Stacey & Jim Warner – GTBRA – Mystery Lameness – Cracked Hooves – Faster Recovery
John Dowdy:
Hello, and welcome to this week's Equinety podcast. We are swinging up into South Carolina this week. We've got Jim and Stacey Warner on the call. Welcome to the Equinety podcast, guys and girls.
Stacey Warner:
Hello, John. We're excited to be with you today.
Jim Warner:
Thanks for having us.
John Dowdy:
Oh, you bet. It's been a long while. I may have been twisting your arm trying to get on here for while, but you guys are super busy. So, that's all right.
Stacey Warner:
We are so excited to tell you about Equinety and what it's done for our horses.
John Dowdy:
Good. Yeah. So let's start off. We're going to talk about two different horses specifically. And so, tell us some of the things that were going on with these horses. And this was before you learned about the Equinety Horse XL product. So tell us a little bit about each of these horses.
Stacey Warner:
The first horse that we tried it on, and then we were sold. We were at our wit's end. We did so much vet work on this horse. We did a bone scan. It didn't work. We did an MRI. Didn't work. We injected everything after the bone scan, after the MRIs. And we would take him back to the vet. And his performance, he just would get in a turn. He couldn't stay in a turn. He'd flare off and acted like he was just hurting somewhere. And never really could find anything in all the bone scans, MRIs, X-rays, all the injections. In fact, we took him back so many times to the vet, they started re-injecting the same joint. And we had to call the vet out. They're like, "Oh yeah, we did inject that."
John Dowdy:
Oh gosh.
Stacey Warner:
So we were desperate enough. Started researching and we came across your product on social media. And then we were able to go find reviews. And we thought, "What the heck? Let's try this." We gave him 30 days stall rest. He was on Equinety for 30 days. And then we started slowly exercising him for the next. And at 60 days, we started running him again. And it was like he was back to his old self. This horse went from winning futurity to not performing at all. And then it was like a year of back and forth trying to figure out the problem until they couldn't figure it out. And the Equinety is what fixed him and went right back to winning. And we were sold on the product and been on it ever since.
John Dowdy:
Wow. So he was on and off lame for a year or so?
Stacey Warner:
Yeah. And it was really, couldn't really ... There wasn't a physical obvious lameness. It was more on his performance. He would get in a turn and he just couldn't stay in there. He would bail out. And he'd start to mate and it was like he's hurt and then leave the turn. So he wasn't clocking well at all.
John Dowdy:
Sure.
Stacey Warner:
He tried to put a good effort into it, but he just couldn't perform. And that's why it was a puzzling case. And that's why we would try bone scans and MRIs and never really found anything. And we did inject everything that there is to inject and it never made a difference. So you get desperate and we started researching and that's how we found out about Equinety and never looked back.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. So after two years, he's been perfectly sound and performing great?
Stacey Warner:
Yep. Yes.
John Dowdy:
How about that?
Stacey Warner:
And we have not had to do any more injections and haven't been to the vet since.
John Dowdy:
Holy smokes, this stuff must work.
Stacey Warner:
And then Jim started using it on his mare. I'll let Jim tell you about that.
Jim Warner:
I had a mare that ran futurity [inaudible 00:03:30]. And if we would go to the futurity the first go round, she would fire hard, work real great. The second go round, she just was lethargic, just plain tired and just she didn't feel good. So she wouldn't fire hard the second day. If we would go to a two-day show, it was the same day. First day, she was great. Second day, she just didn't feel like she felt good. And so, she didn't have her snap and didn't fire. And we put her on your product. And I seen a difference in 30 days. And 60 days, a huge difference. She would come back the second go round as strong as the first. And it really made a huge difference.
John Dowdy:
Wow. And she's been on the same timeframe, couple of years?
Jim Warner:
Yes.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. And didn't have any of those issues anymore then?
Jim Warner:
No. No. She's good. Yeah. Every run is the same. It's not like she drops off like she was before.
