastener that's just the right placement to poke it through. We've got several caps designed just for women - smaller cut, lighter weight, and stylish. No Elmer Fudd bills, either. Feminine and utilitarian at the same time - while making a horsey statement. Shown above is our brand new floral cotton chintz cap - complete with genuine SUEDE bill. We've embroidered it with our fiery wild mare logo. To see the complete ladies cap selection click here

Benji audition photo
Looking for a new Benji star!
Here's a fun story that I came across yesterday - made me decide to rerun our own "Benji story" (you can see that below)

Here animal trainer Mark Forbes, left, and filmmaker Brandon Camp audition Fairfield, a 3-month-old fox terrier mix, for the role of Benji at a shelter near Los Angeles. Brandon Camp, whose father created the "Benji" movies nearly 40 years ago, and veteran animal trainer Mark Forbes have set out to find a new Benji in a nationwide search that includes online tools and sites that weren't around when the first four Benjis were discovered. A Facebook page has been set up so pet owners and shelter staffs can post pictures and videos of dogs they think could be the next Benji.

The original 1974 movie "Benji" is about a stray who helps save two kidnapped children. It was written, produced, directed and financed by Camp's father, Joe Camp. Horse people may recognize Joe as author of Soul of a Horse - more about that here. There have been four sequels, several TV specials, a Saturday morning TV series, a syndicated comic strip and all kinds of merchandizing deals. More than 73 million people have seen "Benji" at theaters, and more than a billion people around the world have watched it on television. Millions of DVDs have been sold.

The original Benji was Higgins, adopted in the early 1960s from a California animal shelter. He was 14 years old (that's 98 in human years!) when he became Benji. The second Benji was Higgins's daughter, the third was a distant relative, and the fourth was adopted from the Humane Society of South Mississippi.

The new movie will stay true to the heart of the original Benji, Camp said. "Parents and grandparents will recognize the spirit of Benji," he said. "He was always a mutt and will always be a mutt. He is the everydog." Camp and Forbes say that when a dog stars in a movie, there is usually a rush to own a similar dog. They hope that a new "Benji" movie will prompt lots of shelter adoptions. Now that's a real happy ending.

This will hopefully be a big departure from previous dog movies that influenced the purchase of purebred puppies withOUT folks researching breed characteristics. The 101 Dalmatians movie sparked a market for the spotted dogs - folks buying and breeding willy-nilly to fill the demand. What most folks didn't take into account was that the Dalmatian was originally bred to be a coach dog. One that was inclined to run all day smartly at the wheels of a horse-drawn coach (details about the breed here). This does not predispose them to want to lay around an apartment all day while their owners are at work. Most folks also didn't realize that statistics say that only 70% of these dogs have normal hearing (more about that here). So backyard breeders were producing deaf pups - people were buying them and thinking they were "stupid" because they couldn't be trained - when in reality they couldn't hear the commands! The Dalmatian club's deplorable stance on deafness (here) is basically to tell folks to euthanize deaf dogs and get another one! Grrr. A great deal of the problem could have been avoided with vigorous public education about this breed.

Another breed that gained popularity because of TV exposure is the Jack Russell Terrier (also called Parson Russell Terrier). The Wishbone series for kids featured a talking dog named Wishbone - who went with his owner on fanciful adventures. That dog was so cute - heck, I wanted to go out and get one! In fact, I did just that. I justified it as needing a vermin-killer for the barn, though. Lucy has never spent a night in the barn, it turns out, she's got a place in our bed with her own special blanket to snuggle up with. I can say from experience that these dogs are smart, but that does not necessarily translate as trainable. And they're quick to bite who (or what) ever deals them injustice. Man or beast, you step on Lucy's toe, she'll chase you down and bite you for the misdeed. Definately not good temperament characteristics for a dog that you'd want to be playing with little kids. I shudder to think how many ended up in shelters for this reason.

So - I am looking forward to the new Benji movie - encouraging folks to explore the options of getting their next pet at a shelter - instead of a breeder!

Anna & Remington
HoofPrints Own Benji Story: A True Story with a Happy Ending - Part 1 - The Sad Part
One of my resolutions for the new year in 2010 was to become more connected - 
to learn about, and to use Facebook both socially and to promote HoofPrints. It's been great fun, and I have enjoyed catching up with former classmates, co-workers, etc. One of which was my friend Anna, who worked with me at RAM Graphics. We were both aspiring graphic artists, fresh out of college, hell bent on setting the design world on it's ear with our brilliant creative solutions. (Ha Ha - the things you think you know when you're 24) Eventually we went on to other things and lost touch for 20+ years. One night I logged onto facebook and saw this picture of Anna and her Australian Terrier Remmington. Remmington had been suffering with a serious esophageal condition, and Anna had previously mentioned their struggles to diagnose & treat him. But this time her status read:
"This picture taken last night. At 9:05 this morning, I sat at my table with my Remmington on my chest, kissed his forehead and said my goodbyes; read him Psalm 23 and he quietly, gently slipped away naturally... (Doug and I weren't even sure he had passed on at first.) He was MUCH loved and will greatly missed."
Of course, I bawled my eyes out. Our own dog Zack had been doing poorly, and I knew that his end was near soon, too. I wrapped up a framed Pet's Prayer Verse and sent it off to my friend with a sympathy card.

