HoofPrints Newsletter
October 11, 2016
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.

Purple & Brown Treat Pouches are in stock and shipping now!
Shown here are two brand new, redesigned Treat Pouches.  
These were offered for pre-order in July, with an August delivery date promised. BIG THANKS to all of you who ordered, and waited, and waited... They FINALLY came in on 10/10 and all the orders that were holding will ship today (10/11).

This new version has some upgrades that make them (I think) an improvement over the black. They're made of faux (synthetic) leather that's a bit sturdier than the genuine. From a manufacturing standpoint, it more consistent in texture, thus the embossed horse logo is much deeper and clearer. The closure is still magnetic, so no velcro sound when dispensing treats. The zipper opening is a tiny bit larger, so the bigger phones fit in more easily. And the snaffle bit zipper pull is a nice, fancy touch. To see super closeup photos, and to order your pouch(es) in these great new colors, click here.

Treat Pouch
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 


Are you POSITIVE? 
What would your horses say?
How I solved real 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 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.

Carrot ad
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, ALWAYSget them to eat a carrot. It's a lighthearted way of looking at the learning process (both mine and theirs).

A while back I received this email from a newsletter subscriber:
quotation mark left Dear Gina, I have a story to share:
There is a local horse rescue that we help out by fostering cases that need more one on one attention than the rescue can reasonably provide. As I'm sure you know, abused horses need to re-learn to trust the humans around them.  One of the common traits of abused horses is that they refuse treats like horse cookies, apples and carrots - either because they are unfamiliar or because they associate them with past abuse.
The other night, my wife Sue was all excited: "Steve, Lil'Bit took a cookie from me!!"   
She already has one of your "I train horses to eat carrots" sweatshirts and t-shirts.  I got it as a joke at Christmas.  She's serious about it though.  Her next goal is to get this little abused horse to eat apples and carrots."
Thanks to Steve for sharing this lovely story. I am sure, with Sue's kindness and patience, that Lil'Bit will indeed learn to eat carrots! I hope to post an update soon.

All the positive training products are available here

ALL NEW JUST A LITTLE DONKEY... cards are BACK IN STOCK!
This lovely new revised version is back on the shelves at HoofPrints.

The publisher had discontinued Just a little donkey - one of our favorite Christmas cards - and it was out of print for two years.
Now the card that features a lovely verse by Rita S. Beer is back with fresh new artwork. I don't know Rita - but I'd bet that she's a horse/donkey person based on one line in this poem:
 quotation mark left
I gladly carried Mary through the chaos of the crowd."

Only someone who's worked with equines would know to note how significant it is that the donkey carried Mary safely through what must have been a very scary situation. Consider what it would be like now, if we were all required to travel somewhere far away to pay our taxes in person?

This one is HALF PRICE (along with all the rest of the Christmas cards) here  
2017 What Horses Teach Us Horse Day Planner 
This sweet little inspirational planner made it's debut in the flyer HoofPrints mailed two years ago. It was brand new and I was conservative in my sales projections. That's usually not a bad strategy - UNLESS the supplier RUNS OUT of product. Which is what happened. I never got a chance to rave about how cool they were - because they were all gone! This year, I am planning ahead and have plenty of the 2017 version on hand NOW for immediate shipment. 
There is much we can learn from horses by watching, riding and caring for them. The horses in this 12-month planner teach us valuable lessons in weekly words and dazzling full-color photographs about what is important in our own lives to cherish, defend and adore. The week-by-week format includes to do lists with extra planning pages in the back to help organize your busy life. 106 pages, 6.5" x 8.5", printed on high quality, sturdy paper. Includes moon phases, U.S. and International holidays. To order, click here.

Also available now is the 2017 Horse Women Wall Calendar

This beautiful, large size glossy calendar features 12 different photos of a woman and her horse, paired with an inspirational quote. Each month shows a different facet of the relationship between women and their various horse breeds. Western riding, English riding, ground work, just hanging out - and more. The photos are a big 12" x 12", and are so striking that you could frame them up after the year is over, or use as background images in a scrapbook.

Think you don't need a 2017 calendar NOW? Sure you do! The folks that designed this one thought of everything... the first spread in this 2017 calendar features a collage of lovely images, AND July though December of 2016 - so you can start using it right away!

To order, click here 

In This Issue
Here's what we talked about last time
What Did I Miss? graphic
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
GINA'S BLOG
Fun on the Farm

read the latest happenings in the Keesling household, involving construction, destruction, remodeling adventures and general wreckage 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
Tuff Chix CHORE GLOVES

great for grooming, building fence, baling hay and other farm chores, gardening, and even riding!
To order, click here 
NEW! Horsey Gift Wrap Assortments

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!
More info here 
The Natural Superiority of Mules

Covers everything you ever wanted to  know about mules. Order  here
HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Barn Blade Pink Knife
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly
Order here
DON'T do it yourself
FARRIER COASTERS

No farriers were harmed in the making of these coasters. To order click here
Horse Eye Necklace

Available in four colors here
Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back Necklace
That's Not Where You're Going - Inspirational Necklace only $14.95 here
The Doctor is In Horse Thermometer
Horse Doctor Thermometer
Measures a big 17" tall and under $15.00! Order here
This Hug's For You

Equine Sympathy Cards here
Message
Gina Keesling with Clydesdale
I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at [email protected]
 

I love it when multiple products align for a common philosophy. This sweet quote is from Anna Blake's new book Relaxed and Forward - Relationship Advice from Your Horse, the T-shirt says I TRAIN HORSES TO EAT CARROTS, the horse is Billy - a worn out rental trail horse I bought in South Dakota. I spent considerable effort trying to locate his registration papers; the halter he was wearing when he was delivered is ironically embroidered  "Clue" on the noseband and it also contains a distinctive brand burned into the crownpiece - a brand owned by John Hauer, author of The Natural Superiority of Mules. Photo is by Lauren Duncan

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:
quotation mark left
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."
 

To read an excerpt click here 
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)