John Dowdy:
Right. That's incredible. Now I know one of the other things that we were talking about before, and one of the challenges that you have in your area are with cracked hooves. Tell us about that and some of the challenges you've had to deal with through the years and then how this product has changed the hoof quality.
Stacey Warner:
It was definitely a difference when we started both of these individuals on Equinety. From the nail holes down, they would always be brittle and crack. And their hooves strengthened up so much. We're like, "Wow, this is great for their hooves as well." So we put the whole barn on Equinety. In fact, some of them don't even have to wear shoes now. Their hoof walls are so strong and good strong soles. But it definitely made a difference in all the horses' hooves. And no more brittle hoof walls, no more cracking, no more chipping of the hooves. They're strong.
John Dowdy:
Wow. Just an increased ferrier bill.
Stacey Warner:
Yeah. Yeah.
John Dowdy:
Which is an all right trade-off, if you're working.
Stacey Warner:
Yeah. That's right.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. Yeah. Now, you guys also train a lot of horses.
Stacey Warner:
We do. We do.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. So how's that worked in these younger ones, in these colts?
Stacey Warner:
We have put our colts on it. And the biggest difference that's been on our colts is the focus. We haul a lot of different colts. And one of the biggest challenge in your young ones is seasoning them and selling in the new places and getting them to focus. And this has made a world of difference on their focus and paying attention and not snort at everything. And their performance is so much better because they're dialed in.
John Dowdy:
Right. Right. The things that you're describing are things that we hear all the time. And for those of you tuning in for the first time, maybe you've just learned about Equinety. We've got two products and we're specifically talking about the Equinety Horse XL right now, which is 100% pure amino acids. There's no fillers. There's no sugars, no starches. And there's no loading dose. It's just one little tiny scoop about the size of a teaspoon. And it's the same dose whether it be a colt or a 2000-pound draft horse. They all get the same dose.
John Dowdy:
And the reason why is because the amino acids are specifically formulated in this stack to give the body what it needs to release hormones from the pituitary gland. And when you can do that, it allows the body to send its own hormones to the problem areas. So in essence, it's customizing to each horse. So this is a perfect example with these two horses that you described where, one, the performance was off, mystery something going on and you tried everything and you started giving it the Equinety and it fixed that whole situation.
John Dowdy:
And then with gyms, after the second day or after the first day, rather going into the second, she was just done. And so it solved that issue. And then you get into the cracked hooves and then the focus. That's one of the things too that's so interesting with this product is it doesn't really fit into a specific category of a hoof supplement, a joint supplement, a recovery supplement, or performance supplement. Again, we're giving the body what it needs to help repair itself. And that's what makes it so unique.
John Dowdy:
At this time, we've been on the market seven years with the Equinety Horse XL. One year ago, we came out with a second product called Ultimate OEC, which is a flaxseed based on mega three oil. It's got a 1000 IUs of natural vitamin E and colloidal silver all in one. And so this is serving two specific purposes. One, it works in combination with the amino acids to give those repaired cells some nutrition to help them operate at optimal levels. And secondly, it's a really powerful antioxidant which helps reduce inflammation. And so, I know you recently had started using the, or you had added the OEC. What's the biggest thing that you've seen just by adding the OEC?
Stacey Warner:
We have started using the OEC. And I can tell you on one individual, Philly, we were having multiple episodes of her tying up. And we tried so many different things with her feed. We took her off the pasture so she wouldn't get any sugars in the grass. And we still were not getting any kind of results. She was still tying up and we put her on the OEC. And it fixed her. She quit tying up and made a world of difference. And now we can show her and see performing well. So, it definitely corrected why she was tying up. We don't know. But it definitely leveled her out where we can perform on her now.
John Dowdy:
Yeah, that's great. And we've actually heard that probably a handful of times. We don't get feedback from every everybody. But some of the people that have called in and say, "Hey, do you have any testimonials or anybody hearing that this has helped with horses that are tying up?" Yes, we have and here's another one.
