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HoofPrints Newsletter
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May 6, 2014
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"If you think you're beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch that you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out of the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will -
And it's all in the State of Mind."
~ this is the inscription printed on the postcards that Mrs Bryar had made for Last of the Saddle Tramps author Messanie Wilkins. Wilkins became a bit of a celebrity on her journey, and was able to fund a great deal of her expenses by selling the cards to well-wishers along the way.
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Last week's newsletter here featured a lengthy excerpt from THE INVISIBLE WOMAN - WHEN ONLY GOD SEES
It's a sweet little hardcover book that's a fitting inspiration for all the women whose contributions are invisible to those around them. Shortly after sending that newsletter, I received this note from a subscriber:
"Boy Gina, you sure pushed a button today. The Invisible Woman. Just when I was feeling like all I was was a cash register, or several other things worse. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that excerpt." ~M.B.
This book has a presentation plate in the front - makes a great gift. It's illustrated throughout in sepia-toned photos, and is an inspirational read that's not too heavy/deep. WARNING! The book is not one bit horsey - no mention of equine anywhere. There's still time to order for Mother's Day - click here. |
13 titles recently added to HALF PRICE BOOKS!
Including THE HORSE IN ART by John Baskett. This one may be as close as I ever get to seeing a Munnings painting in person. He's one of my favorite equine artists. This profusely illustrated hardcover coffee table book begins with the horse in ancient civilizations, including masterpieces from Asia, and then discusses the horse in the Middle Ages, in which the animal was bred for warfare and agriculture and is represented in such scenes as the Bayeaux Tapestry. Renaissance artists, whose interest in horses was as great as that for the human form, are then discussed, evidence of which is shown in the skillful drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. The 17th century brought beautiful examples of naturalism from such masters as Peter Paul Rubens, while George Stubbs became the premier horse painter in 18th-century England. Works by Americans George Catlin and Frederic Remington are also explored, along with exquisite miniatures of natural scenes by Persian and Mughal painters from varying periods.
A new edition of a long out-of-print gem, The Horse in Art brings artistic representation of the horse to life - for only $20! See this, and the rest of the HALF PRICE BOOKS here
Clutter busting 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. 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. Now that Christmas is past, 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 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.
The 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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Here are some RIDING RULES for Old Horse Women:
* We DO NOT need to show up with our hair combed, make up on and wearing a clean shirt.
* Moaning, groaning and complaining about aching muscles is perfectly acceptable, as is taking Motrin (or something stronger) prior to a ride.
* Helping someone on or off the horse does not mean the rider is an invalid. It only means the horse got taller overnight.
* No one will comment about how big someone's butt looks in a saddle.
* When a horse is acting up we will accept that the horse is just having a bad hair day and it is not the rider's fault.
* Mentioning it is too hot, too dry, too humid, too wet, too buggy, etc., is considered self expression, not whining.
* We will acknowledge that horses are very strange animals and sometimes for no reason at all we fall off of them. If this happens to any rider the other riders will ascertain that the person is okay and then not mention the incident to another living soul, especially husbands and significant others.
* We will acknowledge, without apology, that riding more than 6 hours increases our grumpy level far more than any ego benefits we may get from riding longer.
* Looking at my bouncing fat is NOT an acceptable way of determining if I have a good seat. My fat always bounces, thank you. It is cushion I carry in case I fall off.
(author of the above rules is unknown)
No OTD (Older Than Dirt) rider shall be asked "What's your discipline?", "Are you showing next weekend?" or "What level are you?" Answers like "I am totally undisciplined", "I showed up today; isn't that enough?", and "Actually I tend to list a bit to the left" will be acceptable should anyone younger than dirt ask those ridiculous questions.
Mother's Day is May 11 - shown above is a great gift idea:
A Woman's Place is on A Horse!
What mom doesn't want to get out of the house and onto a horse?
This sparkly pink gift bag is sturdy, durable, and UNDER $5.00! It measures a handy 9 "x 4" x 12" (not counting the handles) When I posted a picture of it on HoofPrints Facebook page, a customer immediately chimed in: "I love this bag! It's just the right size for my lunch, or shoes + a big bottle of my favorite flavored water. And, since I carry a giant tote anyway, it takes up no room to have it folded and available when I need it, Plus -- it's pink; what more needs to be said?" ~Jenne
You can see this, and a sweatshirt that matches, along with all our other Horsewoman products here.
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"My horse's name was Tarzan,
but on that morning, he looked like an open moving van. He was piled high with everything essential to our journey, or just about everything I still owned. The only clear space on his back was 12 inches of saddle where I intended to rest my 61 inches and 150 pounds. My pockets were stuffed with gear, so my true weight was closer to 200.
