|
|
|
|
|
HoofPrints Newsletter
|
April 5, 2016
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 -
Quote from the Inspirational Book: DESIDERATA for Horse Lovers by Max Ehrmann
 Consider this interesting background about the poem from the introduction: "I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift - a bit of chaste prose that had caught up some noble moods." These wistful words are Max Ehrmann's, a prolific if unheralded author and poet from Terre Haute, Indiana who lived from 1872 to 1945. His creative wish was finally fulfilled in 1927 when he penned this lovely and timeless Desiderata, a latin word for the term "things that are yearned for." But Ehrmann would never enjoy the accolades ensuing from his sole masterpiece, for the poem was not popularly published until 1948, three years after his death, in a collection titled, The Poems of Max Ehrmann.
To order click here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My stupidest horse training mistake, ever
what I learned from this one set me on a whole new path with horses...
A while back, I revealed my stupidest dog training mistake, ever, involving our Jack Russell Terrier Lucy. If you missed it, you can read about that here.
This one's a doozy; my Arabian mare Allarista was on the receiving end of a desensitizing effort gone very, very wrong. I bought her as a green-broke 3-year-old. I had started and ridden youngsters before, so it was no big deal (so I thought). However, a few years off to have a baby can change a lot about a woman manages dicey situations involving horses. Allie was (is) a good girl. She was started right by her breeder and has excellent ground manners. But she wasn't too sure about her new owner (me) who didn't seem to have her act together.
I quickly realized that I was in over my head, and set about getting some professional help. I hired a "natural" trainer to come and work with us. Things were going grandly. He was confident and had Allie going nicely under saddle again with just a few rides. She liked him, and the sessions were relaxed and productive. Then, one day before mounting up, he happened to flip a rope across her back - it came down and slapped against her offside hind leg. She startled and jumped into him. Nothing terribly dramatic - but still an invasion of his space - certainly not her normal behavior. It offended him, and he set about "sacking her out" with the rope around her hind legs. Nothing violent or hurtful, but she didn't like it, and she was having trouble standing still. He should have left well enough alone and visited that problem another day, but he did not. The situation escalated to the point that she was kicking out violently whenever the rope touched her. To make a long story short, the guy realized he was in over his head and bowed out - leaving me with a mess.
So, after that I was on my own. Just me, Allie, and our nemesis: the rope. Rummaging through the odds and ends in the tack room, I found a soft white cotton lead rope with no hardware. The ends were soft and fringe-y. Everything about it said "harmless" (at least to me). Each night the three of us would head to the round pen for a session of fun. I soon learned that it was completely unproductive to push her past the point where she was uncomfortable - as I couldn't get her back. Once she got a scare, then our soft, fringe-y rope morphed into an evil demon and she responded accordingly. Suffice to say, I had an enormous amount of time invested in convincing her that the rope was harmless and that she was safe with me. Then at night, I'd lie awake in bed replaying that awful kicking incident in my head - praying that I'd never cause/see a reaction like that from her ever again. (In retrospect, I realize this was a very bad thing - continuing to harbor that image in my mind)
 Finally, days came where she was mostly unconcerned by the rope - dragging at her feet, touching her body - swinging around her legs. I could drape it across her back and she'd walk quietly with it hanging off both sides. I could loop it around her pastern and pick up her foot with it. We even used a soft black rope to make sure she understood that ALL ropes were OK. She was a real trooper through the whole thing. (Another retrospect: I should not have made this effort a part of every single training session - she was starting to get sick of it - but I couldn't get the awful image of her with her fright out of my mind. I wanted to "fix" that once and for all.) At some point, the saddle was added to the mix. We'd do a little rope stuff, then saddle up and do some ground / lunge work, and if all went well I'd mount up and ride. But she was never 100% OK with the rope - so I kept revisiting that (read: obsessing) One day, I'd draped our softy-rope-friend across the saddle and had her walk/trot with it while I lunged her. The details of exactly how it happened have left my mind - but something startled her and she jumped. The rope slid off - but then the fringe-y end caught in a buckle on the saddle. I swear it had to be just one thread that caught... This left the full length of the rope dragging.
Allie snorted and took off with the rope sailing benignly at her side.
