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HoofPrints Newsletter
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August 28, 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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More Farriers Business Cards added to online directory
I belong to several online horse groups, and nearly every day someone islooking for a farrier. There are many reasons for this - and I think we are quick to assume the worst when the "I can't find a farrier..." scenario comes up. Sometimes there's a reason that owners can't get a farrier to come, (bad working conditions, slow to pay, etc) or sometimes it's the farrier (won't show up on time, is rough with the horse(s), etc.) and we tend to gravitate toward that kind of thinking. But the fact is, there are lots of reasons farriers and owners need to "shop around" until they find a good fit. And they aren't all negative. For every story I hear about a farrier that won't keep appointments, or an owner who has unruly horses, I also hear stories about wonderful relationships between owners, farriers and their horses. If you take the time to get it right, hoof care can be a whole lot less of a headache for everybody involved. Since I started listing the business cards on Facebook as well as in the directory) I am delighted that our followers frequently take the time to chime in a kind word about their farrier. So, it's in that spirit that I list below our current batch of directory additions. (The cards shown here are for illustration purposes, were randomly chosen and are in no particular order.)Click on the state to view details for each farrier listed below: Alabama - Michael Driver, Jason Hyatt, Frank Stone Arizona - Carson Lengvary California - Tom Markham, Mark Scragg, Sam Fabila, Charlie Haynes Colorado - Tom Kirk Florida - Mark Martin Georgia - Chris Glover Iowa - Simon Bontrager, Clayton Sheeder Kansas - Brent Bloomberg Louisiana - Missy Fitzpatrick Maryland - Jeanne Starr Maine - Susan Walker, Kathryn Newbegin Missouri - Chad Dunham North Carolina - Bret Moore New Hampshire - Bub Gardner New Jersey - Clay Harp, Julie Pino New York - Ed Urbanski, Andrew Harris, Phil Spinelli Oklahoma - Nate Mauzerall Pennsylvania - Creekside Stables Farrier Service South Carolina - Bill O'Neill Tennessee - Dennis Loudermilk, Blake Primm Texas - J.D. Bookout Virginia - Walter Davis, Thomas Traeger Washington - Ann Szolas, Jim Hudkins, Chris Wilson Wisconsin - Austin Barnhart, Bill Mayfield You will notice that these folks' cards appear LARGER in the directory. We are in the process of changing over to this new larger size, so any order (or reorder) placed from now on will appear at the larger size. These free listings are good for two years and then drop off, unless renewed by reordering. There you have it, at least for now. We will feature the next batch of cards once we get some accumulated. If you're a farrier (or other equine professional) and are interested in ordering custom business cards, we have dozens of lovely full color logos to choose from here. And don't forget to look at page 2 here.
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SALE - 75% OFF!
FARRIERS:
Consider adding magnetic business card calendars
To your promotional efforts. These little dudes pack a lot of punch...
when you consider that they're going to be looked at, along with your business card, for the REST OF THE YEAR! Each month sports different "Things not to say to a hot, tired farrier" - sure to get a chuckle, and maybe help your working conditions.
These were a bargain at $1.00 each - but now even more so as we've marked them down to just 25�! Something else that we've NEVER PROMOTED (duh!) is the fact that the magnetic part on the top (see top left of the picture here) has a center portion that can be punched out - to create a SECOND MAGNET that will hold a business card by itself. So, you get the calender with the magnet on top for your business card, and a second piece of magnetic material for another business card. To order, click here.
Gina's note about ordering business cards:
I get orders from customers all the time - who've needed to get new business cards for a while - and have put off ordering because they are struggling to decide on the exact wording they want to use. I have done thousands of card layouts. If you're unsure of exactly what you're wanting, I WILL HELP YOU get it just right. Tell me approximately what you're wanting to convey and I will make up a good example for you to look at. If it's not quite right, we will revise until it is. There is no charge for revisions, and the vast majority of the layouts I do are approved on the first attempt.
I've even written a 6 page, profusely illustrated instructional article on how to create the perfect business card. To download that (it's a PDF), click here.
Business card orders also include a FREE listing in our online farrier directory. ***NOTE TO PAST CUSTOMERS*** our online farrier directory has grown so large that we had to remove listings that were not current. Listings are good for 2 years.
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FARRIERS: Folks are WATCHING you!!!
Sorry to creep you out, but it's true.
With all the hubbub these days about privacy, huge measures are being taken to manage what various business entities are allowed to do with a person's personal information. As a marketer who uses this information to help make decisions about products & promotions, it is very valuable to me in terms of being profitable to be able to accurately target folks who are likely to be interested in what we have to offer.
But there's a whole 'nother privacy thing that can come under the microscope when you work for the public. Like a farrier does. Every day, all across the world farriers make appearances at various folks' farms to do their work. And they're being observed. And sometimes (probably most times) those folks form an opinion about what they see. If it's interesting enough, they tell their friends. With the advent of the internet, they can tell a LOT of friends.
