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HoofPrints Newsletter
February 1, 2015
WHAT'S UP WITH THE PINK SALE?
January has historically been the month for HoofPrints Customer Appreciation Sale. For new subscribers, the Customer Appreciation Sale consisted of a storewide discount on every product HoofPrints sells. The sale pricing was activated by entering a simple coupon code in the shopping cart. Easy-peasy, right? Well, not really. My dear subscribers (that's you all) would read about the cool stuff I was featuring, click the links and place their orders. WithOUT remembering to put in the code. No matter how BIG, BOLD, BRIGHT COLORED, whatever, my reminders were - most didn't remember to do that part. Because so many of you have taken the time to send me personal comments over the years, I recognize your name(s) when you order. Soooo - with each order that was missing the awesome discount, I'd go back in and manually apply it when I processed the paperwork. 
However, with the change to the new, improved website (details here) it's a lot trickier to be changing up pricing on orders once they're submitted. So, this year, instead of the storewide discount, I'm giving you my VERY BEST DISCOUNT possible on a whole lot of customer favorites.
No coupon codes to apply - all you have to remember is to order BEFORE February 15. 
VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEA: 
SOMETHING FOR YOUR TIRED OLD ASS
It's an exhaustion "Survival Kit"
for Farriers, Horse Owners, Mule Owners... 
and other hard working folk... 
The "Tired Old Ass Pack" Rejuvenating Survival Kit is just the thing for all the weary bodies you know (including your own)

It consists of four carefully formulated products, each geared to warm your tired bones, relax your aching muscles, soothe your chapped skin, and calm your frazzled mind. What more could any farrier, vet or horse owner need? With each pack you get: 

 

Tired Old Ass Splash - after shave/energizing mist 
Tired Old Ass Soak - aromatherapy mineral bath salt 
Ass Kisser Salve - sports rub for sore muscles 
Tired Old Ass Cream - energizing lotion

These delightful smelling all-natural products are made in Colorado, USA by a small, woman-owned "microblendery" body care company.  The scent is a pleasant one - and suitable for a man or a woman. Regular price on these is $24.95, they're on sale for just $19.96 through Valentine's Day. To order click here 

VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEA - ON SALE!
Sweatshirt that tells it like it is: A Woman's Place is on a Horse
But then we all already knew that. Wear this shirt to make sure no one forgets and asks you to do something "in the home" before you can escape to the barn.
I worked for a while on this one. I got the blessings from our friends at Prairie Song to carry on the use of their phrase. I wanted it to be "womanly" - so we could better contrast the domestic role vs the equestrian role. I found this amazing brown fabric with pink horseshoes, so the logical choice for the sweatshirt was this dirt-hiding shade of fuchsia / pink. The fabric is bonded to the shirt and then satin stitched all around the edges for an rich, intricate look. And of course, I chose the most feminine script I could find for the lettering.

The embroidery on this is super intricate - requiring over 26,000 stitches to complete the design. Because it's such a complex design, I've put it on a super heavy 10 oz (regular sweats are 7 oz) that's buttery soft inside and out, and it gets softer with each washing. Does not shrink or pill and sizes are generous*. And it's included in the VALENTINE'S DAY PINK SALE - $12 OFF! I can't get any more of the brown horseshoe fabric that's in the horse cutout applique - so once these are sold out, there won't be any more. *Note sizing on these is oversize - borderline huge, actually. There's a chart on the site to help you choose the correct size. To order click here
EQUESTRIAN HYMN FOR MY BELOVED
A great Valentine's Day gift idea - or just a great idea...
Equestrian Hymn Book This sweet little book is published in Germany, but distributed by one of our current book suppliers. So I made a spot for it in the catalog, and wrote a lovely, compelling description to tell you all about it. When our order for inventory didn't come, I got a little worried - as I didn't want to be selling something in a new catalog that I didn't have on the shelf to ship. After multiple delays, I gave up and scrapped the whole idea. Nearly a YEAR later - our order showed up.

The brief pages of Equestrian Hymn for my Beloved were likely never meant to be published, but were indeed an equestrian guideline for the author's loved one. Nonetheless, in 1928 Binding received a silver medal at the Olympic Games for this book, when still performance in art was honoured. The book is filled with wisdom, sensitivity and passion for all that is beautiful and worthy in horsemanship. Imagine reading letters written by a master horseman - to his true love - filled with love, affection, and wisdom about all aspects of horsemanship. This is better than any romance novel - at least to a horsewoman! From page 24:

"Be on guard: your horse reads you and your most secret thoughts. If you are not intent in reigning over him, he will not obey you; if it is not your will to be stronger, the extraordinary power of the beast will defy you. Your call, your click of the tongue, your spurs, your whip shall not belie you; you wanted this or that, but you only wanted it halfway.

Your horse will punish you for lying.
If you do not trust him, he will not trust you;
if you waver, he will go his own way.
If you panic, he will panic;
but he will be filled with courage and good spirit
if you are courageous and in good spirit.
If you are unsteady, he will be unsteady.
If your will is not set on perpetual forward motion,
he will slow down and eventually stand still.
If you are without vigor, he will be without impulsion;
if you wish to fly, he will fly,
his feet will hardly seem to touch the ground."