I don't know how old Tarzan was. He was aged, but he wasn't a complainer. Depeche Toi, my dog, was 14 months. With a name like that, you might think he was a poodle, but he wasn't. The shaggy little brown and white dog was mostly Spaniel and Dachshund.
'All I ask of you is patience, ' I said to my 2 companions.
'We're heading off for a long walk, but someday we'll settle down. I promise.'
The someday I had in mind was 25 months away, when I'd be 65 and eligible for old age benefits. I didn't tell them that, nor did I tell them that when and if we settled down, why it wouldn't be for long.
Months back, my doctor at the hospital had told me that I had 2-4 years to live,
'If you live restfully.' I figured I'd get plenty of rest in the saddle. I couldn't rest in my house because the bank was taking over.
I'd lived most of my life in that little house. First with my parents, then with my mother and Uncle Waldo, and finally alone.
'We won't get to California standing around here.' I put my left foot in the stirrup, swing my right leg up and over, and settled down in the saddle. Tarzan swung around and walked toward the road. The dog trotted along behind us. I put my hand in one pocket to make sure that our bankroll of $32. was there. It was.
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Don't Look Back Necklace only $14.95 here |
The road that ran past my ancestral farm was called an endroad in Maine. A plain dirt road running off a paved road, and the farm sat back almost a mile from the traffic.
Now, as we walked down that endroad for the last time, II didn't have the heart to look back at my little house. (I don't imagine that I will ever see it again.)
We hadn't progressed 100 yards when I started having the jitters. I'd been convincing myself for weeks that my plan was a wise one, now only 100 yards from home, I wasn't so sure. What sort of idiot am I anyway? $32. wouldn't get us to California, and who in his right mind would hire an old woman to work at odd jobs along the way? If the newspapers were right, plenty of men were out of work, so who would hire a complete stranger, an old woman dressed like a man?"
-from Last of the Saddle Tramps by Messanie Wilkins, an inspirational story about one woman's trek across the US, from Maine to California, on horseback. To order click here |
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
- to my mom and all the other moms out there...
I've known my mom for a long time. (my whole life) She's always been an inspiration with her "can do" attitude. There was no task that could not be accomplished with perseverance and hard work. Now that she and dad are retired, she's applied that same philosophy to having fun and adventure. They set off across the country in 60+ year old cars. They climb to the top of Sydney Harbor bridge in Australia (gasp) and a few years ago they rode mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The old car stuff is pretty much dad's idea, but the mule ride was something mom always wanted to do. So, she booked the trip, and they did it. For those of you who don't know about this ride, it involves riding mules on skinny trails next to steep cliffs with deadly drop-offs. And riding on a wooden suspension bridge that goes waaaayyy across - a huge distance above a river (and lots of sharp rocks). The fact that they've never "lost a rider" would be little consolation to my very much afraid of heights brain. But they survived, and had a very good time, too. I am flattered that she chose HoofPrints Tao of Equus jacket to wear on such a memorable trip.
Mother's day marks the five-year anniversary of my grandmother's death on Mother's Day weekend, 2009. My grandma (more about her below) was one of the strongest women I ever knew, she was a hard worker, enterprising, and smart. She lived her life to it's fullest, right up til the end, even when her aging body was failing her spirit was strong. Noted women's health doctor Christiane Northrup speaks of mother-daughter wisdom, and the role of mitochondrial DNA. mtDNA is essentially your cells' mechanism by which food is converted to energy. Your ability to take a little fuel and keep going, your guts and fortitude, so to speak. The fascinating thing about this dna is that it only is passed from mother to daughter. Not one bit of mitochondrial genetic material is inherited from the father. This explains perfectly, now, why horse breeders of old placed such value on the tail-female line, and why the mares (mothers) were so prized.
So, I hope that I can live up to the legacy of the mothers that came before me. I am just not quite ready to ride a strange mule along the side of a cliff to the bottom of a rocky canyon. But maybe someday I will...
My riding adventures these days look a little more like this - French & Saunders are a comedy duo from the UK. Check out this spot featuring two women and their horses here. |
The Saint Bernard is an old breed of Swiss origin used for three centuries of rescue work at the famous Hospice in the Swiss Alps. They are credited with saving thousands of lives. The dogs' highly developed sense of smell made them ideal for locating people lost during snowstorms. (More info at AKC's website here)
Shown here is Family Favorites, a sweet print by famed Victorian artist Arthur Elsley. I have both framed and unframed versions of this 16"x20" print available here.
