Lending A Hoof

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90 – July/August, 2022

By Susan Winslow

Seventeen-year-old twins Adriana and Natalie Totten of Chester, New Jersey, have been raised with a keen sense of family, a love of animals and the importance of service to others. Their mother, Dr. Daria Klachko, is an obstetrician/gynecologist and their father, Dr. James Totten, is a foot and ankle specialist and surgeon.

The family also owns Totten Family Farm, LLC, an organic farm in near-by Long Valley, New Jersey specializing in Belted Galloway cows, often referred to as ‘Oreo cows’ because of their unique black and white coat pattern.

The twins are honor students at West Morris Mendham High School. They are active in school and AQHYA activities, starting out their Quarter Horse career with Desiree Farms and Julie Zalaskus-Petonak before advancing to national competition with Gretchen Mathes and Gene Spagnola at Powder Ridge Farm. Their desire to give back to their community led the young horsewomen to regional then national positions with AQHYA leadership. Natalie serves as the Treasurer of the New Jersey Quarter Horse Youth Board and Adriana is the AQHYA Second Vice President and Chairman of Public Policy and President of NJAQHYA.

Their experience with developing and following through with AQHYA initiatives taught them the value of pursuing an idea from concept to reality, so when the war in Ukraine broke out, both young women were moved to action. Their maternal grandparents were from Ukraine, so the Russian aggression in their family’s homeland became very real to the Tottens. Natalie says, “The Ukraine culture is so important in our lives. We grew up with Ukraine traditions in our home, so when we saw the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, it really affected my family. We’ve been so inspired by the resilience of the Ukraine people; we wanted to do something to help.”

Click here to read the complete article
90 – July/August, 2022