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HoofPrints Newsletter
November 29, 2014
HoofPrints is SO SMALL...  
well, it couldn't BE any smaller than it is
(one person).

Farriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling (me) 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. Long story here. For years I tried to make the company seem "bigger" - so as to compete with the thick horsey catalogs that showed up in my own mailbox almost daily.

But I finally stopped trying to be something I am not. As I have gotten older and less energetic, it's been of paramount importance to streamline the operation so that I can continue to focus on procuring the unique and inspirational products that you all seem to love. Special thanks are in order, also, to my dear husband Rob, and his mom Judy - who help me get the products onto the shelves (folding and packaging) as well as back off and into boxes on their way to customers during this busy holiday time.

The all new website is the latest (and one of the biggest/scariest) steps in that direction. It streamlines a lot of data entry that previously took hours, freeing me up for more important tasks. But the "smallness" doesn't stop in the HoofPrints warehouse (which is a pole barn behind my house in the middle of a cornfield). I use an outside call center to answer my order line 24/7. Call Center Plus is not some detached entity in a foreign land that can't do much but frustrate callers. No, CCP is a small business success story of it's own. This company began as a home-based business in a Utah bedroom loft by a single mom with zero business experience - as a means of supporting her children while still being home with them. The odds of succeeding suggest that any one of those factors would be cause for failure. However the odds of success never went up against someone with as much faith, determination, and imagination as Ilene Christensen.

When her business outgrew the loft, in order to still be home with her children and to keep overhead low, Ilene converted part of her garage into office space. With shear grit, determination, and prayer, she continued to grow the business. A call center requires the use of sophisticated equipment, so out of necessity she also learned about computer hardware, software, and servers. She became an IT specialist as she learned to build, troubleshoot, repair, and program computers. You can read about the latest news at CCP here.

And the "smallness" doesn't stop here, either. It continues with many of the products that HoofPrints stocks on our "middle of a cornfield" warehouse shelves.

So, instead of offering discount prices to entice you all to buy, I'd like to share some of my favorite products that come from companies as small as mine, and encourage you to support them with your holiday shopping dollars. ~G 

Forged Steel Cross Necklace
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #1
DC Metals' Hand Forged Steel Cross

This pendant is hand forged by an Ohio blacksmith. He takes a single piece of recycled 1/4" square stock, splits it in two different directions and hammers it into this unique cross shape. The result is lightly wire brushed to maintain the unique quality of the steel, then coated with automotive clear for durability.
If you look carefully at the picture - the different planes will remind you of one of those brain-teaser pictures that can't physically exist - like the works of M.C. Escher as seen here.
The cross is 1 1/2" tall, leather cord is hand tied with a special adjustable knot system that lets you choose your perfect fit from choker length to about 26". Click here to watch a video showing the forging process (beware - he makes it look EASY!)
This makes a great gift for a man, but it's not too big for a woman to wear, either. To order click here 

SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #2
Vicky Kaseorg's I'm Listening With a Broken Ear
This book has all the makings of a modern classic. It's so good I think it'd make a great movie. It's 426 pages, and once I started I couldn't put it down (except for essential distractions like work and animal care) until I was finished. It's that good. In a nutshell, the author finds a pathetic, nearly dead dog abandoned in a parking lot. She brings her home and nurses her back to health. Somewhere along the way the family realizes they are in way over their heads as the dog has behavior issues that they can't manage. Dangerous behavior issues. It's hard enough to find homes for dogs who behave perfectly, so rehoming this one was NOT an option.
Vicky spends a lot of time online trying to solve the problem, and ends up getting hooked up with a rescuer named Malta. Malta supplies Vicky with a horse whip.  And teaches her how to do the "alpha roll" when the dog gets out of line. Now, before you run screaming, thinking you totally don't want to waste your time reading a work written by someone who keeps a whip in hand and rolls her poor dog - give this one a chance. You WON'T be disappointed. I guarantee it. It's thoughtful, spiritual, laugh out loud humorous - and the ending is so very good you will probably cry. Or cheer. Or both. There's a more detailed description and a couple excerpts to read here.
This book, along with Vicky's others, is self published. That means the whole load was (is) on her to decide if a story merits the idea that others would like to read it. Then to type out and edit all those pages, clarifying and refining the story as you go... And then send it off to a publishing house that facilitates such projects - before she ever knew for sure that anyone would buy a single book. That takes some real guts. She took her "good deed" (rescuing a stray dog) and documented how it all went wrong, multiple times, as well as sharing her own role in the goings-wrong... and turned it into a story that makes you want to cheer - well that's a "small business" endeavor that's well worth appreciating. To order click here

SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #3
Copper Jewelry from Karen DeMarte
Karen makes rustic jewelry in fine pewter and copper. After working for 12 years in a stressful job that wasn't for her, she decided to make a change. Her Etsy page tells us about that;
"I ran away from that job in Jan 2007 and haven't looked back. Now, I work from my old farm house in rural northwestern Pennsylvania where I can look out and see my horses in the pasture and my dog Kalli supervises daily happenings in the studio."

Karen's pieces that HoofPrints carries are made of Copper, and the history, legend and lore of copper use by humans is long and varied... dating back nearly 10,000 years with multiple applications. Copper is, in fact, humanity's first metal and shows up in Sumerian and Egyptian metallurgy circa 3900 BC. (more here)

Copper is said to have healing and medicinal powers in humans, but did you know that a copper deficiency in horses can cause all sorts of problems? Copper is necessary for all sorts of functions; formation and regeneration of bone, cartilage and connective tissue, it is also an anti-oxidant, and is involved in pigment in the hooves and hair coat of the horse.  One of the signs of a copper deficiency is a coat that tends to get sun-burned, and another is hoof wall separation. So that bay horse with the bad feet and the red tips on his mane and tail may need copper. And it's not just a matter of adding more copper to the diet. The synergistic effect of other minerals play a role in assimilation. Science is just beginning to understand how this all works. One of my favorite experts on the subject is Dr Eleanor Kellon.

Shown above are
Karen's charm on the Copper HoofPrint Healing Bone Bracelet - click here
Copper Horseshoe Cross Necklace - click here
Wild and Free Copper Horse Necklace - click here

SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #4
Grandview Aluminum Products
This Southern Indiana foundry was purchased by Harold and Georgia Banks in 1965 with a workforce of just four employees. Since that time the company has grown considerably and is now one of the top suppliers of cast bronze and aluminum plaques in the country with distributors in all 50 states and some foreign countries.
Even though they've grown rather large, with the operation utilizing over 36,000 square feet of space, they continue to provide excellent customer service. Whenever I call to place an order, all I have to tell them is who I am, and that I want to order the Hitch Cover with the Shoe and Anvil. Personally, I find this remarkable - this is a custom design produced exclusively for my company, out of what must be thousands that they do per year - yet they get it exactly right every single time with just a short verbal description.
Farrier License Place The FARRIER LICENSE PLATE is another favorite that's been with us for years. Hand cast at Grandview Aluminum, it's a full 3/8" thick and weighs almost a pound! The black enamel background is baked on for a durable, permanent finish - bugs don't affect it. The part you see that is silver is actually exposed cast aluminum that is machine ground to a smooth finish that's raised above the black. A very elegant and rustic look that should last forever for under $30! You can see the mega-close detail on the new website here.
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #5
Videographer Stormy May's The Path of the Horse DVD
chronicles everything that's wrong with how we interact with horses today, AND paints a hopeful picture of men and women pioneering a new way.
The 60 minute documentary takes an honest look at what we're doing with horses, featuring: Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, Alexander Nevzorov, Carolyn Resnick, Linda Kohanov, Mark Rashid, Kim McElroy

When I first learned of the DVD back in 2008, it was months from completion. I was elated to learn that someone was producing a documentary featuring the work of nearly all of my very favorite horse authors. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. Then the doubt started to creep in. How in the world could a video be made that would adequately portray and explain these concepts about working with horses that defy words.

Somewhere between the six year old girl who dreams of galloping off on her wild stallion - and the professional who's work involves getting results with horses... is a whole group of us confused souls who may have worn both "hats" during our lifetimes. Now the second "hat" feels wrong, and the first one feels totally unrealistic. Describing that unknown third "hat" defies words - let alone images...

