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HoofPrints Newsletter
May 29, 2014
Rob shoeing Rocky
ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTER
Farriers 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.

Treat Pouch
I am a little slow as far as getting on board with new technology... I only recently acquired a smart phone, in fact the photo above of HoofPrints very popular treat pouch shows the old Motorola flip phone that was my trusty companion for years...
And after I got the smart phone, I failed to utilize even a fraction of it's cool features. Gradually, though, I have started to put it through it's paces. It's finally having to do more than tell me what time it is, send an occasional text, and help me figure out if it is going to rain...
 
Recently I discovered the Endomondo App. Mostly I needed something to help me keep track of my riding time after my watch broke, but this does MUCH more than that. It was designed by runners, but has all manner of other fitness endeavors, including cycling, walking and horseback riding. It keeps track of your time, distance, route, speed, altitude, calories burned and more! If you're so inclined, you can share your activities with friends and you can see what they are up to, too. Now I am not a fitness freak by any stretch, and at this stage of my life I need more than a little encouragement to step away from the computer, put down the ice cream and spend some time moving around. This elegantly engineered app is FREE! The only downfall I can see is that it can drain your phone battery as it's keeping track of your efforts, but for my purposes (not far from home, have a good signal, and not riding for long periods of time) it works GREAT. More info here.   

 

So, if you too get all motivated and want to try out this nifty app on your phone, you'll need a way to carry your phone with you while you ride. Even if you're not inclined to feed your horse treats on the trail, HoofPrints leather Treat Pouch can help you out by carrying your phone, and any other necessities you may want to bring along. It's just the right size (not too big, not too small), sturdy and substantial but not too heavy. And only $19.95! To order a treat pouch click here 

ON SALE! The Doctor Is In All I Pay My Psychiatrist is the Cost of Feed and Hay... he'll listen to me any day!

Here is a delightful way to keep track of those early summer temps we've been experiencing! We found this spiffy metal thermometer - with the perfect horse saying - AND IT'S ON SALE for only $12.95! (limited time offer) It's made of durable, fade resistant tin, measures a big 17" tall, and is suitable for indoor our outdoor use. The thermometer glass is a FULL 6" tall - and the numbers are big enough to read easily.

What a great (and useful) gift idea for a horse-loving friend. And it's inexpensive enough to send "just because".

I have dozens of folks I call my friends - that I've met along my horse challenge journey, who I have never actually met in person. They're part of various internet communities that I frequent, and they've all helped me immensely with their encouragement, wise words and advice for all manner of equine quandaries. Training, nutrition, tack - you name it - someone in cyberspace has answered my questions about it. In my experience, when used with discernment and further research, this information has proven to be every bit as helpful and valuable as the advice that I have gotten from a myriad of professionals that I have PAID along the way. When one of my internet friends goes out of his or her way to help me - I always wish I had something appropriate that I could send as a thank you gift. This is the PERFECT solution. To order one for yourself or for your friend(s) click here  

Horsewoman's Prayer text with medallion
I had this one rattling around in my head for years
It took a long time to sort out how I wanted to word it - in a way that reflects my hopes and dreams for my interactions with horses these days. It's not about perfecting a certain movement, or winning a ribbon, or beating a time. These days it's more about just getting out there and enjoying the simple things.

Horsewoman's Prayer Framed
A Horsewoman's Prayer is printed on parchment, double matted in a fancy mat with a brass Epona Medallion inset in the corner. The frame is an antique horseshoe pattern and it has a sawtooth hanger on the back for hanging. You can order the framed verse here

Here's what wikipedia says aboutEpona
"In Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, donkeys, and mules. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, ears of grain and the presence of foals in some sculptures suggested that the goddess and her horses were leaders of the soul in the after-life ride, with parallels in Rhiannon of the Mabinogion."