Benji at AACC
A True Story with a Happy Ending - Part 2 - The Suspenseful Part.
First, we need to clarify that my dog placement skills are not so good.
Last summer, after someone dumped 2 black Lab pups at our farm, my bestest, most super-woman, mega- connected, marketing-savvy efforts resulted in only 1 taker. My success rate is a dismal 50%...  "Piece of cake!" - I remember telling my husband - "All these people read my newsletter - these pups will be in good homes (not ours) in no time!" (Go here for details about what happened to the 2nd pup Bailey) The ensuing experience plunged me head-first into learning a great deal more about the unwanted pet problem than I ever wanted to know.

In my efforts to place my pups, I'd made connections on Facebook with Maleah Stringer, the director of our local animal control. This woman is a dynamo - she spearheaded a huge effort to make major changes at the shelter, which had a terribly high euthanasia rate. She's rallied an army of volunteers. She writes a gutsy column in our newspaper that spells out in eloquent detail, just how big the unwanted pet problem is in our community. They are getting things done and it's refreshing and inspirational to watch.

Their Facebook page is another that I keep an eye on. So, one night I log on and this guy (Benji) pops up in the status. He looks like Anna's dear departed Remmington. So, what to do... here's a friend that I don't know very well after many years... her heart is broken from the loss of her dog. Do I send her this? I didn't want her to think that I felt Remmington was replaceable by another dog - it seemed pretty shallow to send her a picture of a dog that looked just like...

But Anderson Animal Care & Control is a municipal shelter. They can NOT turn dogs away. When they get full (which is nearly always) some have to be put to sleep. So I decided to take the chance. I sent her a note with the picture saying; "This dog is at the shelter, in case you're interested." Fortunately, Anna wasn't upset with me, although she did tell me that it was still too soon, and that they were considering a larger dog for their next choice. A few days later I got another note from her, saying they'd stopped by the shelter to see Benji. I could tell she had reservations; she said he wasn't at all friendly, and that they didn't want to bring him home and discover that they had psycho dog on their hands.

More days passed and she told me they'd decided to foster Benji, so if things didn't work out they could return him to the shelter. As all this played out, I began to question the wisdom of my getting involved and trying to play "doggy matchmaker" over the internet for two parties I don't really know. What if he attacks them? Eats their couch? Poops on the carpet? I was beginning to think I should have left well enough alone. Which, in turn, gave me even more respect for those folks who do this very thing - every day. All over the country, shelter workers take in frightened, upset, untrained, and sometimes abused dogs... and try to safely match them with families that will give them good homes. HoofPrints carries two books that tell these folks' stories; Don't Dump the Dog, and Tales from a Dog Catcher. Both are poignant accounts of what it's like to deal with the canine unwanteds of the world.

Anna & Benji
A True Story with a Happy Ending - Part 3 - The Happy Ending.
Benji goes to live with Anna & Doug on a trial basis.
Since Benji was so fearful and distant at the shelter, my friends had reservations about how well he would adjust to life in their home. Both are busy professionals, and were not ready to add doggy psycho-therapy to their already full plates. I held my breath, hoping that Benji was just stressed and afraid from being at the shelter, and that he wouldn't get worse after another move into yet another strange environment.

I breathed a great sigh of relief when this message came from Anna:
"As for BENJI - what a love! He really is a great dog.  Our vet said he is between 2-3 years old and appears to be healthy. He is a lover. He is obedient. He is house trained. He walks well on a leash, too. I am healing from what could only be described as a devastating loss. We are SO thankful to you. Not going with a puppy and all the chewing, the house training, and energetic but destructive behaviors and social training required... is just such a huge relief. This is the right move for us. We are completely enjoying this dog - NOW."

The adoption was finalized and Benji is now a permanent resident of the Whiteman home. When I first started dabbling with Facebook, I viewed it as a fun social "toy" - a way to snoop into what my former classmates had gone on to do with their lives, to see what my equestrian friends were doing with their horses, and tell HoofPrints' friends about new product developments. But for Benji, Facebook may very well have saved his life. I am glad I pushed past my reservations against meddling, and shared his picture with my grieving friend.

This post from DailyOm says it all:
"Life is sculpted on a moment-to-moment basis. Every one of the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take contributes to the complex quality and character of the universe's unfolding. It simply is not possible to be alive without making an impact on the world that surrounds us. Every action taken affects the whole as greatly as every action not taken. And when it comes to making the world a better place, what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do.

