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HoofPrints Newsletter
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June 27, 2015
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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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A Tale of Two Treat Pouches...
I've been known to be pretty critical of other companies' advertising efforts.
I hate magazine ads that make you work to figure out what they are selling; fancy, "arty" photography that does nothing to describe a product or it's use. A trip in the car to Indianapolis always results in ranting over the vague and cryptic messages on the billboards. Again, what are they selling? At 70 mph that's not much time to figure it out. Don't even get me started on the Viagra "get things done" commercial where the guy unloads a team of already harnessed ?? horses to pull out his stuck truck and trailer. I get the symbolism of what they are implying, but does the average consumer that's the target market for this product get it? The long version of the commercial shows a woman in the upstairs window - presumably hinting at what's next - but a more realistic scenario would be that same woman wanting to know if those horses got unharnessed, cooled out, bedded and fed before the guy even came to the house...
At any rate, I feel a little dumb, after nearly 9 months, FINALLY letting you all know about the NEW Dark Brown version of this wonderful treat pouch.
Last Fall, after the HoofPrints flyer was printed and mailed, I called my supplier to place an order for more Treat Pouches. I had some on hand, but not enough to fill all the holiday orders I was hoping to receive. I got the unfortunate BAD NEWS that the black was sold out, with no restock date in sight. Fortunately, they had the exact same treat pouch in a lovely dark brown on hand. So I stocked my shelves with those, added a "Dark Brown - Not Pictured" option to order to the website. Even though there was no photo to show the exact shade of brown, folks ordered it anyway (whew).
Today, I finally sat down and made an image to show you all what the brown looks like. BOTH COLORS ARE IN STOCK for immediate shipment here.
Still can't imagine why you'd need a treat pouch of your own? Read on for my favorite applications, and a story about two vexing horsey problems I solved using treats!
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Are you POSITIVE? What would your horse(s) and dog(s) say?
Read on to learn how I solved TWO REAL HORSE PROBLEMS using positive methods:
If you've never tried positive reinforcement training, DON'T do what I did. I viewed it as a curious novelty - but never gave it much consideration. After all - I had kept horses and dogs my whole life - and pretty much had everybody doing what I asked. Without carrying around treats and risking being bitten. (I came from the crowd that thought that hand feeding created biters.)
It wasn't until Allie came along (and I was desparate for something that could help us get along) that I revisited the idea again. My first attempts have been awkward and full of mistakes - but nonetheless - what an amazing breakthrough! The proverbial "light bulb" came on - for both of us. Her distant attitude toward me warmed - and my appreciation for her tries grew. I won't go into method specifics here - there are lots of great references online here. I personally don't use a clicker - but instead substitute a word; "good". The idea is to create a marker that tells the animal when he or she is doing correctly - and that a tasty food reward is forthcoming for a job well done. For the record, I have not been bitten, either. They get pretty excited sometimes - but there are ways to teach them politeness that are effective and still maintain enthusiasm. Plenty of info online about that under mugging for treats.
Shown above is our Genuine Leather TREAT POUCH. I have been using the same one for years and it's held up great. The closure is magnetic - so it stays shut AND there is no distracting velcro sound when it's opened. The extra zippered compartment keeps your phone, keys, whatever, separate from the treats. Order here
 Shown here is Karen Pryor's Clicker Training Kit for Horses. For less than $20. it includes all you need to get the learning started (for both you and your horse) about positive reinforcement training. The kit includes: Getting Started: 40 page clicker training Book, A clicker, An instruction booklet on how to use the clicker, A small sample of horse treats. This is a very basic intro that guides you, step-by-step, through the process. You can order that, as well as a more in-depth how-to book Clicker Training for Your Horse here.
And it's not all about doing silly tricks that don't have much purpose. I've used this method with my own to solve a couple problems that were previously unsolvable using all of my lifelong horse owning experiences. (which, as I get further into this journey I am learning don't really make up much...)
My particular horsekeeping situation involves moving the horses from their stalls through the barn aisle and out a door to the pasture. Most days they are only in at night if it is bad weather, and they are eager to dash off to graze as soon as allowed. I don't usually put a halter on anybody - they know the way to the door and it's not likely they'll attempt to go any other direction. However, the charging out of the stalls is troublesome and dangerous. Jack, the Hackney pony, was OK to come out of his stall quietly, but once he got past me a bit he would "launch", and be at a gallop in the three strides it took to get to the door. NOT safe, as he would sometimes throw in a kick/buck along the way.
For years I threatened him to make him slow down. He knew better than to act like that, but if I didn't have a halter on him, he knew I had no control and behaved accordingly. I could put a halter on and force the issue - leading him bug-eyed and prancing to the door, only to repeat the scenario once the halter came off - and often getting a shower of mud in the process as he dashed off. We've had this pony for many years, and the problem never got any better.
 A great deal of which I owe to the fact that first thing in the morning is not my best hour for outwitting a pony.
As much as this behavior made me want to kick his bratty little butt, I decided one day to try an approach using treats. He got a treat in the stall doorway for waiting quietly, another one after taking a few steps at a walk, another after a few more quiet steps... and finally a handful at the barn door where he usually took off. At that point, I was the one that ended the interaction - leaving him standing there hoping for another treat - instead of showing his butt and throwing mud at me as he dashed off. Within a few days the problem was solved. I was able to phase out the frequency of treats to one at the end for good behavior, then finally substitute just a pat and a word of praise and
sometimes a treat. The positive training books teach us that once a behavior is learned, and OCCASIONAL reward is more powerful in maintaining it than getting a reward every single time. Sort of like playing the lottery...