I began to have reservations that such a project as Path of the Horse could even be accomplished, let alone be done well enough to paint a picture of the "third hat" that most of us have never seen...

When the pre-release version finally came, I held my breath - hoping for the best, but prepared to be disappointed. Within the first thirty seconds, I KNEW that videographer Stormy May had not only risen to the challenge, but she's artfully produced a very powerful, entertaining documentary that will undoubtedly change the way many people relate to their horses forever.

There is no part of this DVD that could be any better. Every bit of it is technically perfect - images are beautiful - footage beautifully choreographed with music - the interviews are very well done and you can hear and understand every single word. Even the non-english speaking horsemen's voiceovers are perfect.

And Stormy May is no late-comer to the horse industry - she's NOT one of those people who just got into horses, managed to keep from getting killed, and is now questioning everything that has worked for everybody else whose handled horses up to this point. Stormy was a successful competitor, trainer and teacher. She owned her own facilitiy and was making a good living at teaching horses and riders to get along and win in the arena. Somewhere along the way it all started to feel wrong. She SOLD HER FARM and used the money to make this video. The DVDs sold from HoofPrints' shelves come DIRECTLY from Stormy, NOT some mega-distributor that has a bazillion titles that you'll eventually see for $5.00 at Wal-mart. She made the sacrifices, did the research and legwork to produce this thoughtful work, and the proceeds go to her and her current endeavors.

quotation mark left
I think in a larger sense, the harmful part of what I used to do to horses was not even so much by being a person who found it acceptable to cause an animal pain, but by being a person who was afraid to think for herself and do things differently because of what other people might think.  I couldn't do things different than what I had been taught until I was strong enough inside myself to go my own way, even if it looked like I was the only one on that path.  It gave me hope to think that if it truly was a path of love then I would be creating a space for others to come and play this new game too."
  ~Stormy May
 
To order click here 


SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #6
Lizabettas Vintage Jewelry
This unique and lovely jewelry is made one piece at a time. The glass dome covering the picture is NOT a separate component that's fastened into the bezel. An assembly process that, at first blush, might seem rather simple. On the contrary - it's actually a special resin compound that comes in liquid form - and Tiffany pours the exact correct amount into each one - to encase and preserve the picture permanently within the pendant. I can't imagine how messy this process could be - she must have it mastered as I have never, ever received a piece from her that wasn't absolutely perfect. Shown above is the new Found Vintage Necklace, featuring Walter Hunt's image of the print by the same name. You can order that here.
Lizabettas also makes three other necklaces for HoofPrints:
Vintage Indian Horsewoman sold here
Pharaoh's Horses sold here
KEEP CALM AND RIDE ON sold here

Courage Pink Mug
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #7
Mary Anne Radmacher's Courage quote:
"courage doesn't always roar. sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'i will try again tomorrow.'"
This quote by Mary Anne Radmacher always resonated with me. I've had a clipping of it taped to my computer for many years - and always referred to it when I was having struggles with my super-sensitive horse that I just couldn't seem to get along with. (I always wondered if she'd have the same thing taped up in her stall if she could?)

At any rate, after years of looking at that tattered slip of paper, I wondered how hard it would be to orchestrate applying Mary Anne's inspirational words to a horsey product for HoofPrints. Turns out it was not hard at all! I found Mary Anne's website, and sent her an inquiry. She promptly replied and we sorted out the financial arrangements. So now, you all can enjoy Mary Anne's powerful words with your morning coffee, and she's compensated for her lovely calligraphy and wise words. You can order the mug here. There's a fresh supply of inspiration nearly every day at Mary Anne's Facebook page here

Beyond the Homestretch Cover
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS IDEA #8
Lynn Reardon's Beyond The Homestretch - What I've Learned from Saving Racehorses
Beyond the Homestretch is one person's account of her change in career paths that involved race horses. Here's an excerpt:

"To me, racehorses are winners even after their racing careers end. They have so much heart, athleticism, and intelligence - all they need is a chance to find that second career after the finish line. Of course, they could use a little help making that transition. Because it can be hard to change careers at first.

