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HoofPrints Newsletter
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September 21, 2013
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Big News! HORSES AND HOPE Calendar for 2014
First, let's talk about 2012 and 2013.
The debut Horses and Hope Calendar, which became affectionately known as "The Little Calendar that Could" was successful beyond our wildest imaginings. When equine photographer Sarah K. Andrew approached me about helping on the project, she said that folks had been asking her to put something together with her auction and rescue horse images. But she was busy taking pictures, and working her day job at Thoroughbred Daily News - she didn't have the resources in place to orchestrate the layout, printing, payment and order processing, fulfillment, etc. Stuff that HoofPrints already was doing as part of the business. For me, designing the calendar was a fun departure from my regular catalog layout so it didn't really seem like work as I logged many hours choosing photos and fitting them onto the pages with the inspirational quotes and stories that Sarah and I chose together.
I have 20+ years experience in mail order marketing to the horse industry. Calling upon that infinite wisdom (ha ha), I told Sarah that first year that I thought we could expect to sell a few hundred of the calendars. Boy, was I ever wrong. Thousands of calendars later, we've presented nearly $100,000. to Sarah's chosen charity One Horse At A Time. I could not be more pleased with her choice, and there's an article I wrote explaining why here. The stats from OHAAT co-founder Penny Austin outlining exactly what they did with the money are here.
Now for the Big News! 2014 is in the works now. Sarah's expanded her subject matter to include horses in need beyond the auction in New Jersey. This time, the calendar is themed EVERY HORSE HAS A STORY. Now that Sarah and I have two calendar's worth of experience to draw upon, this version promises to be even more exciting, even more creative, and as always, inspirational and positive. We are also expanding the reach of the donations a bit to include some additional carefully chosen charities; this will let your funds help in an even larger variety of ways! More details are forthcoming. The SMART THING about this particular project is the fact that it represents a whole bunch of people seeing a problem that bothered them (unwanted horses not finding good homes) and, instead of sitting around complaining about it, they DID SOMETHING. From the folks who do the hands-on work of rescuing, to those who take in a rescue horse instead of purchasing their next mount, to those like Sarah who use their special skills to help facilitate this process and right down to everyone who spent just $20 to buy one of these calendars. Stuff got done. A LOT of horses were saved, and a LOT of awareness was created. We hope that this 2014 edition will help do more of the same.
We are taking prepaid orders. Reserve your copy now for October delivery. ***note*** We will be charging credit cards immediately when orders are placed. Meaning you are pre-paying now for something that will ship in the future. We do NOT have a firm ship date at this time. Thanks for understanding. If you prefer NOT to pre-pay, you can watch our email newsletter and we will keep you informed on the progress of the calendar so you can submit your order once they are in stock. Prepaid orders will ship first.
You can see the December 2014 calendar page, and reserve your copy here.
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You asked for it -And HoofPrints delivered! Several of you inquired about a Copper HoofPrint NECKLACE. I tried pretty hard to come up with a design using the glass pony beads - goodness knows I had plenty of components to work with - but it just wasn't working. Then, I found these GEMSTONE necklaces - in lovely colors that match the copper perfectly. These are unique in that they are a little longer (adjusts from 22" - 25") The beads are a chunky 7mm (about 5/16") so it makes for a substantial necklace. Comes in 3 colors - Red Tigereye (shown), Gold Tigereye, and Autumn Marble. See these, and the other HoofPrint jewelry here
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Stupidity sabbatical - I think we need a break.
These days, I'm just working on being a more confident leader for her. By myself. I sure wish I had an expert to help me along, but I am terrified of another incident involving conflict. I've reframed my expectations to include enjoying riding badly. As author Michael Johnson quotes the "little voice" in his book Healing Shine: "Best way is - YOU DO IT!" And so it goes. I'll share more next time.
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FALL GIRL
My life as a western stunt double
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, horse trainer and show rider Martha Crawford Cantarini was among the busiest of Hollywood's elite corps of female stunt riders. She was the regular stunt double for such actresses as Eleanor Parker, Anne Baxter and Shirley MacLaine, appearing in films ranging from Elvis Presley's debut feature Love Me Tender to the epic western The Big Country. This fascinating insider's account of the American entertainment industry recounts Martha's personal and professional associations with Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Jean Simmons, and other Hollywood luminaries.
What could be better than a lady's memoirs about all manner of wild rides horseback. Many of us talk about the days we did these things, but Martha did it on a grand scale, and then she sat down and wrote this awesome book about her adventures. Way to go, Martha! You can order your copy of her book here. About the author:
Martha has worked with, and kept, horses all of her life, and loves and respects them. She has saved movie horses that studios were ready to sell off to the "glue factory" after they had outlived their usefulness in films. One such horse she saved was Midnight - the horse that Clint Eastwood had ridden in the Rawhide television series as his character Rowdy Yates.
When Martha began her career in stunt work, she was one of a small handful of ladies who dared perform that kind of work, and they pretty much did it all anonymously so that the stars themselves would get the credit. Few outside the motion picture industry knew of their hard and dangerous work and sacrifice. Martha was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame in 2004, and was a Golden Boot Award Honoree in 2005. She currently lives in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada with her husband John, who is a retired jockey. More about Martha and other stunt riders here.
