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HoofPrints Newsletter
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October 30, 2012
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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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First, thanks to everyone who pre-ordered this year. We processed the credit cards upon receiving the orders, so your money is already helping horses in need via One Horse at a Time. Sarah and I had so much fun with the calendar the last two years - we had all this time to think about creative new ideas for this 2014 version. And ideas we had! Above is a little Halloween ad that I made using elements from October 2013 - which featured bald-faced, blue eyed horses with a little bit of a scary theme (back issues are still available). Another thing we added was dozens of fun, horse-related holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and trivia. Do you know when Secretariat's birthday is? The name of the horse Paul Revere chose for his famous ride on April 18, 1775? The date of National Eat A Red Apple Day? You will if you ordered this calendar.
Now, for the update. All this creativity took a little longer than we anticipated. We are running a bit behind our projected delivery date of mid-October. The calendars are at the printer now. We hope to have them in hand shortly and will begin shipping as soon as they come in. Thanks to everyone for their patience. It'll be worth the wait - we promise!
Almost ready! HORSES & 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 our 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 I thought we could expect to sell a few hundred of the calendars. Boy, was I ever wrong. Two years and several thousand 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.
If you've not already reserved your calendar(s) you can see thumbnails of all the months here, and place your order here.
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Christmas on the Farm
was a huge hit last fall. I kept it a secret because I couldn't get any.
Yup, the publisher let themselves RUN OUT of a CHRISTMAS title in the months preceding Christmas. That's an example of what makes mail order so fun/exciting (not) - as I was told when I put it in 100,000 catalogs they had good stock on this and it is a fairly new book (albeit a compilation of vintage material) I had a lot of disappointed customers who tried to order and couldn't. Anyway, now it's back and I can tell you all about it!
Christmas on the Farm is a Collection of Favorite Recipes, Stories, Gift Ideas and Decorating Tips from The Farmer's Wife magazine.
Christmas was the be-all, end-all celebration on the farm. Pages and pages on the topic appeared in The Farmer's Wife (published 1893-1939), and these pages weren't just about food-although recipes for all the various components of parties and holiday gift baskets certainly abounded.
The magazine's experts expounded on the best and latest ways to decorate home, tree, and parcels and to create homemade gifts for family and friends, as well as games to be played to capture the spirit of the season. In short, The Farmer's Wife presented its own opinion-both grand and humble, broad and minute, and always, always bearing in mind the idea of community among its readers-about the ways in which Christmas should be celebrated.
You'll find in this book a smattering of that opinion. Here are recipes to see you through the entire Christmas season; gift ideas guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing; tips for decking your halls; and even a few stories to delight both the young and the young at heart.
Even though this excerpt was first published in 1911, it's words are still relevant today:
"Do's and Don'ts for Christmas" Pledge
Do, if you can keep it, sign this pledge. It was circulated by some enthusiastic young reformer and called "Yours for a courageous, sincere, and Christly Christmas" -
I will give no gift which I cannot afford.
I will give no gift which has not love behind it.
I will give some gifts which shall not be exchange gifts at all but genuine generosity to someone to whom it will mean very much.
Don't do up a parcel in such poor wrapping paper or in such a flimsy manner that the wrapper may easily be torn and separated from the contents.
Don't fail to put your name and address, preceded by the word "from", on the upper left-hand corner of every piece of mai.
Don't forget to mail parcels early.
Don't say that you expect nothing. You know that would not be so.
Don't sigh for a baby grand piano if a barrel of flour would do you more good.
Don't forget, if you are going to play Santa Claus, that cotton is not as innocent as it looks.
Don't go around complaining that the true spirit of Christmas has departed. That is not the way to bring it back.
Don't forget you were a child once yourself.
Don't give simply for the purpose of showing that you can afford to do so.
Don't value the gift by the amount of its cost.
Don't put aside until tomorrow the good cheer you may spread today.
To order Christmas on the Farm click here |
Since my office and warehouse are here on the farm in central Indiana, there are some weeks that I never leave the place. But I get to vacation "vicariously" via friends like Cherri.
Shown here is Cherri's horse Gilbert - he's wearing a PROTECT THIS HORSE medallion on his bridle. Cherri is gracious enough to share her awesome trail ride vacation pictures with her Facebook friends, and from the looks of some of those challenging trails, she and Gilbert certainly needed their medallions!
These make great stocking stuffers - more than just horsey jewelry - but a reminder that the giver wants the recipient(s) to stay safe from harm. Something they'll think about every time they wear it. To order Protect This Horse & Protect This Rider medallions click here. PROTECT THIS DOG medallions are here.