For example, when we neglect to recycle, speak up, vote, or help somebody in immediate need, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to be an agent for positive change. Instead, we are enabling a particular course to continue unchallenged, picking up speed even as it goes along. By holding the belief that our actions don't make much of a difference, we may find that we often tend to forego opportunities for involvement. Alternatively, if we see ourselves as important participants in an ever-evolving world, we may feel more inspired to contribute our unique perspective and gifts to a situation.

It is wise to be somewhat selective about how and where we are using our energy in order to keep ourselves from becoming scattered. Not every cause or action is appropriate for every person. When a situation catches our attention, however, and speaks to our heart, it is important that we honor our impulse to help and take the action that feels right for us. It may be offering a kind word to a friend, giving resources to people in need, or just taking responsibility for our own behavior. By doing what we can, when we can, we add positive energy to our world. And sometimes, it may be our one contribution that makes all the difference."

Crossroads Sculpture ON SALE! I tried every way I know to get folks to give this a look. This incredibly detailed sculpture makes a great gift. A wonderful western reminder of Christian faith.

Not to disrespect folks that are into rodeo - but the images of the bull riders praying before they go into the chute just puzzle me to no end... wanna stay safe? Don't get on a 2,000 pound bull whose only job is to plant you in the dirt as quickly as possible. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

On the other hand, this sculpture is the epitome of working cowboy faith - he's asking the Lord to keep he and his horse safe as they go about their day mending fences, tending to cattle, etc. Maybe he's praying for his wife and kids - that their challenges and struggles be eased. Or thanking God that he's still got his parents around...

Anyway, whatever the reason, these sculptures didn't sell as well as we hoped and we need the shelf space. I've marked them down to just $60. here.

Just Shoe It Cap Closeup
JUST SHOE IT! Here's a fresh version of an old favorite in the farrier caps department. Probably most farriers don't have the hair control issues that we women have, but our baseball caps do keep the sun out of your eyes and help a bit with summer sweat. We've got a couple cap styles ON SALE, too. You can see the complete selection here
In This Issue
Moving past the bad day
Hair control ideas for horsewomen
Looking for a new Benji star!
HoofPrints own Benji Story
Crossroads sculpture ON SALE
Message
Father's Day Gift Idea
WHAT'S NEW?
A Big Little Life
Big Little Life book
A memoir of a joyful dog named Trixie here
WHAT'S ON SALE?
Paw Print Tissue
Paw Print Tissue
Unique gift packaging
HALF PRICE here 
WHAT'S GOING ON?
Horses & Hope
Horses and Hope July
Calendars on sale at the Warren County Farmers Fair in NJ - details here
WHAT'S IN THE WORKS?
Difficult Horses
Blacksmith Calendar Feb example
On the new Blacksmith Calendar here
WHAT'S ON SALE?
Horse & Buggy Days
Horse & Buggy Days framed print
Framed Blacksmith print by Paul Detlefsen here
WHAT'S NEW?
Horse Coaster Set
Faith Coaster with easel
Wood Framed Ceramic Horse Sense Coasters here
WHAT'S NEW?
Hold Your Horses T
Hold Your Horses T
See our T-shirt selection here
WHAT'S NEW?
A Dog's Journey
Dogs Journey Cover
Sequel to best-seller
A Dog's Purpose here
WHAT'S NEW?
Spiritual Book
Desiderata cover
Desiderata for Horse Lovers makes a great gift! order here
WHAT'S NEW?
The Faraway Horses by Buck Brannaman
Faraway Horses book cover
Read more about the life of best-selling DVD star here
WHAT'S NEW?
Farrier Book
Essential Principles of Horseshoeing
Order Essential Principles of Horseshoeing here  
WHAT'S NEW?
~ Christian Book ~
Invisible Woman Book
The Invisible Woman - When
Only God Sees here
CHECK IT OUT!
SALE on Spring T's
3 horsey t-shirts
BIG sale on Springy Horsey T-shirts less than $10 each here
WHAT'S NEW?
~ for Horsewomen ~
Long Tall List of Things To Do
Horsewoman's Long Tall List of Things to Do here
WHAT'S NEW!
Underwater Dogs
Underwater dogs calendar
Order your 2013 calendar here
FREE with every order
Inspirational Bookmark
Moates Bookmark
Features inspirational verses & photo of author Tom Moates. See it here
Message

We LOVE hearing from our customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner
Gina Keesling via email at [email protected]
 
Find us on facebook
facebook logo
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
 
Our Current Catalog
2012 spring catalog cover
Request your copy of
HoofPrints Spring Catalog
by clicking here
 
Quick Links
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 to get started. (please note - using this form does NOT subscribe anyone to our list - it is a one-time only forward)