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Another scary picture...
Not that I spy on you all, but I do keep an eye on the number of clicks on each link and on the pictures in the newsletters.
One of the top performing images in this newsletter (whose headlined warned of scary pictures) was the picture of the tarantula. Even though the caption said that it would take the viewer to more tarantula pictures, folks clicked on it anyway. At rates higher than other images carefully chosen for their appeal to horse and dog lovers. Hmmm. What we've got here is my best effort to find a picture that combines the two. A shockingly scary image, AND something for dog lovers. At first it looks like a monster, but what it really is, is an underwater shot of a dog retrieving a ball, by talented photographer Seth Casteel. The amount of distortion that happens to a dog's face when it hits the water is remarkable, and varies in scary-ness by breed. HoofPrints has a whole calendar of scary Underwater Dogs photos available here. |
Amazing Dog Facts & Trivia
Did you know that the Charles Bridge in Prague (construction began 1357) is decorated with numerous statues & plaques. One plaque shows a guard rubbing a dog's head. It has become popular for visitors to rub the dog to ensure that a spouse will remain faithful. Look how shiny the dog is in the picture here - he's been polished by years of visitor's hands rubbing.
This info (and photo) is from the dog version of the very popular Amazing Dog Facts and Trivia. For just $12.99 you can get 192 pages of trivia and pictures of things you did not know about dogs. This is a fun, and interesting book that has all sorts of dog trivia that many lifelong dog lovers will discover that they did not know. And pictures - bazillions of color pictures showing all that stuff you didn't know that you didn't know! And it's written in such a way that folks of all levels of knowledge and experience will find it interesting. Not too elementary - not too technical. There are lots of great training tips, too. Also did you know...
- The oldest dog ever was Bluey, an Austalian Cattle dog who lived to be 29?
- The term "Dog Fancying" means breeding dogs for particular features and was coined in the 19th century.
- The ancient Greeks believed that the sultry summer heat was caused by Sirius, the dog star, hence the term "dog days".
- There are paintings of dogs in the Lascaux caves of France (not just horses!)
The publisher tells me this is out of stock and they will NOT be reprinting, so my stock is limited to what I have on hand. This would make a great Christmas gift - so here's your chance to grab one up and get a jump on your holiday shoppting. To order 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 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.
Half Price PRINTS are 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 on that.
Newest is Half Price Books & Magazine Back Issues here
This represents a major turning point for HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling. This treasure trove of magazine back issues has been lovingly collected and hoarded for many, many years. It's getting to be a space problem, keeping them all stored AND due to the sheer volume of them, along with my busy schedule, they rarely get any attention. But even now, as I go through them to write sales descriptions, I am feeling sad at the prospect of letting go of this vast collection of pictures and articles about all the things I love - Horses, Dogs, Farriery and Blacksmithing, The West, Pretty Western Clothes and Jewelry, Awesome Country Homes, Recipes for Hearty Food, Healthy Living, Spirituality and more. I'll do my best to mention the content that stands out to me in the descriptions. Prices on these back issues reflect the fact that I am still very much in love with them, however they are at or below what the publishers are charging. The current sales list is small, but I'll be adding more as I am able; going through these is a slow process, as you can imagine, I get sidetracked frequently by all the fascinating content that lead me to hoard these in the first place.
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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MEMORABLE QUOTE
 I had spent my whole life looking into the eyes of horses. I had seen fear, defiance, and even acceptance, but here was something else. Here was an old soul. I could see in his eyes the look of someone who had already seen too much and had refused to be beaten by it. I was face to face with a king, with a champion who wouldn't quit."
~ Martha Crawford Cantarini from Fall Girl - My Life as a Western Stunt Double
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Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is here ALL newsletters are here
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Blacksmith Calendar
2014 Blacksmith Calendar available now + back issues only $1.9 9 here |
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CHEAP Earrings
Only $4.98 per pair and they actually are pretty nice. See them here |
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Horse Savvy Planner
FREE 2013 Planner with purchase of 2014 Planner while supplies last here |
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Last of the Saddle Tramps
One woman's 7,000 mile horseback odyssey here |
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Mule & Donkey items
Check out this brass longear charm and more here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
SALE on Spring T's
3 Springy Horsey T-shirts less than $10 each here! |
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HUGE DISCOUNTS
On select Memorial Jewelry here |
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Leather Treat Pouch
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Don't Look Back
That's Not Where You're Going - Inspirational Necklace only $14.95 here |
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HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly Order here |
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WHAT'S HALF PRICE?
I'm Still Hot!
It' Just Comes In Flashes Now Bracelet here |
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HALF PRICE
Fleece Lined Trapper Hat and Pony Girl Hood are both discontinued. Half Price while supplies last here |
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CAVALIA
See the books & DVDs here |
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Best Selling Christian Horse Books
Horse Tales from Heaven and Heavenly Horse Sense Christian Horse titles 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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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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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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