 Fine. I thought. "We've spent months getting you used to this. You can just run around until you remember that this thing's not going to hurt you." (insert loud warning buzzer here) So, after about 400 rounds at a mad gallop, it became clear to me that she was NOT going to remember that the rope was harmless. I was angry and frustrated as I watched all that work vanish while my horse careened around - mortally terrified for her life. I marveled at how strong that stupid thread was that was holding it fast. I tried reeling her in (making the circle smaller) so I could grab it, but the tighter the circle was, the harder she scrambled to stay at a dead run. She stumbled and took strides on her front fetlocks/knees frantically fighting to stay ahead of her "predator", as her hind feet stepped on the fronts when she couldn't catch herself fast enough. I was home alone, and to say that the situation was dire is an enormous understatement.
Now, a certain amount of folks out there are going to ask :
What kind of an idiot really can't stop a tired horse on the end of a lunge line?" Well, that would be me. And I thought I knew all the tricks. I suppose if I'd yanked and brought her off balance she'd have fallen and that would have stopped her - but at this point I was as scared as she was. Finally, fringe-y demon rope had had enough of the sport and let go. I was left with a horse that could barely stand on trembling legs, panting like I have never seen a horse pant, with pencil-sized streams of sweat running off each fetlock. It's a wonder her heart didn't burst. We were worse than back at square one.
And to the folks that are saying "That horse is crazy." I would like to point out that we have a line of Hedge-apple trees that border our pasture. They're huge trees with thorny branches that just arbitrarily fall off, in spite of our best efforts to keep them trimmed. More than once I have worked to disentangle large, thorny sticks from this mare's tail at night when they come into their stalls. If she can walk around all day with a large thorny stick hitting her back legs and not run herself into a frenzy, then she can surely tolerate a cotton rope. The problem is me. The shocking image of her fright/kicking, held in my mind, is apparently more powerful than all that training. Remember in the movie Ghost Busters - when Dan Akroyd's simple thought of the Stay Puft marshmallow man morphed into a literal monster? It's like that. Thoughts are powerful things. Horses are experts at reading non-verbal communication. I won't go so far as to say Allie could read my thoughts (don't want to get carted off to the nut-house) but I do know she could tell that I was not 100% OK with that rope, either - even if my reason had to do with the fact that I knew SHE wasn't OK...
|
|
|  | | Photo �Tony Stromberg | |
The Tao of Equus - The Way of the Horse
the book that sparked a new way of thinking for me
Author Linda Kohanov (shown here with Arabian "muse" Rasa) did one of the bravest things I can think of. She wrote a book about what horses might have to teach us. NOT how we can read them better so we know how to make them do what WE want (by telling them in "their" language). She wrote a book exploring the wisdom that horses can bring to the table for us. And with the study of this idea, Linda had to let go of the notion that the human must be the "boss" of all the interactions. This, of course, goes against everything I was ever taught about handling horses: "You give an inch - they'll take a mile." - "if you're not in charge, then the horse will take over." - "You'd better get that horse to respect you, or he's gonna hurt you!"
When I began writing The Tao of Equus in 1995, I felt intensely alone - and more than a little crazy. My horses were awakening something in me, something profound and indescribable. I could see these animals were having a life-changing effect on other people too. It's just that we couldn't talk about our experiences without sounding far too emotional or mystical - and vague. So we chattered incessantly about the surface of all things equine: tack, breeds, training methods, lameness issues, therapeutic options, conformation, and competition. Over time, many of us became distracted by those details, losing connection to the powerful yet elusive spirit of the horse that drew us to the barn in the first place. As a result, we felt betrayed and frustrated, yet we were unable to describe why without sounding whimsical, unrealistic, and embarrassingly, irrational. How does the average riding student or instructor express, in polite conversation, that she found her soul in the eyes of a horse, only to lose it in the business of training and competing?
My reaction to this dilemma was to ask more questions, and for some odd reason, to strive to answer them: How do horses inspire us, open our hearts, and enliven our souls? Are there training principles that can enhance, rather than suppress this ability? Why would such graceful, regal beings carry our species around the world in the first place, enduring our sometimes violent, sometimes comical moods and infernal shenanigans? Is it because they're lacking significant brain power? Or are they sensitive, highly evolved beings, protecting us, nurturing us, gently guiding us, waiting for us to wake up to the wisdom they so patiently hold?... Even in the late-1990s it was laughable, if not dangerous, to ask those questions, at least in public..."