My other horse, Allie, wanted to leave her stall as if it were a starting gate.
As soon as the door came open she was ready to dash through. Which was really bad if she tried before it was all the way open and couldn't fit. It was easy enough to "get big" (as some of the trainers teach) so she'd back off and wait for the OK, but then it seemed I was just replacing my body for the door - and as soon as she was given the OK I got the same rush through. Unlike Jack, after that her walk out was sensible.
To solve this one, I used treats to teach her that leaving the stall was only allowed after she put her nose on the opposite side of the door frame
, and kept it there until given the OK. This put the ball in her court - the door was open, but she wasn't to go through until she used self control and completed the required task. Sometimes we'd repeat the "wait" command more than once, just so doing that and getting a treat was more interesting than going out. In time, getting to go out BECAME the treat and I didn't need them any more.
Both of these problems were solved so easily once I changed my way of thinking about how to manage them. Instead of correcting the wrong behavior, I stopped focusing on that and instead put my attention on rewarding the right behavior. It really was almost like magic.
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Treat Pouch is for MORE THAN JUST TREATS! 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
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The Dollar Sale continues, but this time I've added a stash of ONE OF A KIND ITEMS! I know I just sent a newsletter a few days ago. Please bear with me as I have a bit of a clutter conniption. I promise I won't make a habit of it...
Last month, at a time when most normal people were gearing up for a fun three day weekend, for some reason I was spazzing over all the clutter in the warehouse. In a fit of relative craziness, I've marked some pretty good stuff down to $1.00 or less. A lot of it sold already, but I replaced with more! There are now about a dozen ONE OF A KIND things on the Half Price Page that are insanely good deals at half price or below. Some are discontinued so not to be had anywhere else at any price! To see them click 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.
Half Price JEWELRY is 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.
Half Price Books & Magazine Back Issues are 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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Music for horse and dog lovers:
Mary Ann Kennedy is the real deal...
She's a professional in the music industry, a horse owner and dog lover. Her song lyrics are thoughtfully written, and the music artfully performed. AND she donates a significant portion of her sales to help animals in need. Shown here is her CD of dog songs "Who Saved Who" Mary Ann's music will feel familiar to you. Her extensive background in the music industry has yielded songs that are very well produced, rich with clarity and detail. No stranger to the music scene, Mary Ann has written numerous popular hits; " Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" -performed by Reba McEntire and "I'll Still Be Loving You" -performed by Restless Heart were both nominated for Grammy Awards. You will have also heard Mary Ann singing backgrounds and playing mandolin on many Nashville records. She has recorded with Martina McBride, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Art Garfunkel, Reba McEntire, Diamond Rio, Pam Tillis, Hank Williams Jr., John Berry, Kathy Mattea, Emmylou Harris, Blackhawk, Maura O'Connell, Ashley Cleveland, Mindy McCready, Anita Cochran and Caroline Dawn Johnson, to name some. We horse and dog lovers are thrilled that Mary Ann took some time out of her very busy schedule to produce this music for us. She even wrote a song about CLEANIN' STALLS! Mary Ann's affinity and appreciation for the finer points of horse care is apparent in each and every one of her songs. HoofPrints' customers seem to agree - these remain a perennial best-seller for us year after year. I had a customer call a while back and order 7 sets of each of Mary Ann's CDs! She is confident that all her friends will love these as much as she does. To see them all click here. |
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Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is here ALL newsletters are here
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GINA'S BLOG
Fun on the Farm
read the latest happenings in the Keesling household, involving construction, destruction, remodeling adventures and general wreckage here
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NEW! Tuff Chix CHORE GLOVES
great for grooming, building fence, baling hay and other farm chores, gardening, and even riding! To order, click here
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HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly
Order here
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MANURE MOVERS
OF AMERICA - sweatshirt and sign available here |
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I Make Horse Calls Books
"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." -from Horse Calls, available here
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DON'T do it yourself
FARRIER COASTERS
No farriers were harmed in the making of these coasters. To order click here
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Don't Look Back
That's Not Where You're Going - Inspirational Necklace only $14.95 here
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MADE IN USA
Don't Sell Your Saddle
Don't give up on dreams.
Take time to see 'em through.
There are no easy trails.
Hard work makes dreams come true.
You'll make it through tough times.
Friends will stick like glue.
Don't ever sell your saddle,
Dreams won't give up on you.
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MADE IN USA:
A CRAPPY MUG!
Same sh*t different day
mug here
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DON'T do it yourself
FARRIER COASTERS
No farriers were harmed in the making of these coasters. To order click here
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The Natural Superiority of Mules
Brand new updated second edition covers everything you ever wanted to know about mules. Order here
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The Doctor is In Horse Thermometer
Measures a big 17" tall and under $15.00! Order here
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This Hug's For You
Equine Sympathy Cards here
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Farriers Traveling Desk
Corral your paperwork on the road! And it's HALF the cost of the previous version here
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Look Professional
On The Job
Sturdy cotton golf shirts look and feel great! See our complete selection 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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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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"While you're here, would you mind trimming my new BLM Mustang?"