 

I can sympathize with that. I used to have an accounting career, working in a Washington, DC, cubicle. Pale, stressed, and full of suburban angst, I was the least likely candidate to run a racehorse adoption ranch in Texas. Back then, horses were just my outlet, my weekend respite from spreadsheets. Only learning to ride as an adult, I took group horseback-riding lessons and strained to master the most basic equestrian skills.

 

But even then, I was drawn to racehorses - several resided at that stable, in training to become show jumpers and polo mounts. They charmed and inspired me, with their intelligent faces, beautiful conformation, and dark reputations as risky rides.

 

From childhood, I had secretly wanted to be a horse trainer. But I was a horse geek, a real goober around the barn. The instructors and trainers hid their smiles at my barn gaffes and painfully anxious riding style. Every trainer at the barn had grown up with horses, usually turning professional by their teens, a formidable resume of equine mastery. I would never fit that mold - how could someone like me be a trainer? It seemed like an impossible, silly dream, plausible only in a Disney film.

 

I worked hard to improve my skills anyway: exercising polo ponies for free, trading barn work for lessons, teaching at a horse summer camp, anything to learn more on my modest budget. Slowly, my horse activities morphed into a vocation, a calling I could no longer ignore, however ridiculous it seemed to others - and often even to me. Finally, I took the plunge, moved halfway across the country, and opened the racehorse adoption program."


How many of us dream of doing this?  Well, Lynn actually did it, and her stories are touching, inspiring, and motivational. The book says, if you want to make a difference in horses' lives, you can.  If you need to learn more to do it - well, what are you waiting for?  I've read the book and it has a really human perspective, devoid of ego, that I rarely see in horse books. Lynn doesn't think she's a magikal horse whisperer or the Mother Theresa of horse rescue.  She admits to her mistakes along with her successes.  She rides her own rescues, puts on benefit horse shows and other events, and keeps her numbers controllable so that every horse gets everything they need. Click here to order Beyond the Homestretch.

To see what a re-purposed race horse can do if given a chance, be sure to watch the video here  

In This Issue
Forged Steel Cross
Broken Ear Book
Copper Jewelry
Farrier License Plate
Path of the Horse
Beyond the Homestretch
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
Christmas Gift Idea:
The Doctor is In Horse Thermometer
Horse Doctor Thermometer
Measures a big 17" tall and under $15.00! Order here
A Horsewoman's Prayer
Horsewoman's Prayer Framed
Inspirational prayer with brass medallion inset into the mat. Made right here in the HoofPrints warehouse!
Order here
Farriers Traveling Desk

Corral your paperwork on the road! And it's HALF the cost of the previous version here
CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA:
TUFF CHIX GLOVES

"Best. Gloves. Ever!" ~HoofPrints customer testimonial.
Gina's note: The top picture is one of two pairs of Tuff Chix that I have been wearing for years - before the laundry. The second picture is my second pair that was similarly dirty, AFTER the laundry.
More info here
NEW - IMPROVED

Horse Woman's LONG TALL LIST of things to do here
Donkey Christmas Card Discontinued
Just a LIttle Donkey card
Still have a few left here 

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA: COFFEE & DOG HAIR TRAVEL MUG
Dog Hair Travel Mug
I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM
16 oz Ceramic Travel Mug with leakproof lid only $16.95 here
See more gifts for DOG LOVERS here
BEST NEWS EVER!

BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY movie is in the works! Morgan Freeman has signed on as the star! This TRUE STORY is a fascinating feel-good tale that's loaded with accurate historical details from our country's history. Make sure you've read it before you see the movie! Order here 
CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA: 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

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA: Leather Treat Pouch
Leather Treat Pouch
Keep your phone, keys and more with you when you ride
- under $20
here

Use the free Endomondo App on your smart phone to keep track of your riding time, route, calories burned, etc.
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
HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Barn Blade Pink Knife
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly
Order here
Message
Gina Keesling with Clydesdale
I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at gina@hoofprints.com
 
Find us on facebook
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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
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.
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)