My grandparents raised these big dogs, so my early childhood memories always included having lots of puppies to play with. My grandma kept all the correspondence with the owners of their puppies, and in going through the boxes of pedigrees, letters and photographs, I came upon some documents that surprised me - my grandmother's advertising copy. In spite of a college degree in marketing, I have written promotional copy badly for many years, and somewhat better (hopefully) for the last few... Grandma is a rural Indiana farm woman; she raised 3 children, ran a small dairy on their farm, and nurtured up countless baby orphans of all species. The promotional copy she wrote nearly 50 years ago - for the purebred Saint Bernard puppies they had for sale is informative, confident and sincere. With no formal training she wrote with a high level of polish and professionalism - something that I have worked on for over half my life, and still struggle with.
Here's a snippet from a letter sent to purchasers of her puppies:
"Take your Saint through obedience school if at all possible, and then when you start to show it, you'll have a dog that will obey and understand what is going on. Not everyone that enters a dog show takes home the ribbons, but if your dog has behaved in the ring you'll be surprised to know how many others have noticed this and admired it, and many will compliment you on your dog's behavior. You'll leave that ring, maybe not with the ribbon, but with a lot of pride in your heart and a true sense of accomplishment."
(this is great advice for anyone showing dogs or horses! Way to go, Grandma!)
With all that said, the Saint Bernard is not a breed for everyone. They slobber, shed, and need good training and socialization. They're described as
"...willful, stubborn and independent animals who sometimes listen and other times do not." (more here) As you can imagine, 150+ pounds of "doesn't listen" often lands these dogs in shelters. One of my favorite rescue groups that I follow on Facebook is Big Fluffy Dog Rescue. At first blush, the name is, well, "fluffy" and doesn't sound very serious. However, these folks really have their act together. They are working with placing huge breeds (Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernards, Newfoundlands and their mixes) in good homes. This may be a 200 pound dog that can (and will) drag a person or barge over them because no one ever taught them not to. With all that hair can also come skin problems. Super size skin problems. And scary sounding orthopedic issues with names like luxating patellas... You get the idea. They tackle these issues full steam ahead and keep their eyes on the goal - and they are having success - as evidenced by the 125,000+ fans supporting them.
Anyway, even if you're not in the market for a Big Fluffy Dog, you'll enjoy the "resumes" of the available dogs on their Facebook page. The admins for the page do an excellent job of marketing these dogs in an informative, truthful, and entertaining way. |
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Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is here ALL newsletters are here
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This Hug's For You
Equine Sympathy Cards here |
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Silver Dog Whistle
Solid Sterling Silver Whistle on waxed cotton cord here
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Collectable Horse Whispers Sculptures
Wish Upon A Horse, and more here
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Tin Sign Just 99�
HORSEwork before HOUSEwork
Sturdy Tin Signs just 99� each
To order click here
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Horsewoman's
HAIR CONTROL IDEAS
HORSEwork before HOUSEwork Plad Cap 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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HoofPrints has it! The classic print "FOUND"
12x16 Print available here
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HALF PRICE!
Underwater Dogs
Freakishly funny photos of dogs diving underwater to retrieve toys. A fun, creative way to enjoy the year - makes a great gift for the dog lover on your list. 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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COFFEE & DOG HAIR
I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM
16 oz Ceramic Travel Mug with leakproof lid only $16.95 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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Copper HoofPrint Bracelets in 7 colors!
Hand tied right here at HoofPrints - see them all here
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HORSEY
AIR FRESHENERS
Leather - Hay - Carrot
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Horse Lovers Bible
Leather bound Bible is gift boxed - it's the bestselling NIV version with additional 12 pages of horse photos accompanied by inspirational thoughts and scripture verses.
Bible Pocket Partners
31 days of meaningful devotional pages - perfect for cowboys and cowgirls of all ages! HoofPrints Christian products are here
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Cowboy 10 Commandments Sign
Sturdy Embossed Tin Sign is under $10. - order here
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3rd in the Series!
I Make Horse Calls, More Horse Calls & Call Dr Tebow - She Makes Horse Calls (new) Books about living a dream with horses here |
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Mule & Donkey items
Check out this brass longear charm and more here |
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Stay Warm with a VEST
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HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly Order here |
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BAD DOG
A Love Story
This story is an epic journey to sobriety and a well behaved dog at the same time. At one point a professional tells the author that his angst is responsible for a great deal of the reason his dog acts out. (How many of us horse owners are learning the exact same thing?) There's excellent commentary on dog training methods currently popular today woven in with the author's experience with AA's 12 step program. This book is funny, serious, and thought provoking. To order click 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 the company 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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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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