Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics

11/01/2025

Can you identify all of these Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics team members showing some Halloween spirit?

10/31/2025

One more entry in our Halloween "horse-o-lantern" contest ...

10/31/2025

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinic (Salinas)!

Vote for your favorite “horse-o-lanterns” in the comments!

10/22/2025

https://thehorse.com/1131890/transforming-epm-care-current-and-new-therapies/

Researchers say bump kinase inhibitors show promise in treating horses with this neurologic disease.

10/10/2025

WHOA!
DAY OF THE HORSE IS HERE!

Join the Trail Ride

The Horse Park’s 4-day Horse Temperature Log requirement has been lifted.

All riders who did not get a chance to register are welcome to show up and register at the Horse Park on Saturday, so tell your friends and barn mates. The $95 fee has been extended.

PLUSH PONIES REE to the first 300 kids that attend the Horse Fair on Sunday Oct. 12 10:30am-1:30pm.

Join us for this amazing day full of activities, demonstrations, music, food and community!

Learn more at:
https://whoa94062.org/horse-fair/
and
https://www.facebook.com/WoodsideHorse/

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

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