 Fortunately, the timing was right for Linda's book - and instead of being tarred and feathered (as she feared) her book was selected as one of the Top Ten Religion and Spirituality books of 2001! Linda Kohanov's experiences with horse ownership has led her on a journey that she never would have imagined in her wildest dreams. Read about what the horses in her life have revealed to her; a way of looking at the horse/human dynamic that goes far beyond "horse whispering." These books are full of thought-provoking ideas unlike any you've ever experienced. A whole realm exists outside the "predator/prey" dynamic that many horse owners have sensed the existence of, but were reluctant to acknowledge. Kohanov's books are eloquent, rich, and well researched. You will find yourself reading about current findings in psychology and brain science right alongside references to the Bible and ancient mythology. *Gina's note about Linda Kohanov's books: "These books are some of my all time favorites. I review a LOT of material in consideration for HoofPrints website - and whenever I pick up one of Linda's books I end up reading something that helps me through some struggle that I am experiencing. They technically are not how-to type horse training texts, but I can honestly say that I have learned more useful things about the dynamics of interacting with others (horses and humans) from these books than all others I've read combined."To see all of Linda's books click here
Below is the book I should have talked about 3 years ago
The Power of the Herd
and THE TRUTH about WHY I didn't share...
 My confession: I couldn't finish this book.
I have NEVER pitched a book for sale to my dear customers without a wholehearted recommendation made after reading it from cover to cover. And I couldn't get through this one. NOT because it contains content I don't find interesting, or that it is poorly written, in fact it was exactly the opposite. The material in this book is so intensely researched, and so very well conveyed, it really is overwhelming to try and take it in, in it's entirety. For 3 years this sat by my reading chair. I'd pick it up, intending to dive in and finish reading once and for all - so I could tell you all about it - and then I'd get sidetracked researching some tidbit that was mentioned, which lead to more reading on the internet. Interesting stuff, but I never finished the book. 452 pages is a LOT. Especially when every page contains fascinating and noteworthy info begging for further investigation and study.Soooo - when I finally came to terms that this one is totally worth sharing, even though I'd not (yet) read the whole thing, I needed a spiffy way to tell you all about it. The thought had scarcely crossed my mind, when the image of this powerful black stallion crossed my Facebook news feed. The photo above is by Lauren Duncan, of my friend Jennifer's horse. Especially cool is the story behind this horse and his owner. Black (full name Chase Manhattan GMF) was in a bad situation with the rest of very well bred Arabian herd; his owners had gotten older and things had deteriorated badly on their farm. Jennifer always wanted her very own black stallion (don't we all?) so she rescued this guy and a couple of his herdmates. After years of being locked in a stall with no handling, Black was a handful, but Jennifer didn't just stick him in the pasture and admire his beautiful form, she trained him for all sorts of interesting disciplines; like mounted archery and native costume. Even though she owns several horses, he is her go-to mount for trail riding, too. Black's bold expression fit perfectly with the quote from The Power of the Herd, and I knew it was time (after 3 years) to share this book with you all :
The Power of the Herd - A Nonpredatory Approach to Social Intelligence, Leadership, and Innovation
Linda Kohanov is beloved for her groundbreaking articulation of "the way of the horse," an experiential wisdom known to riders for centuries but little studied or adapted to off-horse use. Now Kohanov takes those horse-inspired insights on the nonverbal elements of exceptional communication and leadership into the realms of our workplaces and relationships. Here we explore the benefits of "nonpredatory power" in developing assertiveness, fostering creativity, dealing with conflict, and heightening mind-body awareness. In "A Brief History of Power," the first part of this far-reaching book, Kohanov profiles cultural innovators who employed extraordinary nonverbal leadership skills to change history, usually on horseback: Winston Churchill, George Washington, Alexander the Great, and Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), among others. She also draws on the behavior of mature horse herds, as well as the herding cultures of Africa and Mongolia, to debunk theories of dominance hierarchies, challenge ingrained notions of "survival of the fittest," and demonstrate the power of a consensual leadership in which governing roles are fluid. Kohanov then adapts these lessons into twelve powerful guiding principles we can all incorporate into our work and personal lives. Eloquent and provocative, this is horse sense for everyone who seeks to thrive in the herds we all run in - our communities, careers, families, and friendships.
To order The Power of the Herd click here
|
SO - HOW DID I SOLVE IT?
I confess that all is not entirely solved. Though things are truly looking up:
The mare that I have made so many mistakes with; alternately scolded AND terrorized - is still willing to give me a big ol' HORSEY HUG at the end of the day.
(That is her at the top of the page, doing just that shortly after I repeatedly lunged her through a nest of bees during a photo session - details here)
And POSITIVE training methods were the key to softening our tense relationship.
