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HoofPrints Newsletter
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June 8, 2013
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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 New! Copper HoofPrint Pony Bead Bracelets
This is a less organic version of the original yak bone, turquoise and coral Copper HoofPrint Bracelet. They are hand tied right here in the shop using glass pony beads and brown waxed cotton cord. The copper charm is made in Pennsylvania by a skilled artisan who specializes in equestrian designs. The cord adjusts to fit most wrists (about 7" to 9.5") and this is bargain priced at just HALF what the Healing Bracelet below sells for. To order click here.  Shown at left is the Healing Bracelet. It's made of turquoise, coral, brass, nickel and yak bone! Actually this bracelet is made in Tibet (hoofprint charm in USA) and the Tibetan people believe that such organic components have healing properties. Certain materials are thought to improve circulation and promote the flow of healing energies through the body. Here's what I found specifically about yak bone: "Bone is used in practice because the more we contemplate death the more fruitful our life becomes. We begin to live life differently and accept that death is inevitable while the path to the end of this life is about service to others, loving all, and being happy (without the pursuit of happiness) in each moment...through the supposed good and bad.
Yak is an important animal in Tibet as they are used as packing animals for the nomadic tribes and to honour their passing they are used in practice. Continuing to be of service as they pass from this consciousness to another." from DestinationOM Whether you believe this is a valid idea or not, this is still a pretty cool bracelet. It's rugged looking with it's chunky beads (they're about 3/8" across) and the braided portion is designed to slide so you can adjust it to fit just right. To see this and all our other hoof jewelry, click here
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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. Rejoice! and Peace on Earth are 2 examples of cards that are ONLY available WITH thank you. To get started click here
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A Look At Life From The Saddle
Stories & Inspirations from a Cowboy
by Armour Patterson, Paintings by Chris Owen
This book is all western / cowboy, and spiritual, making for a very powerful combination. At 48 pages it's not very thick, but each page really packs a punch, featuring relevant quotes from famous folks, cowboys, unknowns and the Bible. It's beautifully illustrated, printed on heavy, glossy paper - makes a great gift - the inside front has a space to write the recipient's name, the presenter's name, and the occasion - for an added special touch.
One of my favorite quotes is the COWBOY CODE from page 6:
- Speak the truth and let your word be your bond. - Never betray a trust or desert a friend. - Protect and care for those who can't help themselves. - Be gentle with women, children, and the elderly. - Care for animals and protect the land. - Be courteous, polite, and neat. - Learn all you can and cultivate wisdom. - Speak straight, speak properly, an don't speak too much. - Do the job you're paid to do with pride and honor. - Never quit when times are toughest. - It's fine to feel fear, but don't let it back you down. - Remember that good never prevails without courage and grit. - If something sounds too good to be true, expect that it is. - Keep your sense of humor and don't meddle. - When you've done all you can, rest in your faith.
This special little hardcover book makes a great gift. It's available here
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Finally!
Something for the cat lovers out there.
Barely Squeakin' By
is a sweet print by Ann Hansen. Ann is normally known for her horse art, but her skill really shines through in this work of a white kitty, fast asleep on a pair of chaps on the straw stack. What you don't see until you look closer, are the four mice in the picture. They're carefully hidden, and it takes a while to find them all. There's a closeup here. This is a signed and numbered limited edition and I am closing out the remaining stock at HALF PRICE here.
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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.
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SPRING CLEANING - (now SUMMER cleaning)
continues at HoofPrints
My efforts to clear the warehouse (and my house- house) of accumulated oddball products continues to gain momentum. I've written about it before. The point continues to be, sometimes the space becomes more valuable than the items that are occupying it. So this is where most places say... "our loss is your gain!" Well, check out this super-cheap stuff and BUY IT. And your gain will be my gain, too. Because I need that space on the shelf.
The Half Price Page is here - check this often as they're one-of-a-kind things that will sell quickly and be replaced with whatever else starts to get on my nerves. I am currently going through a large stash of sample books - so many wonderful titles, it's hard to choose just a handful for the catalog. And the rest have got to go! Only one of each available so act fast if you see something you like. NEW is Half Price PRINTS here - there are a lot of lovely prints languishing in drawers here that really should be hanging on folks' walls making them smile and beautifying their homes. Summer is NOT the time that people are inclined for "nesting" - that usually happens during the colder months when everyone's inside. But fall/winter is busy season here and I don't encourage print sales then - I don't have the extra time it takes to wrap these carefully for safe delivery. I've marked them way down now to sweeten the deal.
Our Closeouts Page is here - it features items that are being phased out - still lots of good deals to be had there, too.
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Read last week's newsletter
What we talked about last time:
More about the characters in
Daddy's LIttle Helper print here
FREE Bible Pocket Partner with purchase of Horse Lovers Bible here
Bucephalus jacket HALF PRICE here
Healing Shine - A Spiritual Assignment here
Gina brags, then backpedals here
I Make Horse Calls Books here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - see what you missed! To catch up on the news, click here
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Father's Day Gift Idea
The Crossroads Sculpture HALF PRICE here |
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HALF PRICE
Pharaoh's Horses Print
This old-time favorite picture has been updated by HoofPrints with a carefully researched block of illustrated history and trivia at the bottom. More info here |
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FREE Pocket Partner
with every Bible
Saddle Up For Jesus small devotional book for cowboys and cowgirls of all ages is FREE with the purchase of a Horse Lovers Bible here |
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HALF PRICE
Best-Selling DVD
This is a great DVD - something that'll really appeal to Dad. There's a lot of wisdom here, and I'll even forgive him for saying that it's a bad idea to train with treats. (hey, no one can know EVERYTHING!) All the Buck stuff is here |
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HALF PRICE
Rose Quartz Jewelry
Rose quartz is a stone of healing powers, of unconditional love and infinite peace. It's said to draw off negative energy and replace it with loving vibes. It helps with releasing unexpressed emotions and heartache, soothes internalized pain and heals deprivation. See our rose quartz jewelry here |
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Got Hoof Problems? So do we!
This is unheard-of: a hardcover, profusely illustrated text for UNDER $50.00 - 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!
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I Make Horse Calls Books
"I was so grateful for the care the gentle senior student took with Pischka that day. ... I will not forget the thoroughness of that student, and would emulate her when I entered practice. I would never dismiss an owner's complaint, because I remember how I felt when vets dismissed Pischka's illness, never trying to find out what made Pischka so sick." -from Horse Calls, available here |
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Leather Treat Pouch
Perfect for your phone, keys, horse treats, and more (one HoofPrints customer tells us she uses her's to carry her .38 on late night trips to the barn! Whatever the use, it's a great deal at only $19.95! Order here
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BELOW HALF PRICE!
"Hug" clay plaque Regular price $14.50 now only $4.99 here |
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WHAT'S NEW
SALE on Summer T's
Cool Summer weight Horsey T-shirts less than $14 each here! |
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LONG TALL LIST
~ for Horsewomen ~
Horsewoman's Long Tall List of Things to Do here
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I Know Great Horses Live Again
Somewhere...somewhere in time's own space
There must be some sweet pastured place
Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow
Some Paradise where horses go.
For by the love that guides my pen
I know great horses live again.
Order the Great Horses custom framed verse here
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BOOKMARKS
~ 50% OFF! ~
A Rider's Prayer, A Dog Lover's Prayer & Use Your Talents Bookmarks just 99� here |
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Message
I LOVE hearing from 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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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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