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MANURE MOVERS OF AMERICA
Now on a Sweatshirt! We have a whole page of products dedicated t horse manure. Why would we put a page full of products dedicated to HORSE MANURE on our website? The fact is, if you've got horses, you've got manure. And lots of it. Most of us accept this as a not-all-that-unpleasant aspect of horse ownership. City folk pay to go to the gym. I can clean stalls for free! It's a great fitness workout routine - 7 days a week. Do kennel owners have an endearing relationship with dog poop? I doubt it. But for horse folk, it's all part of the lifestyle. Enjoy our humorous selection here.
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SPRING CLEANING - (now FALL 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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Living A Dream With Horses... I Make Horse Calls Interesting characters, both human and equine, enrich the lives of veterinarians every day. I Make Horse Calls and More Horse Calls are collections of true heartwarming, not heartbreaking, stories from equine veterinary practice. From the rare diseases that pose diagnostic challenges, to the exhilaration of saving lives and the joy of life itself, these true, uplifting stories allow the reader a personal glimpse into the world of veterinary practice. I Make Horse Calls and More Horse Calls define the importance of teamwork between owner and veterinarian in order to save the lives of animals, while exposing the depth of the human-animal bond. These humorous and poignant stories entertain readers with a wide array of equine and human characters and along the way deliver small doses of education about horse care. They illustrate the dedication of veterinarians and the important role owners play in the health care team that maintains their horses' good health. You'll enjoy following the author on her challenging journey from show horse groom, through pre-vet classes through veterinary school and into practice. Gina's note: These stories aren't all about the author curing animals. One in particular stands out in my mind, where the author's own dog Pischka was sick and no vet could diagnose: "She acted like a horse with colic, sitting with her head held low, her nose hovering just above her toes, refusing to eat. I took her to my regular vet seeking help.
He diagnosed an upset stomach from eating garbage. I knew he was wrong because Pischka didn't have access to garbage. He insisted. I followed his advice, giving her mineral oil for an upset stomach, the same treatment horse vets use for colic, but I know she got better on her own.
When the problem recurred, I took Pischka to a different clinic. The vet again diagnosed "garbage can gut". When I described her symptoms, he told me dogs don't get those kind of symptoms. He implied that I was crazy, because dogs don't get colic. And he recommended mineral oil.
When the problem occurred the next time, I tried a third vet, who said Pischka wasn't sick. I was frustrated that none of the vets tried to figure it out. The problem recurred several times a year, but she remained undiagnosed until I became a vet student. The next time she was sick I took her to the teaching hospital. A senior vet student, in less than five minutes, using only her hands, diagnosed a rare liver condition based on the size of her liver. She just did a thorough physical exam, including palpating her abdomen, and lab tests later confirmed her diagnosis."
.... the book goes on to describe the condition in detail ... the author continues:
"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."
To order Horse Calls & More Horse calls 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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It'll be here before you know it! Order Christmas Cards now
FOUR favorite horsey Christmas card designs plus all our old favorites are here |
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Underwater Dogs Calendar FREE
FREE 2013 Underwater Dogs Calendar with purchase of the 2014 version
This is not your typical dog calendar, picturing impeccably groomed, beautiful specimens of various breeds - this one features a shocking new image each month - of a freakishly distorted dog(s) face - as he or she plunges into the water to retrieve a toy! Guaranteed to give a chuckle. Calendars pages make great scrapbook page backgrounds too - example here.
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Breyer Pink Stablemate
A sweet little gift that's only $8.95! To order click here |
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INSPIRATIONAL STRETCH BRACELETS
These comfortable stretchy elastic bands feature a two sided message plaque with horse charm. One size fits most - band is about 7" unstretched.
I love the fun messages that these feature:
"I'm Still Hot - It Just Comes In Flashes Now"
"Life is Tough - But I Am Tougher"
"The Biggest Risk In Life - Is the One You Don't Take"
"Count Your Blessings - Not Your Troubles"
They're inexpensive, lightweight and fun. They come nicely packaged on flat cards, so could be mailed (also inexpensively) as a thoughtful gift along with a card.
These are only $9.95 each and I have a special deal going - BUY 3 - GET THE 4TH FREE! To order click here.
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ for Horsewomen ~
Horsewoman's Long Tall List of Things to Do here
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Keep Calm & RIDE ON!
Vintage glass dome necklace here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
A Dog's Journey
Sequel to best-seller A Dog's Purpose here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Spiritual Book
Desiderata for Horse Lovers makes a great gift! order 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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NO Catalog this fall!
After 20+ years of doing a catalog, I decided to save some trees and encourage folks to shop online - to get started click here. You can still sign up to be on the mailing list 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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