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HoofPrints Newsletter
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June 25, 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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Well, this got completely out of hand. Here's how:
The first set of four
Copper HoofPrints Pony Bead Bracelets was created exclusively to USE UP a stash of beads that I found in a drawer; beads that I had originally purchased for another project. The resulting bracelet was really popular and I did, indeed, use up all the beads. Except then I went and bought MORE BEADS so I could fill all the orders I got. And then, while I was at it, I bought MORE COLORS of beads. I just couldn't help it. They were so pretty, and they coordinated with the copper charm so beautifully... So I am right back to having a drawer full. I don't know whether to tell you all to buy them or not. It'll just cause me to buy more beads and add to the clutter problem I am trying to solve. In fact, I am still carrying on about the clutter problem later in this very newsletter.
 All New Copper HoofPrint Pony Bead Bracelets now available in 7 Different Colors!
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. The top picture shows the COLORS set - consisting of TEAL, RED, LIME and COBALT. Below that is the original EARTH TONES set - it's TOPAZ, IRIDESCENT MULTI, LIME and SPECKLED BROWN. If you choose to support my bead-buying habit, you can 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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A New "Old" Book:
WHAT HORSES REVEAL
by Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling
This book was first introduced as hardcover, and promptly sold out. It's been out of print for a few years, and is now back - updated and better than ever! Klaus has a fascinating system for understanding a horse's personality, based on appearance characteristics. According to this book, all horses, no matter what their breed or type, will fit into his clearly defined twenty-six character groups. Individuals from these groups are documented by a series of excellent photographs; the pictures and text take a concept that seems a bit whacky in it's generalizations - and flesh it out until it makes total sense. If you've ever known a horse - you can easily fit him or her into one of these character types, and then read Klaus' account of how to interact with him or her. This is not a totally unique concept - Professor Jesse Beery did it over a hundred years ago with his home study guide for training horses - except most of his methodology was geared toward causing a horse to be a capable and willing servant - without much regard to preserving the brilliance and playfulness of personality that comes from a horse who truly loves it's work and it's human partner. The author is German, so the whole book has undergone translation into English - translator Kristina McCormack is an author and accomplished horsewoman herself - so well up to the task. Nonetheless, you'll find some charming / humorous passages throughout this book:
 Superficial friendliness helps you sell vacuum cleaners and win elections, but only with clarity, righteousness, and genuine, relevant empathy can you win the soul of a horse." To order this newly released, updated version of What Horses Reveal, 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.
 Shown here is one of my favorite humorous cards. All three of them are thinking the same thing;
"Crap, Now we're lost. Who said the horse knows the way?"
Well, in fact, the original idea that the horse knew the way was coined by Lydia Maria Child. And it was NOT originally a Christmas song, it was for Thanksgiving. Wikipedia tells us it was originally written as a poem, appearing in her Flowers for Children Vol. 2, in 1844. Although the modern Thanksgiving holiday is not normally associated with snow, New England in the early 19th century was enduring the Little Ice Age, (who knew?) a colder era with earlier winters. The complete verse with more historical info is here.
Also, when placing your holiday card order, 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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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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An Inspirational story written by David J. Pollay:
"How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back their focus on what's important. Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab.
Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"
And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." "Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did."
So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."
I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well, now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.
What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?
Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so..
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be worth it!"
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*Gina's note:
From what I can gather from author David Pollay's website, and his blog - he is not a horse person. However, his garbage truck analogy really resonated with me and my horse relationships. How many of us are emptying our "Garbage Trucks" on our horses? I know that when my Allie first came to live with us, I wanted our time together to be a stress reliever for me. However, I had not learned to leave my garbage outside the barn door. Allie was WAY ahead of the game in that respect - and she was NOT having it. The more "garbage" I brought - the worse things were between us. She didn't just let the garbage fall - she threw it back at me! So, for a few years, my metaphorical garbage pile in the barn got deeper, and deeper. Finally - in desperation, I hauled it all out to the dumpster and attempted to start fresh. It took a lot of retraining on my part (of myself). But I finally started to "get it" - and fortunately, I had this wonderful horse here waiting for me. Waiting like she had been all along - for me to be in the moment with her - and NOT my garbage.
There's more about Allie and I here and 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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Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is hereALL newsletters are 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 - 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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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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A Look At Life
From The Saddle
COWBOY CODE from pg 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, & neat.
- Learn all you can and cultivate wisdom.
- Speak straight, speak properly, & 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 & 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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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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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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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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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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