Stacey Warner:
Yeah, it works great on her. And I'll tell you too, it makes a big difference in their coat and their top line. And if you have one that's fallen off in weight, a lot of our colt when we start hauling on, get a little stressed on the road, and this has been great to maintain their weight. Or ones that need a little more muscle tone in that top line, it short put that on them.
John Dowdy:
Yeah, exactly. And what's really interesting is we've had a lot of the same type of testimonials just with the amino acids. And then when they add the OEC to it, it seems to make it all the better.
Stacey Warner:
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
John Dowdy:
And I always tell people as well because the OEC is a lot more expensive. It's 84.99 for a 30-day jug. And what makes it so expensive is the natural cold pressed vitamin E that's in there. With the amino acids, we're talking a dollar a day with that. So if you had to choose between one or the other, we'd always recommend going with the aminos. But if you can sure get the other one going, it really makes a big difference in that aspect.
Stacey Warner:
Most definitely.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. And I know a too going back a couple of years ago is when you had reached out to us and you had told me about how the product was working in your horses and little did I know you guys were also had just started something called the GTBRA.
Stacey Warner:
Yes, we did.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. So tell us all about that. What does that even stand for?
Stacey Warner:
It's Good Times Barrel Racing Association. We're super proud of it. We're into our second year and doubled our membership size. Our last barrel had over 500 entries at Perry. So we are so excited at the growth and the changes that we wanted to make in barrel racing. The contestants are getting the benefits from it. We created it because we are contestants ourselves and saw the need for some changes with payoff, crown, schedules. So we were able to do it.
Stacey Warner:
We pay really well. We pay deep. That was one of the changes we wanted to make. There's so many tough horses in the industry now, not enough places paid. So we go really deep with our payout. And the biggest thing is grounds and facilities making use of some of these awesome facilities in our area on the East Coast. Perry, we have three. Perry, Georgia have three big venues a year there now.
Stacey Warner:
And we go to Conyers a couple of times a year. T. Garrison Arena in Clemson. Now we have Asheville. And we'll just keep expanding. We're looking into some Florida venues as well. We're super excited about the growth and the main thing was being contestants. What can we do different for the contestants. Awards are another thing that has died in time. So we make sure that we have good awards at every show and prizes to give the members. We do a lot for the contestants and the members, and try to give back. That was a lot.
John Dowdy:
Sure. Yeah and I'm sure with you both competing the way that you have, and then being able to compete and run the show does make a huge difference because you understand where the writers are coming from because you are that.
Stacey Warner:
Yes. Yep. Definitely.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. And I hear you have a great announcer at your shows.
Stacey Warner:
Oh my gosh. My partner, Andre Dorn, I couldn't do it without her. She's the backbone of it. She's the one that does all the office work. And her husband, Ryan Dorn, is the announcer and he does sell rallies and motivational speaking. And he is the best announcer you could ever have.
John Dowdy:
That's awesome.
Stacey Warner:
He has a voice for it. He used to work on radio so he's got a great voice for it.
John Dowdy:
Nice. Nice. And you also started webcasting these events as well.
Stacey Warner:
We have, yeah.
John Dowdy:
Are you getting a lot of viewership that way as well?
Stacey Warner:
It is incredible because while we're doing the webcast, we can see the reach and it's up to 10,000 people watching. And the last webcast that we did at Perry went international. And we had someone reached out to us and ask if they could share it on their page and our webcast was being viewed international. So, that was pretty dang cool.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. I mean, for the growth. And I remember when you reached out to me a couple of years ago, of course, as an Equinety company, we're trying to grow and partner and have strategic partnerships as much as we can as well. And when you told me about the GTBRA and what your goals were and just the whole vision of everything, it matched so well with what we were trying to do, which is one reason why we partnered with you guys. So it was definitely a win-win and just getting the Equinety name out there with your guys' name out there. And that's why I wanted to have you on the podcast as well just to talk about the show and what makes it different from other things that are out there. And the growth that you're having, as you mentioned, is pretty awesome from the first year and the second year.
