Here's the BIG NEWS! All New Art!!
But the BAD NEWS is I don't have a lot left.
I am down to about 700 of these left on the shelf. 700 sounds like a lot, but when you consider that many farriers are buying them 100 at a time, they won't last long. In previous years I've ended up with a lot left, and put them on sale. That will NOT be the case this year, so if you've been eyeballing these as a fun giveaway for your customers, don't wait to order.
The magnetic Things Not To Say To A Hot, Tired Farrier calendar has been a favorite with farriers and horse owners alike for years now... 
When artist Lesley Bruce and I collaborated to produce the first one several years ago, we were pulling from her entire stash of previous farrier drawings. Finding 13 (12 plus a cover) that fit with the massive collection of phrases that I'd amassed over the years was quite a project, but we pulled it off. Whew!

When the next year rolled around and we were faced with the prospect of doing that all over again, we decided our first effort was working just fine - so we convinced ourselves that no one would notice a repeat from one year to the next. And the next, and the next... After a while, customers were asking more frequently if the pictures were still the same.... and we knew something had to be done.

Except we'd used everything she already had on hand - so Lesley drew ALL NEW PICTURES just for this project! What an enormous undertaking. And, while the calendars are small at 3.5" wide (the width of a business card) the pictures are not. Even at this tiny size, the detail is just incredible - something farriers and horse owners will enjoy looking at for a month at a time for a whole year.
Above is October; the phrases make reference to mysteriously "lost" shoes. There's a gnarly tree in the foreground. If you give it a closer look, you'll see a number of "lost" shoes - wrapped around the protruding roots. If you keep looking, you'll notice something creepy about that tree; one of the branches looks strangely like an arm and hand, pointing down to the cache of "lost" shoes, on the tree's trunk is a sinister face, beaming up toward the farrier and owner as they have an exchange about the "lost" shoes. Keep looking at this one; there's a LOT going on. Lesley is a brilliant artist. I'm so very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with her, and be able to bring her art to the farrier and equine community.

Below is art that highlights the challenges of working on a horse who is distracted; it has a number of events going on that can make farrier work even more difficult.
I could go on and on about the virtues of each month's drawing - but it's important to share what hard working little promotional items these calendars are, too.
For years, my descriptive copy for the calendars said; "Our handy magnetic business card calendar lets you keep your card in front of your customers all year round, and give them a chuckle, too! Each month has different Things Not to Say to a Farrier phrases, paired with humorous farrier drawings. Great to enclose with your invoices, or with your holiday cards. These stick to any metal surface. Just remove the liner, and apply your own business card to the adhesive."
What I never took the time to describe, was the fact that with each calendar comes an EXTRA magnetic piece that you punch out and stick to a SECOND business card. This lets you turn any ordinary business card into a handy magnet that you can bet will stay around where clients can see it a lot longer than a regular card.

It's a tough concept to convey with just a small picture and a few lines of copy. Many folks who were interested in the idea, got tripped up when I tried to explain that they needed to use business cards that they ALREADY HAD or place an order for some separately. So, I took a new picture and constructed the graphic at the top to hopefully give folks a better idea of how this all works.
But wait! There's more...
These pictures are so good it was a crime to confine them to the business card calendar size - so I took 12 of the most detailed drawings and made them into a big farrier wall calendar.
Check this out: The cover (also January) features a situation that's all too common - the person who is supposed to be holding the horse is, instead, looking at his phone. The horse is reaching for grass, giving the farrier trouble. It's paired with cringeworthy things that farriers hear "She stands better if she's allowed to graze." along with "That don't look that hard." and "I read on the internet that you're supposed to..."

Nearly every month also features a dog, doing not-very-helpful dog stuff, as this one is here; getting up close and (too) personal.
GOOD news concerning a popular product
The Farrier Forms Organizer has been a perennial favorite for hoof care professionals looking for a no-nonsense way to keep track of their calendar, their expenses, their client list, and more.
Farrier Forms has worked with their customers and developed an even better product (who knew that was even possible?) for 2021 they're using heavier paper for the insert portion - there's less danger of the pages coming loose from the binder; a better record-keeping experience all the way around. These are in stock for immediate shipment.
BAD NEWS: Some donkey people were upset that this label reflected badly on donkeys and farriers.
GOOD NEWS: The product really works and it's selling very well.
New this fall is Ass Kicking Pain Balm for Farriers & other Hard Working Folks!
The art for the label was also created by Lesley Bruce, with a nod to the now-defunct Time To Retire poster that has been out of print for years - folks still ask for it. Anyway, we're not condoning the kicking of anyone's ass(es) but instead acknowledging that it sometimes happens - and here's something to help you feel better afterward...
This all natural, organic pain balm is made here in Indiana, by a woman entrepreneur. Also a chronic pain sufferer (MS and fibromyalgia), nurse Cynthia Gaultney set about formulating her own blend of effective balm to soothe her own aches and pain. Many iterations later, we think she's hit upon the perfect formula. This stuff has none of the crazy strong smells that commercial balms have, and it doesn't just fire up your skin under the guise of helping deeper pain... in fact, it barely has much smell at all. It goes on like an emollient lotion, and then gets right to work without a smelly, mentholated fanfare.
Reviews are starting to come in!
"A friend who has hemochromatosis visited me today, she was in distressing pain in her hands from a flare up of arthritis, caused by the condition. She rubbed some of this Balm in and had almost immediate relief. Nothing had worked for her before. It's an inherited condition she's suffered all her life. She has tried everything the doctor could offer, and countless other things. She couldn't believe this worked, but it did."
BAD NEWS: My most epic mistake of the season=The Price on this charm bracelet
GOOD NEWS: It's way lower than what's printed in the catalog
The last time I featured this sterling silver bracelet in a print catalog, silver was super high so the bracelet retailed for almost $400. I copied/pasted that text from the old layout, and failed to change the price to what it is currently: $239.95. Which is a great deal if you consider that there are 10 different super detailed farrier tool charms plus the cost of the chain.
BAD NEWS: I ran out of Horseshoers Hand Soap
GOOD NEWS: I was able to get more
BAD NEWS: It takes 4 weeks to cure
GOOD NEWS: You can still use it
The soap maker warned me this Summer that I needed to allow 4 weeks cure time on each batch. I went into Fall with a lot on hand so failed to anticipate needing more. Until I was almost out. The bars I am shipping now are about 2 weeks into the cure process, I'm wrapping them in porous tissue paper instead of the regular shrink wrap to facilitate the drying. It's fine to use, just keep it in a soap dish that lets air circulate around as much as possible.
This soap is designed specifically for farriers. The essential oils used assist in removing the hoof smell, leaving a pleasing licorice/peppermint aroma. Deactivated charcoal is added as a deodorizer and natural abrasives for scrubbing power. Farriers love leaving a bar in their truck, because it gets the smell out of there as well.
Just because the artisan formulated this soap for farriers, doesn't mean we regular folks can't enjoy the benefits too! The odor-killing properties will freshen up your hands after everything from onion chopping to sheath cleaning and other smelly farm chores.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Gina Keesling started HoofPrints in 1986 to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way she added a fun selection of horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month. Watch for sales, stories, including the full story behind this lovely picture (that's available here) and more.
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I have awesome customer service reps available 24/7 to take your order or answer questions at 765-724-7004, or email gina@hoofprints.com