Epona is celebrated in Michigan each year;
"On Mackinac Island, Michigan, Epona is celebrated each June with stable tours, a blessing of the animals and the Epona and Barkus Parade. Mackinac Island, Michigan does not permit any personal automobiles: the primary source of transportation remains the horse, so celebrating Epona has special significance on this island in the Upper Midwest."
Hold Your Horses T
"Hold Your Horses"...
I got this one in a while back from our friends at Snorgtees. I liked it, but I didn't love it - so I set it aside and it ended up not getting featured in the catalog - I ran out of space. So I put the sample on our HALF PRICE / One of A Kind page (since I only had one) and it was snatched up in a matter of minutes. My webmaster was away from his computer and we didn't get it taken off the site right away. I could have sold a bunch of them - as multiple people continued to try to order that one shirt. At this point, I decided to give this one another look - so here it is! A soft, royal blue cotton T - with a funny/serious play on words. And it's ON SALE $5.00 OFF! - to order, click here. (these run a little small, so be sure to check the size chart for help getting the perfect fit)
BEST NEWS EVER! They're Making A MOVIE!
Beautiful Jim Key is gonna be a MOVIE!
 
In case you missed the last newsletter: Here's the good news: ! have raved about this book for YEARS. Suffice to say it is one of my favorites.
I like books that are engaging. Meaning that they cause me to think, and to ask questions. Although it IS a fine line - if there are too many questions and not enough answers, then I feel the author has not done his or her job of providing sufficient details to keep the reader interested in the story.

You will have your own questions, too, if you read this book. "How in the world did such an amazing story slip into obscurity?" "Why didn't horse lovers latch onto this equine cultural icon - and keep his memory alive?" All of us know about Clever Hans - the horse who was able to read the subtle body language of humans, and could answer all manner of questions. It was subsequently proven that if the person asking Hans the question did not know the answer, then he did not either - thus denouncing Hans' "cleverness" after all. Ironically, the "experts" studied Beautiful  Jim Key and were not able to relegate his alleged 6th grade intelligence to some sort of ruse or parlor trick. So why was he forgotten?

Jim Key's owner/trainer Dr William Key was a former slave. He traveled with his horse to places where he was regarded as something below the animal he was presenting. His educated, dignified image, openness and kindness with Jim Key often softened the hearts of those who would otherwise oppose him solely due to his race.

Here are a few bits of trivia that I found remarkable: 
� Jim Key (the horse) was a half Arabian stallion (his dam was an arabian mare formerly owned by PT Barnum - who was purported to be worth her weight in gold - exhibited as such - then forgotten, abused and neglected... this is a fascinating story in it's own right) 
� Dr Key followed his master's sons as they fought in the civil war - himself fighting - as he looked after their well being as best he could. 
� Dr Key was imprisoned at one point during the war, and was able to win his freedom through a series of card games. 
� Beautiful Jim Key was the first real "spokes-horse" for the humane movement. Serving to provoke thought in a society who previously viewed horses as only transportation - without any reason to consider that they should be treated compassionately. 
� This story nearly faded into obscurity - but Dr Key had meticulously kept a trunk of records, documentation, etc. Through a series of fascinating coincidences, this information came to Tennessee native and author Mim Echler Rivas. As if chosen by fate to tell the story - Rivas rose marvelously to the challenge. The resulting book,  Beautiful Jim Key is one that should be in everyone's library. And now there's even more reasons to read it if you've not already:

This week, the wonderful news broke that MORGAN FREEMAN has signed up to star in a movie version of Beautiful Jim Key.

Based on Mim Eichlar Rivas' book, it's the true story of showman Dr William Key and his trained horse of the title. When racism relegates the showman to carnival sideshows, he recruits former PT Barnum promoter Albert Rogers, now a washed-up drunk, and the pair turn the horse into a nationwide sensation and centerpiece of the 1904 St Louis Exposition.

 

Robert Rodat makes his feature directorial debut from his own screenplay and previously collaborated with Mark Gordon on The Patriot and Saving Private Ryan, for which both men earned Oscar nods.

 

Production is set to kick off in early 2015.