Consider A Farrier Tale from Horse & Man blog. This blogger tells an interesting account of a routine farrier visit - doesn't much mention the actual work being done - (are they being shod? barefoot? does everybody stand well? etc - typical stuff that farriers would think focus would be on) Instead, she describes her farriers' wardrobe, his grooming, even the behavior of his kids. How well he parks his truck. She becomes aware that the working conditions she's provided for him are less than stellar. It's a fascinating chronicle of how someone else views an ordinary interaction - you can read the rest here
Farriers are being talked about on another online group I belong to - this is a very technical group that discusses (often in detail way over my head) things like operant conditioning, bridge & target training, perception modification, and more. These are highly educated folks who are on the cutting edge of animal training research. I hang out there and read all this stuff that's light years ahead of my own skills - hoping a particle or two will rub off on me? There's one gal who's blind - she writes fascinating posts about her relationship with her service dog. Amazing stuff. Another gal works with troubled horses. She's rehabbed a number of "hopeless" cases. Including a mustang who'd been so traumatized by someone's effort to do "natural horsemanship" on him that he was afraid of even the water in his bucket. The discussion has recently shifted to hoof care. This gal shared her story - she'd spent eons of time getting this horse comfortable enough that she could even touch his feet. Finally she can pick them up and hold for a short time. She arranges for her farrier to come and give it a try. They discuss beforehand - he (the farrier) will do as much as he can on one foot, and they will consider the session a success and quit for the day. The farrier comes. The horse allows him to trim without much trouble. Farrier thinks he can do more. Against her better judgement, owner allows him to try. This is too much for the horse and he "misbehaves". Farrier HITS HIM with the rasp. Ugh. Of course, this negates months of work that's been done to gain this horse's trust. Fortunately for the farrier, the owner did not share his name. That wasn't really the point of her post - to trash the farrier - but to emphasize how very important it is that farrier interactions go successfully for a previously-traumatized horse in "recovery".
There's even a Facebook Group dedicated exclusively to Farriers Butts! With members all posting photos of their farriers butts. Of course I had to get in on the action. Shown above is my husband Rob trimming Billy, while Lucy cleans up. Rob stopped shoeing years ago because of a back injury, but he still trims ours. We've found that the HoofJack really helps with working on Billy's hind feet. His hocks and hips are arthritic and he is very heavy to hold up. This device lets him lean all he wants without strain on the farriers' back.
So, farriers, remember that folks are watching everything you do. Maybe even taking pictures. Make sure the fodder that they have to share is something you're proud of!
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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 samples* - so many wonderful things, 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.
*A note about the samples - Someone made a comment on the HoofPrints Facebook page that the samples are free to me and implied should thus be priced accordingly. Just to set the record straight - I pay for almost every sample I acquire. Occasionally an author or publisher will send me a book unsolicited, but I prefer to buy these anonymously so if I review and don't think it is a good fit for the product line, I don't feel guilty about not including it.
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.
ALSO NEW is Half Price JEWELRY here - The more I got to digging, the more I found. Jewelry doesn't take up much room - suffice to say there is a LOT of lovely stuff that needs to find a new home. Then there's that whole problem I have with the beads. It's getting worse. Stay tuned for details. 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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Got HOOF PROBLEMS? So do we!
This is unheard-of: a hardcover, profusely illustrated text for UNDER $50. 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!
Here's what the publisher says about it:
Hoof Problems by Rob Van Nassau is a much needed text that can be studied and enjoyed by farriers, veterinary surgeons and horse owners. Books have been written on the subject of horseshoeing for more than 500 years. However they have rarely been written by a practicing farrier and seldom with such detail.
The illustrations are detailed and there are many examples comparing various conformational faults which affect the equine leg and foot. A wide range of horse breeds and types are covered, including a chapter devoted to analyzing the link between the less than perfect leg - and it's effect upon the hoof capsule.
The author has obviously carried a camera throughout much of his shoeing career, documenting thousands of hooves as he worked on them. Hoof Problems is full of good case histories with "before" and "after" photography. A great, current reference book for anyone who deals with horses and their feet and legs.
To order Hoof Problems, and to see our complete selection of specially chosen books on farriery and lameness, click here.
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Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is hereALL newsletters are here |
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Heritage Farrier Gloves ON SALE!
Recognize that your HANDS are one of the most important tools that you use, and protect them accordingly. With wear, your gloves will become tattered, but consider that the damage they sustain would have been to your skin. These also come in Extra Small; we've had many requests for this size and previously were unable to offer. You can check out our complete selection here. |
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What's ON SALE?
No Foot, No Horse Mug here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Wood Blacksmith Sign
NO ADVICE NEEDED!NO SPOILED HORSES!See this and all our signs here |
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Farrier License Plate
Heavy Cast Aluminum License Plate is MADE IN USA details here |
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Look Professional
On The Job
Sturdy cotton golf shirts look and feel great! See our complete selection here |
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Select Farrier Art Prints
HALF PRICE!
Won't You Fix My Horse Too by Arthur Elsley just $9.95 here |
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TELL IT LIKE IT IS!
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Horsey Earrings only $4.98 per pair!
See all the HALF PRICE jewelry here |
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HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly!Order here |
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Need Horsey GIFT IDEAS?
A Woman's Place is on a Horse and more here |
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Leather Treat Pouch
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A New Favorite
~ Dog Book ~
I'm Listening witha Broken Ear here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ Christian Products ~
Cowboy & Cowgirl Bible Pocket Partners here |
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HOLD YOUR HORSES
Summer shirt sale here
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LONG TALL LIST
~ 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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Memorable Quote:
| This weeks quotes about PROBLEMS:
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." ~Albert Einstein
"Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them." ~Ronald Reagan
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were." ~John F. Kennedy
"Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country."
~Margaret Thatcher
"What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them."
~Henry Ford
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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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