Mia Totten - 9 years old and a force to be reckoned with!
John:
Hello and welcome to this week's Equinety podcast, it's a great one. We are swinging up into Illinois. We've got Mia Totten, who is nine years old; a force to be reckoned with, and her dad, Ty. So Mia and Ty, welcome to the Equinety podcast.
Ty:
Thank you so much. We're super excited to share our story and can't wait to share it with everybody.
John:
Good deal. And Mia, welcome to the podcast.
Mia:
Thank you.
John:
It's great to have you. So you're nine years old, how long have you been riding horses?
Mia:
I've been riding horses since before I could walk and I have been rodeoing for about 3 years.
John:
Good night, now I think it would be important for all the listeners and maybe Ty, you can help us out here. Give us all of the accomplishments and where Mia sits in the standings of these things, these days.
Ty:
Of course, Mia currently is sitting second in the national Little Britches association, Little Wranglers rookie of the year. She is currently sitting 14th in goat tail and tie. She is the Midwest youth rodeo association, back to back all around cowgirl for Indiana junior rodeo, this past weekend. She finished first in flag overall, year end champion and flags, reserved champion and goat tail on tie reserve champion in barrels and third in poles.
John:
Good night. I don't think all that could fit on a business card.
Mia:
And reserve champion.
Ty:
Yep, reserve all around champion, that is correct.
John:
Don't forget that one, dad.
Ty:
Yeah.
John:
That's quite a accomplishments there, Mia, congratulations on all that.
Mia:
Thank you.
John:
That's pretty impressive. So when you go to an event you're pretty busy, it sounds like.
Mia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
John:
Yep. I'm sure you probably have people that when they find out you're going to these events, they're like, 'oh no, please, not Mia.' Is that kind of what, what the atmosphere is like out there?
Mia:
Probably.
Ty:
She's definitely a force to be reckoned with.
John:
Yeah, no doubt. That is awesome. So, all right. Well, we're going to be talking about a couple different horses, Hammer and Yachty. So give us the lowdown on these and why don't we do it in this format where, first of all, how long have you been using the Equinety products?
Mia:
Three months.
John:
Three months, okay. So maybe talk a little bit about some of the challenges you were having prior to using the product and then how you found out about the product and then how the horses are doing since you've been using the product. So it'll be kind of a before and after comparison.
Mia:
Okay. Well before we started using Equinety Yachty's caulks were really bad and they would get really sore and we'd have to give him a bunch of shots. And Hammer's joints were pretty bad, he wouldn't run as hard and Hammer's coat wasn't as shiny, and his mane was pretty dainty and really thin. And Yachty's tail wasn't as long and shiny and his coat wasn't as long and shiny. And if we went to a two-day or three-day rodeo the next day they wouldn't run out in the pasture, and buck and kick or they pretty much would just walk shot out there. And then, we found Equinety because my grandpa told my dad about it, so then we started looking into it and we got it. And Yachty's caulks started to look better, he didn't have as much infections and need as many shots, and Hammer, he had a lot more energy, his coat's a lot more shiny, his mane's thicker, longer. Yachty's tail is dragging the ground now. And we'll go to a two-day or three-day rodeo and we'll come back, and the next day my dad will put them out in the pasture and now they'll go out bucking and kicking.
John:
That is pretty impressive, which really goes along with a lot of the feedback that we've been receiving through the year, just the overall body composition, the recovery time, they look better, they feel better. Can you tell a difference when you're writing? Do they feel better under saddle?
Mia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative), they feel a lot more energized.
John:
That's awesome, now...
Ty:
I can definitely see a, whenever Mia's competing, especially on that second day, her old horse Hammer is 31 years old.
John:
Good night.
Ty:
So, for a 31 year old to keep on being competitive, as he is, it's pretty amazing in its own, right. But now since we're on this Equinety it's just amazing how much more energized he feels, he's running harder, he looks great. You couldn't tell he's 31 years old. And also with Yachty whenever I go to the rodeos on him, and I team rope on him as well, Mia runs barrels and poles, he's just so much quicker to the point, he'll last longer in the arena. I can run a couple more runs than what I would do before. So it a lot more in shape. He's a lot more...
Mia:
Focused on the barrels and poles, he's not looking off at the banners or at the people.
John:
Right. Now you had mentioned you don't have to inject as often. How often were you having to do that prior to using the product?
Ty:
Every six months.
John:
Oh, wow.
Ty:
Yeah. His uppers and lower hock on Yachty would have to get injected every six months. And now I have... Once we've started Equinety I haven't injected them for over a year.
John:
Oh, that's impressive. And that's one of the things that we hear quite often now, every now and then, and it all depends on the severity of what's going on in the joints. But a lot of these performance horses that are regularly injected, we get a lot of feedback that once they begin using the product, they don't have to inject as often, and sometimes not at all. You know, it all just depends on the severity of what's going on in there. So now....
Ty:
Absolutely.