To order Equestrian Hymn for my Beloved, click here
Horsewoman's Balm
VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEA 
Horse Woman's Balm

A great product that DOES WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO! The 3 ounce tin doesn't sound like much, but I have been using out of the SAME tin since it arrived here a couple years ago as a prototype.  It's made especially for us by the folks at Little Moon Essentials - they make the

This special balm is formulated specifically to be soothing and healing to skin AND pleasant smelling to horses. As it turns out, we think it smells pretty good, too. Laura at Little Moon did considerable research, and even consulted an animal communicator friend as she worked on the formula. The result is a fragrant blend of lavender, sage, cinnamon, and oat extract in an emollient base of cocoa butter, vitamin E and essential oils. This stuff is great for dry skin, ragged cuticles, cracked heels, etc. And the scent stays there long after the balm has been absorbed - withOUT being too strong or overpowering. These are super-high quality ingredients and a little dab goes a long way.


And, like the rest of our products, we test this ourselves (more about R&D here). This particular product was put through it's paces quite a bit this fall. Most people don't think about cardboard being a drying agent to skin. But it is. Anyone who handles boxes all day will testify to that. It strips the oils right out of your hands, scuffs them, scratches them... ever get a paper cut from cardboard? It hurts badly - and is a nightmare to get healed.

So, as I entered January my hands were really feeling challenged after handling so many boxes. Then, the side of beef that we'd spoken for from a local farmer was ready to be picked up at the processing house. We always can a portion of our meat (in quart glass Ball jars) so there's a ready supply of pre-cooked meat on hand for fast meals. It's great for vegetable soup, barbecue, beef manhattan, beef & noodles, etc. Just open the jar and heat. But getting it to that point requires a bit of work. The meat comes in chunks from the butcher unfrozen in big plastic bags. The procedure after that is to stuff the raw meat into clean jars, put on the lids, and pressure cook each batch for the required time. Do you have any idea how many times a person washes their hands in hot, soapy water while processing 80 pounds of meat? Me neither, but it's a LOT. Between the physical effort required to pack the cold meat tightly into the jars, along with being wet/washed/dried over and over - my hands were a mess at the end of the day. All I had to do was slather on some Horse Woman's Balm at bedtime and they were like new in the morning. Whatever is in this stuff is what hands need - that's for sure. The great thing is, too, you can use a little - or a lot. For minor dryness, a little dab makes a thin film that absorbs quickly and doesn't feel greasy. For major dryness like I was having - you can use quite a bit so it continues to "feed" your skin as it soaks in overnight.

So, if the price on this discouraged you from trying it in the past - reconsider giving it a shot now - you won't regret it. I've marked the 3 oz tin size down by 20% (regular price $29.95 - SALE PRICE $23.96) - to order, click here
Gina makes a blog - an update on that project: 
For years, the HoofPrints order form included three tiny photos of our old farmhouse in various stages of remodel. I have had so many folks mention that they enjoyed reading about the transformation, that I decided to blog about it. The first entry; Fun on the Farm Part 1 is here. At the end of that story, I allude to the fact that there's more in the works.

I am still trying to sort out the best way to make that into a cohesive story - as with all things in life, it's got lots of complicated and interesting twists and turns to the "plot". If I were a fiction writer I doubt I could make up stuff that's any better.

At any rate, above is the main image from the second installment. A short portion of this verse by Lauren Davis Baker takes center stage, powerfully conveying the feeling most of us experience when we're in one of these magnificent structures. The barn in this picture was in my family for generations, sheltering horses, cattle and farm implements of all sorts. Sadly, this old barn is gone now. BUT - parts of it are about to embark on a new life, adorning the inside of our current home, an 1880's farmhouse located some 50 miles west.

Stay tuned as I use my blog to share stories and pictures from the past here on the farm, as well as current events as we integrate these old timbers into our latest project. You can even subscribe to get email updates as I publish new entries. Details here
In This Issue
Here's what we talked about last time
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Last newsletter is  here  
ALL newsletters are here
PINK SALE
Woman's Place is on a Horse Vest

Personal climate control! It's on sale for ONLY $23.95 here
PINK SALE
Heart Zipper Pull

A great way to dress up any vest, jacket, sweatshirt, or purse. Just $3.96 here 
PINK SALE
Thermal Sherpa Hood

Is a customer favorite! It's on sale for $12.00 OFF here
PINK SALE
Woman's Place Is On A Horse Gift Bag
Metallic Pink Bag
This metallic pink gift bag is sturdy, durable, and UNDER $4.00! 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 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?"  
To order click here
PINK SALE
TUFF CHIX GLOVES

"Best. Gloves. Ever!" ~HoofPrints customer testimonial. More info here
PINK SALE
Courage doesn't always roar...
Courage Pink Mug
sometimes courage is that quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "i will try again tomorrow." To order click  here
PINK SALE
American West Purses
Hill Country Purse & Wallet
Hill Country Collection here
PINK SALE
2015 Equestrian Day Planner HALF PRICE!

2015 Gypsy Vanner Engagement Calendar just $8.98 here
PINK SALE
LIFE IS TOUGH
BUT I AM TOUGHER
Life is Tough Stretch Bracelet
See the complete selection of inspirational jewelry  here
PINK SALE
Leather Heart Bracelet

This spiffy leather bracelet is loaded with details without being gaudy. It's rich brown tooled leather, finished edges with stitching, and braided rawhide accents on either side of a floral embossed silver heart. Closes with a fancy silver buckle, complete with silver keeper and tip. Regular price is a bargain at $19.95 - it looks like it should be a lot more expensive. But it's A STEAL as part of our Valentine's Day PINK SALE at only $15.96. Hurry - sale ends 2/14/15. You can see this and the rest of the horsey heart jewelry here 
Message
Gina Keesling with Clydesdale
I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at [email protected]
 
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
 
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)