Stacey Warner:
It is. We feel so blessed. And what's really, really cool about this show is we're so hands-on working the show the entire time. And I'm right down there on the floor during the exhibitions and talking to people. And there are so many that use the Equinety. So I've gotten to do some little interviews myself over the last few years, and it's so rewarding to see others that use Equinety and have you as a sponsor. And like you said, it's a win-win. And to hear what their testimony is just makes you believe in the product even more.
John Dowdy:
Yeah, no, absolutely. So, well, is there anything else that you'd like to touch upon? Or maybe if there's somebody on the fence that's thinking, "Well, this all sounds good." Now I will throw this in that we do these podcasts on a weekly basis. They come out on Wednesdays. You can find them at teamequinety.com. I will say that this is not a miracle supplement or supplements. However, they do some pretty miraculous things from all the testimonials that we gather in here and can read all over the place. So always, obviously, keep that in mind. But the odds of our products working are on the very high side. So if there's somebody that's tuning in they're thinking, "Well, I'm a little on the fence." Is there anything that you would have to say to them to get them to try the products?
Stacey Warner:
Well, I can tell you it is overwhelming because everybody's looking for that fix. Everybody goes through the same thing. We're riding horses that are performing at a high level, and they're going to sustain an injury sooner or later. It's like the banned horse that we couldn't find. It 100% fix him. After all we went through him and all the vet bills, it did. No injections. All the money we spent on bone scans and MRIs never really could find it, but that did fix him. And you exhaust yourself trying to find that fix.
Stacey Warner:
And for the cost, it's just a great overall supplement to keep them on monthly. And it just will cut down that bill so much. If you have a performance horse, we just highly recommend it. It just makes such a difference in their performance. And like Jim was telling you earlier on the mare that the second go round of the two-day show, she just wouldn't perform as well. She's tired. She wouldn't clock as well. And after being on it, she ran strong to go round and could come back and perform just as good as she did the first day.
Jim Warner:
She never had any lameness trouble but I just knew she didn't feel right. The second day she felt like a different horse. She was lethargic, just didn't have the energy and couldn't figure out why. And like I said, the product sure made a huge difference on her.
John Dowdy:
Sure.
Stacey Warner:
So for us, it wasn't necessarily trying to fix a lameness or a mysterious lameness that we never could find. It helped her with her stamina. It's helped our horses' hooves, because we had a lot of hooves that were ... Hair coat, like Jim said, and a lot of the hooves were brittle and break in. To the point now we have a couple we don't even shoe. It made their hoof wall and their soles that strong. So, there's so many reasons to be on it. Other than that fix that it did fix for us is their overall wellness.
John Dowdy:
Sure. Yeah, we have a lot of people that use it as a preventative as well.
Stacey Warner:
Correct. Yeah.
John Dowdy:
So now, going back to the GTBRA, right now, what states are you primarily in?
Stacey Warner:
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
John Dowdy:
Gotcha. And so if somebody wanted to become part of the association, is there a website that they could go to to inquire about them?
Stacey Warner:
Yes, they can. And it's G-T-B-R-A, acronym for goodtimesbarrelracingassociation.com.
John Dowdy:
.com, [inaudible 00:18:46].
Stacey Warner:
And always follow our Facebook page, Good Times Barrel Racing.
John Dowdy:
Gotcha. And we'll have those posted. This podcast will be transcribed and then we'll have those links in the transcription as well to find you.
Stacey Warner:
Great. Perfect.
John Dowdy:
Yeah. Awesome. Well, Jim and Stacey Warner out of South Carolina, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and talk about the Good Times Barrel Racing Association here on the Equinety podcast.
Stacey Warner:
We enjoyed it.
Jim Warner:
Thanks for having us. Glad to do it.
John Dowdy:
All right. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Stacey Warner:
Thank you. Bye-bye.