John:
Yeah. Now going back to Hammer being 31 years old, was he, prior to using the product, was he looking his age? And then does it look like he's gotten younger? What's that visual look like?
Ty:
He definitely looks younger. He's feeling a whole lot younger for sure.
Mia:
Yeah.
Ty:
You got to watch out on the Mondays and Tuesdays after the rodeo, he may run by you and act like he may want to kick you now, kind of just gone during, out there.
Mia:
One time I went out to check them in the pasture and he just bolted off and started kicking.
John:
Oh goodness. Yeah. Now I think it's important too, for those tuning in that are possibly worried that they don't want their horse to be hot. Would you classify him being hot or just feeling better?
Ty:
He is feeling a whole lot better. Neither horse is hot now. They were never hot before, but once we start using Equinety it doesn't make them hot, really on the muscle or anything like that. They're still nice and quiet and relaxed. They know what their job is and they're more focused towards their job. So definitely a lot better.
John:
Sure. So it must be pretty awesome, being a dad and being able to take your young girl all over the country, doing these types of things. That must be pretty awesome.
Ty:
It is very awesome, very rewarding. I wish I had the same opportunity that she's getting whenever I was little, but I'm living not only my dream, but her dream, together as a family and everything. So it is awesome.
John:
Yeah. So Mia, when you go to these events, give us a visual, do you show up like on a Thursday, Friday, give us an overview of what the weekend looks like for you.
Mia:
Well, since we got our bigger horse trailer we usually go over Friday night, and we get there Friday night about, depends on where we're going, but normally about five to seven o'clock, is when we will normally get there and then we will probably either go out to eat or go to the trailer and eat. And then we'll play with all of our friends that are there, and then about 10 o clock, is when it's usually, then we got to bed in our trailer. And then it depends on when the rodeo starts, normally about eight to nine I get up and I ride my horses, to get them ready for the rodeo that day, on the Saturday. And then we'll rodeo all day, and whenever the rodeo gets over we'll go back to the trailer, either eat out or eat at the trailer. If we ate out the day before then we'll probably eat at the trailer, and then go play with our friends again, and then do the same thing for the next day.
John:
That is awesome. And then how many events are you running typically during the day?
Mia:
Typically, about four, and sometimes I add an extra one, but when we go to the little britches rodeo, only four [inaudible 00:10:18] I can do, and then sometimes they add a sixth, one if I'm going to, in the end of junior rodeo, I might do [inaudible 00:10:28] or break away.
John:
Nice. Now, did we hear this correctly? You are ranked number two in the little britches.
Mia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
John:
Wow. That's impressive. Now how many other competitors are there in this crowd?
Ty:
Usually anywhere, depending on where we're going... like this weekend in Tennessee we have 15 in her division.
John:
Yep.
Ty:
It just depends where we're going. The biggest is usually Indiana, we'll get around 24 kids, so 25 kids. Illinois usually gets about 15 to 20 kids. Missouri gets about 15 to 20 kids as well. There's a wide range for sure.
John:
Yeah. About how many are probably in the entire organization, around the country?
Ty:
Oh, wow. Little britches is getting huge. I really don't know that answer. There's contestants, the number one contestant in the world, right now, from Utah, Mia sitting second here in Illinois.
Mia:
I can follow [inaudible 00:11:43], Indiana. It's all over the place.
Ty:
Yeah, all over. So I'm guessing whenever we leave for nationals here in a few weeks, she'll be competing against about 300 kids in her division.
John:
Wow. Well, I guess it doesn't matter how many is in the overall group. I mean, you're sitting number two, so we've got to get up to number one. So, and you're also Wrangler rookie of the year. Tell us what that was like when you received that honor.
Ty:
Well, that's what she's running for right now.
John:
Oh, okay. Gotcha.
Ty:
In the little britches, her division is called little Wrangler.
John:
Okay.
Ty:
So that's where she's sitting second at currently [crosstalk 00:12:26]
John:
Oh, I gotcha. Okay, yeah. I got to keep me straight here. I'm jumping the gun, I'm already forecasting. So awesome. Well, I tell you what, this is quite impressive. I know for those that are tuning in, let me give you a little bit of an overview of what this Equinety product is, in case you're looking to help your horses performance or just overall wellbeing. The Equinety horse XL is 100% pure amino acids. There is no fillers, no sugars, no starches, and there's no loading dose. So one little tiny scoop, which is about a teaspoon, right on top of their feed. And what the product is specifically designed to do is give the body what it needs to help release its own repairing hormones. And then the body can send its own repairing hormones to its own problem areas. And that's why it works in so many ways. As Mia brilliantly described all the benefits from the hooves and recovery and tail growth and mane growth and shiny coat and all of these different things, just one little tiny scoop can do all that. So one of the great things too, is it also begins working within a couple of hours, and the vast majority of people notice changes in 30 days or less. So, about how long were you using it before you started noticing results yourselves?