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 desperate 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. Along with that are two garments from the I TRAIN HORSES TO EAT CARROTS series. All the positive training products are available here
I TRAIN HORSES...
The rest of the story:
Now, these shirts were designed with a tiny bit of sarcasm... as a joke for those of us who want to train our horses using non-forceful methods (treats) and who occasionally encounter less-than-stellar results. It's a whole 'nother story, but I personally found myself a bit lost after I decided to swear off using the option of punishment when working with my horses. I can't always get the results I am hoping for, but I CAN, ALWAYS get them to eat a carrot. It's a lighthearted way of looking at the learning process (both mine and theirs).
To see all the Positive Training Books and Products click here
|
|
|
|
Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is here ALL newsletters are here
|
|
These just in...
Check out new products here
|
|
When they're gone - they're gone...
Don't miss one you've been wanting - sadly, some favorites have been discontinued with no replacement - see them here
|
|
HANDS ON GROOMING GLOVES
The scrubbing nodules on the fingers and palms provide a deep thorough clean and are the best de-shedders on the market today. Another added benefit is hair does not stick to HandsOn Gloves; just a simple flick of the wrist and the hair instantly releases!
To order click here
|
|
ADULT
COLORING BOOK
Art Nouveau Animal Designs Adult Coloring Book here
|
|
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
|
|
Horse Eye Necklace
Available in four colors here
|
|
ADULT
COLORING BOOK
Color Your Own Great Horse Paintings Coloring Book here
|
|
DON'T do it yourself
FARRIER COASTERS
No farriers were harmed in the making of these coasters. To order click here
|
|
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
|
|
PONY GIRL'S ON THE LABEL!
Horse Woman's Balm
A great product that DOES WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO!
Order here
|
|
Courage doesn't always roar...
sometimes courage is that quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "i will try again tomorrow." To order click here
|
|
HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly
Order here
|
|
Sleeping with a Farrier NIGHT SHIRT
It's screenprinted with little horse and farrier logos along with phrases unique to only farrier households:
* How many horses did you do today?
* How did you get that bruise/cut/burn?
* I promise I won't kick you.
* Hoof smoke makes your hair smell good.
* No horsing around tonight.
* Do you want me to rub your back, again?
* It's too bad toothpaste won't remove that blue nail residue from your lips.
* Really, I don't mind the smell of thrush on your hands.
* You're not putting me in cross-ties!
* Did you eat beans for lunch or work on an abcessed foot?
* Gee, do you think that toenail will fall off?
* Settle down or I'll twitch you.
|
|
MADE IN USA
Tooled Leather Bracelet
Features braided rawhide, engraved heart and fancy buckle. Only $19.95 here
|
|
It's Back! HOLLYWOOD HOOFBEATS
New updated version includes 10 more years of horse movies - to order click here
|
|
PRINTED IN USA:
This Hug's For You
Equine Sympathy Cards here
|
|
Silver Dog Whistle
Solid Sterling Silver Whistle on waxed cotton cord here
|
|
Message
I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at gina@hoofprints.com |
|
GINA'S BLOG
Fun on the Farm
read the latest happenings in the Keesling household, involving construction, destruction, remodeling adventures and general wreckage here
|
|
Find us on facebook
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 |
|
Folks who are friends with me on Facebook (if you're not, send me a request here) know that I quote Anna Blake - A LOT. So I am thrilled to announce that I have her latest book Relaxed & Forward here on the shelves at HoofPrints. This softcover book is just 301 pages, but it might as well be a million, for all the wisdom contained therein. Each chapter is short; just a few pages, but every single one contains profound words like those above, words that summarize a powerful, complex concept into a memorable, eloquent sentence or two with losing any of the meaning. Anna talks a lot about observing horses carefully, and appropriately rewarding their efforts for good behavior, but some of her best words come when she is talking about things going wrong:
There will always be two stories about horses. One is that they are brainless tools; too crazy or lazy or just not worth the effort. That you'll always be a victim of a horse's whims and habits unless you dominate them to a stupor. The other story is that horses are mythical creatures with brave hearts who lift and carry us in perfect unity. That together, we can break free of earthly limitations.
Both stories actually start the same way. After that, we get just about what we think we deserve."
Each copy comes with a fancy ribbon embellished bookmark that's HAND SIGNED by the author. To read an excerpt click here
|
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.
|
|
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)
|
|
|
|
|
