Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics - Menlo Park

09/30/2025

https://horsenetwork.com/2014/08/50-best-horse-movies/

The next best thing to riding horses is watching horse movies. Everyone has a childhood favorite. See where yours ranks on our list.

09/29/2025

Did you know this?

Newborn foals are born with what horse lovers call “fairy fingers” or “golden slippers.” The scientific name for these soft, rubbery coverings is eponychium. They form around the foal’s tiny hooves before birth, giving each foot a padded, cushion-like appearance.

These golden slippers have an important job. While the foal is still in the womb, they protect the mother’s uterus from sharp kicks. During birth, they also keep the birth canal safe from the edges of the foal’s hooves. Without them, both the mare and foal would face serious risks.

Right after birth, the eponychium begins to dry and peel away. Within hours of the foal’s first steps, the soft coverings disappear, revealing the hard hooves underneath. Walking on them doesn’t cause pain—the structures are made to wear off naturally as the foal starts life outside the womb.

09/24/2025

The California Rodeo Salinas announced on September 19, 2025, that it has distributed $854,035.20 to non-profits, Western heritage organizations, and community groups across the region. These funds, which increased by 7% over 2024, reflect the Rodeo’s ongoing commitment to giving back and ensuring that local programs and services continue to thrive.

Learn more about the donations at: https://www.carodeo.com/press_release.aspx?p=453

Learn more about the California Rodeo Salinas at: https://www.carodeo.com/about.aspx

09/22/2025

Please welcome Emily Caldwell to our Veterinary Assistant team at the Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinic in Salinas!

Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Emily Caldwell moved to Carmel Valley, California just before her freshman year of high school. She has always loved horses and has been riding for most of her life. Because she also has a strong interest in medicine, Emily feels it is logical for her to pursue a career in the equine veterinary medicine industry. She has previously worked as an equine veterinary assistant including a year working at the Auburn University Large Animal Teaching Hospital. Emily’s current goal is to become certified as an RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician), so she is working toward her degree in Veterinary Technology through Penn Foster College.

Emily has a cat named Calli and a horse named Teller, with whom she does Eventing. When she is not working, Emily is usually at the barn riding.

09/12/2025

Mouse Kochar, a 10-year-old Quarter Horse, presented for unwillingness to move forward under saddle, girthiness, and behavioural issues.

A team including Dr. Zoe Davidson, Dr. Brooke Spieker (Intern), and Veterinary Assistants Mimi Lotfy and Lachlan Benoit scoped Mouse at Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinic in Menlo Park and found she had mild squamous ulceration and generalized moderate glandular ulcers/gastritis.

Along with some recommended management changes, Mouse is now being medicated with Gastrogard and Sucralfate, and we have been pleased to learn that she is doing very well!

09/10/2025

Dr. Brooke Spieker has joined our stellar team of 2025-2026 Interns!

Brooke hails from Lewes, Delaware, “a super small town where the farmland meets the sea.” Growing up, she spent equal time at the beach and the barn, known as one of the “barn rats” at the local stable. She participated in Pony Club and evented her Appendix mare, Lilly. Her first job was as a camp counselor at a horseback riding summer camp.

Brooke applied only to California colleges, because she knew she wanted to live on the West Coast. While at the U. of C. Santa Barbara, Brooke achieved her B.A. in Anthropology, but still found ways to focus on animals: She studied horse domestication and how the environment affects their physiology. She learned about the human-animal bond and how universal it is across different cultures and time. Before committing to a museum job or further research, Brooke worked at a Trakehner breeding barn after college, and realized a life indoors without animals wasn't for her. So she went on to earn her DVM at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. Among Brooke’s favorite memories from her clinical year are: Meeting Spirit (mustang muse for the movie), performing a laceration repair on an opossum; milking a mare to feed her foal with contracted limbs; and releasing an osprey back into the wild after rehabilitation.

Equine medicine combines Brooke’s love of learning and problem solving with her passion for horses and the people who care for them. She appreciates spending her days outside, meeting new people, and continuing to learn about horses. She's focusing on equine general practice and sports medicine during her internship before considering a large animal specialty: She finds both Internal Medicine and Surgery equally interesting.

