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HoofPrints Newsletter
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July 2, 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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 ***ALL NEW***
Deluxe Assortments of Super High Quality Gift Wrap for Horse Lovers - 3 different styles to choose from!
These awesome gift wrap collections were designed by a lifelong horse owner, whose career happened to be in packaging design - so all the details are just right! Each assortment includes 8 pieces; everything you need to wrap up a hoard of gifts in horsey style.
There's a rich plaid with embossed foil horseshoe - Gold foil harlequin pattern with classic engraved horses- and rich tooled leather that looks and feels so real you can hardly believe it's paper and not genuine leather! Regular price on each of these assortments is over $30 - and they're ON SALE for just $19.95 here |
NEW! Cowgirls of the American West Note Cards
These blank note cards from are a big 5.5" x 7.25" and are printed on heavy, glossy paper. The insides are printed in color with western motifs, and the back of each card tells more about the work on the front and the artist who painted it. You also get 22 parchment textured envelopes that match the cards. These all come gift boxed in a lovely package that you'll probably want to keep once the cards are all used! See these and our other all-occasion cards here
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ALL CHRISTMAS CARDS HALF PRICE Through July 19, 2015
 All fall and winter I take calls from budget-minded farriers and other equine professionals - trying to decide if it's worth the cost to send Christmas cards to their clients. If you're one of those - now might be the time to reconsider.
Anyone who has been getting this newsletter for very long probably has noticed that we aren't doing big sale promotions every time you turn around. I pretty much need to sell everything at regular price in order to stay in business. We are not Wal-Mart, and I hope that low prices are not the main reason folks shop at HoofPrints.com.
However, when I DO have sales, I try to make them memorable. And this one falls into that category, I hope. A special reward for those out there who are clever enough to anticipate how many cards they might need at Christmas time, AND organized enough to REMEMBER that they've already purchased them and WHERE they put them. That's not me. But I know you folks exist - I've heard stories...
This glorious sale ends July 19, some of the card designs are low inventory and will NOT be reprinted, so make your selections early. To see them click here. And this one is it. Here, the sparks in the background have morphed from fireworks to moody holiday lights and the horseshoe is showcased on the anvil's horn - a perennial symbol of well-wishes and goodwill. To order click here
 O Holy Night is by Christina Handley - an award winning equestrian photographer who lives in Canada. With a career spanning over 18 years, her images have appeared in many well known equine and farm publications.
Christina and her husband Boyd live on a working farm in southern Ontario, and her photos reflect real life in agriculture and with horses. They own draft horses, beef cattle and a myriad of other farm animals, housed on lovely picturesque acres that include traditional farm outbuildings; we frequently see them all immortalized via her camera.
Her appreciation and reverence for the rural lifestyle is apparent in the sensitivity of her images, and this one is no exception. Dapple grey Dash is owned by Randy Robertson, and lives in Lakefield, Ontario. On this particular day it was snowing hard, and capturing the snow, while keeping the camera dry and the lens clean was a challenge. Thankfully, Christina was prepared, with the skills and equipment to capture this lovely winter scene - each snowflake as if carefully placed by the hand of God, echoing the same snowflake pattern in the coat of His most wondrous creation, the horse. Christina tells me that this particular picture has had no Photoshop editing done to it, and that it had been previously rejected by other photo buyers because they thought it had been artificially augmented! To order this one, click here
The Wise are not just men This one's also a Christina Handley photo. The wise ones shown are 14 year old Kelly, 9 month old Harry and 18 year old Rachel - members of Christina and Boyd's Belgian herd. This photo was taken in 2009 and sadly Kelly and Rachel are gone now. Harry has grown up to be a strapping big boy and is a standout in harness with his deep chestnut color. He's taken on his two foster mom's share of wisdom, and the Handleys are bringing him along in his training as a productive member of the farm's "staff". To order click here
 May your neighs be merry and bright... Ex-racer Thoroughbred Lincoln now events at the Training/Prelim. level with Nicole Robertson. He lives at (I couldn't make this up) Caberneigh Farm in Ontario. On this particular day it was snowing hard, and capturing the snow, while keeping the camera dry and the lens clean was a challenge. But the very last shot of the session, Lincoln looked back at photographer Christina Handley, with an impish gleam in his eye and a big snort of frosty breath. This spontaneous capture proved to be one of the very best out of hundreds taken that day. To order click here
 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day is actually a montage of TWO photographs. The horse bells (yes - HORSE bells - more about those to follow) were originally photographed on a corral fence in front of a band of horses - and NOT in the winter. I was able to carefully separate the bells and fence from the rest of the photo, and superimpose it over this lovely scene of a cowboy and his horse, paying homage at sunset to a decorated Christmas tree. It took a very long time to do this, but I think the result was worth the effort.
For what it's worth, I usually don't have a preconceived idea of what these cards will be. They just happen. Sometimes I start with a verse - sometimes I start with an image, and they just evolve as I go along. I was particularly moved by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's verse about Christmas bells. Even though it was written in the 1800's, the words ring (pardon the pun) remarkably true for today's times, too.
...And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."...
Then, I was incredibly fortunate to find this lovely image of horse bells! According to western photographer David Stoecklein, a bell mare is a mare that wears a bell around her neck so that all the other horses in the remuda can tell where she is and stay close to her. The bell is also a signal to the horse wranglers as to the location of the herd. This is a very old tradition in herding of all animals just like cow bells and sheep bells. On the dude ranches, every night the horses are turned out on huge (500+ acre) pastures. The bells help the wranglers find the horses in the dark as they round them up for the dudes every morning. This one is available ONLY WITH the Thank You for Your Business, so keep that in mind as you make your selection(s)
 I'm Dreaming of a White Christmasis also ONLY available WITH the Thank You for your Business phrase, but I can't believe that someone involved with snow removal, or ski lodge or other outdoor sports has not snatched these up. Another photo by David Stoecklein, it features Clydesdales standing in more snow than most of us would probably like to see, after this last winter, ever again. But a pretty scene nonetheless.
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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). 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.
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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...
This week, at a time when most normal people were gearing up for a fun holiday 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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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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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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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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Horsewoman's
HAIR CONTROL IDEAS
Sunny yellow embroidered HORSES LEAVE HOOFPRINTS ON YOUR HEART Cap here
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SUMMER HORSEY Ts
3 Summery Horsey T-shirts less than $15 each here!
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MADE IN USA
Secret Box
Nifty little wood box has a lid that fits so neatly that it's virtually invisible when closed. A real deal at only $19.95 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?"