Joining Gordon on the producer roster are Revelations' Lori McCreary, Cargo's Marina Grasic and Rogers Hartmann. Clay Pecorin and Russell Geyser from Two Ton and Michele Wolkoff from The Mark Gordon Company are executive producers.

"Bob and I have had a long and fruitful collaboration over the years and I am so excited to be working with him on his directorial debut," said Gordon. "The story of Dr William Key, his horse, Beautiful Jim Key, and their partner, Albert Rogers, is one of the most amazing stories I've ever come across," said Rodat. "The key element in my vision for this film is that we see both the light and the dark, that we have a wide, emotional, tonal and visual spectrum."

"Every once in a while a story comes along that is the perfect confluence of real events and profound truth," said McCreary. "And every once in a while there is a character that is written so well, that it deserves Morgan Freeman's presence. Beautiful Jim Key is both." More here , here , and here 

 

To celebrate, AND to make sure everyone has a chance to read this great book in anticipation of the movie, I have a limited number of copies ON SALE FOR $9.00 OFF here. These are brand new books but they appear to have a little age on them.
To order a pristine version click here.

Clean Up CLOSEUP
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 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. 

The Closeouts Page is here
It features items that are being phased out - still lots of good deals to be had there, too.
In This Issue
Endomondo & Treat Pouch
The Doctor Is In Thermometer
Horsewoman's Prayer
Hold Your Horses T
Beautiful Jim Key Movie!
Clutter busting continues
What's on sale?
Here's what we talked about last time
What Did I Miss? graphic
Last newsletter is  here   
ALL newsletters are here
Keep Calm & RIDE ON!
Keep Calm Necklace
Vintage glass dome
necklace here
Equine ER Book
Equine ER Book Cover
See this and more books about people helping animals here
This Hug's For You

Equine Sympathy Cards here
Silver Dog Whistle
Dog Whistle
Solid Sterling Silver Whistle on waxed cotton cord here
Collectable Horse Whispers Sculptures
Wish Upon A Horse Sculpture
Wish Upon A Horse, and more here
Tin Sign Just 99�
Horsework before Housework
HORSEwork before HOUSEwork
Sturdy Tin Signs just 99� each
To order click here
Horsewoman's
HAIR CONTROL IDEAS
Plaid Horsework cap
HORSEwork before HOUSEwork Plad Cap here
WHAT'S NEW?
SALE on Spring T's
3 horsey t-shirts
3 Springy Horsey T-shirts less than $10 each here!
HoofPrints has it! The classic print "FOUND"
Found Print
12x16 Print available here
BELOW HALF PRICE!
clay dog plaque
"Hug" clay plaque
Regular price $14.50
now only $4.99 here
COFFEE & DOG HAIR
Dog Hair Travel Mug
I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM
16 oz Ceramic Travel Mug with leakproof lid only $16.95 here
BOOKMARKS
~ 50% OFF! ~
Bookmarks Composite
A Rider's Prayer, A Dog Lover's Prayer & Use Your Talents Bookmarks just 99� here
American Farriers Journal Supplies & Services Directory 1�

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Shipping charges apply.
To order click here
Copper HoofPrint Bracelets in 7 colors!
Copper HoofPrint Pony Bead Bracelets - colors
Hand tied right here at HoofPrints - see them all here
Horsewoman's
LONG TALL LIST
Long Tall List of Things To Do
OF THINGS TO DO here
HORSEY
AIR FRESHENERS
Leather - Hay - Carrot
Horse Air Fresheners
Only $4.95/set here
Horse Lovers Bible
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
Bible Pocket Partners
31 days of meaningful devotional pages - perfect for cowboys and cowgirls of all ages! HoofPrints Christian products are here
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
Mule & Donkey items
Donkey Charm
Check out this brass longear charm and more here
HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Barn Blade Pink Knife
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly
Order here
Message

I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at gina@hoofprints.com
 
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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
 
Quick Links
Share our emails
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)