Brooke moved back to California from Arizona with her partner, Guillermo. They have a senior dog named Huckleberry and a mischievous young cat named Robert. (Brooke has fostered over 65 animals, and Robert has been her one and only “foster fail” — so far). While she misses having a horse of her own, for now Brooke really enjoys dedicating her time to helping others have happy and healthy equine partners.

08/29/2025

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

We are available for emergencies, 24 / 7 / 365 ...

Be safe out there, and PLEASE CALL if your horse needs care!

Menlo Park Office: (650) 854-3162
Salinas Office: (831) 455-1808

*
*
*

08/12/2025

Please welcome Dr. Andrea Frei back to Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics as the newest member of our highly qualified team of veterinarians!

Andrea (“Andee”) Frei grew up near Lake Don Pedro in the Yosemite Foothills. She began riding trails and learning horsemanship when she was 9 years old. Caring for her own dogs, poultry, goats, and geriatric horses sparked her curiosity for veterinary medicine and animal welfare.

She earned her BS in Animal Science with a minor in Equine Science from California Polytechnic State University “Cal Poly”) in San Louis Obispo, while shadowing at a local mixed practice during summers and holidays. She then attended the University of Glasgow, Scotland, where she achieved a BVMS (HONS). BVMS stands for Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. It's a degree typically awarded by veterinary schools in the UK, Australia, and some other countries, and is equivalent to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in the United States. Dr. Frei then completed an internship at Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics which fueled her love of Internal Medicine. She continued her education at Oregon State University with a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine in order to achieve her DACVIM, while also earning a Master’s degree in Comparative Health Sciences.

Dr. Frei’s professional interests within the umbrella of Internal Medicine include client education, donkey- and mule-specific care, dermatology, endocrine and metabolic conditions, and small ruminants. She has published research investigating the associations between dairy cattle production and stress, and during her residency she studied the effects of hospitalization on equine resting behavior and stress.

Outside of work, Andee loves to run (especially trails) with her dog Kombucha, read, and travel. Her other beloved pets include a Siamese cat named Habi, as well as her collie mix named Walter Longmire and Toulouse goose named Loosey who live with her parents.

08/07/2025

These Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics Interns and Residents are “in the pink!”

… And that’s an apt phrase to use for this team, because it had origins in the English fox hunting tradition: A rider was not granted the right to don the scarlet colored jackets, called “pinks,” until she demonstrated superior horsemanship and service to the hunt. Being “in the pink” meant the rider had reached the pinnacle of achievement in the hunt. Today, the phrase “in the pink” means to be in good health, good circumstances, and feeling confident. [ Learn more at: https://sensationalcolor.com/in-the-pink ]

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Laura Willis, Dr. Taylor Veach, Dr. Sara Brown, Dr. Pricilla Brown, Dr. Tara Baiano

08/06/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUW9OGbT-EU

The complex genetic story behind horse's blue eyes. A deep dive into what causes them, what genes are involved and how heritable they are.To get the full lis...

07/30/2025

She’s back! Dr. Tara Baiano, one of our 2024-2025 Interns, is now doing her Residency at Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics!

Dr. Baiano is an equine veterinarian with a lifelong passion for horse care and strong ties to California’s equine community. Growing up in Bishop, CA, she spent her early years riding horses and working alongside her father, a farrier — experiences that inspired her dedication to equine medicine.

Tara earned her undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and completed her veterinary degree at Iowa State University. Following veterinary school, she completed a year-long Internship at Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics (SPEC), gaining extensive experience in internal medicine, emergency care, anesthesia, and advanced diagnostics. After a short break, Dr. Baiano is now back at SPEC pursuing an American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) Residency in Equine Practice.

Dr. Baiano enjoys all aspects of equine general practice with particular interests in podiatry, dentistry, internal medicine, and reproduction. Grateful for the opportunity to work with horses every day, she strives to support both animals and their owners with compassion and care.

Outside of work, Tara enjoys hiking, skiing, surfing, and cooking for friends and family. She shares her life with her partner, Pricilla, and two Dobermans, Virgil and Paul.

07/15/2025

https://horsecouncil.org/project/join-us-in-celebrating-two-national-horse-events-in-july/

On July 15 and July 17, join the American Horse Council (AHC) in celebrating “National I Love Horses Day” and “National Meet a Horse Day”