Ty:
I would say about a week, if not less.
Mia:
Yeah, because one day after we were doing feeding, I walked in to Hammer's stall and I asked dad if he had put any of the mane stuff that we use to help the manes grow and he said 'no.' Then I was surprised and I realized that it was actually the Equinety that was doing it.
John:
That's pretty awesome. So he just feels young as ever then at 31.
Mia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
John:
Yep. Now what events specifically are using him for?
Mia:
[inaudible 00:14:21] tail and tie [inaudible 00:14:24] racing.
John:
Wow. That is pretty sweet. And then Yachty, you're using for?
Mia:
Barrels and poles.
John:
Barrels and poles. And then dad's using him roping.
Ty:
Yep. I'll use Yachty in the team roping, I head off Yachty.
John:
Wow.. They're probably grateful for feeling so good now.
Ty:
Oh, definitely. One problem we were noticing with Yachty whenever we'd take him somewhere, he wouldn't drink the water very well. So we put him on the OEC and now anytime we go anywhere, he's still drinking a lot better than he did before, staying hydrated which is great. I don't have that problem with putting electrolytes in him a few days before the rodeos. I have confidence in the Equinety products to make our horses feel great and keep them healthy and keep them firing on all cylinders.
John:
Yeah, that's great. Now you mentioned the OEC. So I'll tell everybody a little bit about that. That's our second product, which is called Equinety Ultimate OEC and what that is, it's a flaxseed based omega three oil. It's got a thousand iu of natural vitamin E and colloidal silver all in one. So we brought that out with the help of Dr. Zach Brugan out of Arkansas and specifically to work in combination with the amino acids. So the Equinety horse XL, that's your foundation of giving the horse what it needs to help repair at the cellular level. The Ultimate OEC gives those repaired cells, some nourishment, which helps them operate at optimal levels. And then it also serves as a really powerful antioxidant, which helps reduce inflammation. So I know we've had quite a bit of feedback with horses that didn't want to drink so much when they were being hauled. And when they add both of these products, it really helps with keeping them hydrated and not to mention all the other benefits- not having to give injections as often that's saving some good money and then maybe not having to use some other things for example, trying to get the mane to grow or shiny coats and all this. Just these two products do so much in all of these areas. So, well, what are some of your future plans coming up? I know you had mentioned, you've got something coming up here in a couple of weeks.
Mia:
Yeah. In a couple of weeks, I'm going to go to Oklahoma for the national little britches finals. And that is a week in Oklahoma, and then if you make it to the short rounds then it's a few more days or like three more days. I don't really know how many days exactly. And in Oklahoma, my grandma and grandpa, mimi and pa, are going to come up, and my grandma are going to all come up and they are going to come and watch me rodeo.
John:
Nice.
Mia:
And then after we're done with the little britches final, I don't know if I'm going to sign up to little britches again. I want to, I don't know if I'm going to. I'm going to start doing break away, barrels, bow tying and trail class. And I might be getting another horse for break away, I don't know yet, because it depends if Hammer can still keep up with the cows. Sometimes the cows outrun him.
John:
Yeah. Yeah. Well, you're sure putting him to the test, aren't you?
Mia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
John:
Yeah, that's awesome. So the question I have is how long did grandpa Tom have the product before he told you about it? Because he's been using it for quite a while.
Mia:
I have no idea.
John:
Maybe he was trying to hold out on you.
Ty:
He's had it for quite a while for sure. He uses it on all his halter horses and I really don't know how long he had it before he actually told us about it. So...
John:
That's going to be Tom and I's secret.
Ty:
Yeah, it's definitely a secret, yeah.
John:
Well, I'm glad that he spilled the beans because it seems like it's working really well for you guys out there.
Ty:
It is doing tremendous stuff for us. It really opened the doors of opportunity for Mia, and not making us buy another horse. Because like she said, Hammer is 31 and he doesn't... he has a lot in the tank, but that tank's getting thinner by the day.
John:
Yeah. No doubt.
Ty:
So the Equinety, that keeps that tank at optimal levels at his age.
John:
Absolutely. Well, Mia, a last question for you, for anybody that's tuning into the podcast and have heard your experience with the product and they might just be sitting on the fence, not quite sure if they should really try it because maybe it sounds too good to be true. Is there anything that you would have to say to them to get them off the fence to try the product?
Mia:
It is not too good to be true, it really works.
John:
Couldn't be better said myself there. Awesome. Well, Mia Totten and dad, Ty, thank you so much for taking the time to share your stories here on the Equinety podcast.
Ty:
Thank you, John. We really appreciate everything you've done and given us this opportunity.
John:
Absolutely. Mia, do you, what would you like to say anything before we sign off?
Mia:
Thank you for letting us tell our story.
John:
Absolutely. Well, thank you guys so much. I appreciate it.
Mia:
You're welcome.
John:
All right, bye bye.
Mia:
Bye.
