Alta Equine Team
Natalie Zdimal, DVM, Owner
A Northern California native, Dr. Natalie's love for equine medicine and competitive performance began in Sonoma County. After graduating from Santa Rosa High School, Dr. Natalie moved to England, where she spent two invaluable years training and competing in three-day eventing and dressage.
Dr. Natalie received BS and DVM degrees from the University of California, Davis. Following graduation, Dr. Natalie completed a year-long internship at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center and undertook a research project comparing nuclear scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging in horses with suspensory disease. She then returned to the Bay Area, where her focus has been lameness, preventative medicine, fitness, and rehabilitation of the Sporthorse.
Dr. Natalie believes in a multi-modal approach using integrative and holistic medicine. She has completed advanced training programs in both Animal Chiropractic and Veterinary Medical Acupuncture and is also an FEI Permitted Treating Veterinarian.
Dr. Natalie lives in Sonoma with her husband Joel and their two beautiful daughters Cézanne and Esmé. Joel is a winemaker and consultant. His wine label Las Jaras Wines is in the vanguard of the "New California" wine movement.
Leeann Berry, Administrative Assistant
Leeann was born and raised in rural Canada, where she spent her childhood showing and competing on the American Quarter Horse Circuit with her gelding, Major Moon Deck. After leaving Canada, she completed an Artist in Residency at the renowned Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She then moved to San Francisco, where she opened her own jewelry business and spent the last 10 years riding the beautiful trails in Pacifica, CA, with her OTTB gelding, Tommy.
Leeann comes to Alta Equine with over 15 years of animal care experience, over 10 of which was spent working in small animal medicine. She has built her life around the health and care of animals and is excited for this opportunity to join her passions for veterinary medicine and horses.
Leeann and her husband recently moved to Santa Rosa, where she has a small thriving metalsmithing business. Outside work, she enjoys making art in her studio, hiking with her dogs, reading, and gardening.
Sara Bazley, Veterinary Technician
Sara was born and raised in Colorado and moved to California in 2015. She grew up riding and eventing in Colorado and lived on her trainer's 80-acre farm for a time, gaining much experience handling and caring for horses.
Sara has always loved animals of all kinds and wanted to study veterinary medicine. However, after graduating from the University of Denver with a BS degree in Biology, she discovered zookeeping as a career. Her next ten years were spent as a zookeeper both in Colorado and California, working primarily with hoofed mammals such as giraffes, rhinos, zebra, and exotic antelope. In 2021, Sara transitioned to working in the veterinary field as an assistant. In early 2024, she passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) and transitioned to the role of veterinary technician.
In her free time, you can find Sara at home with her two cats, hiking with her dog, reading, or watching reality television.
Anna Graves, Veterinary Assistant
Anna is from Manhattan Beach, where she grew up as a Palos Verdes Mounted Junior Drill Team member. Through the team, she competed in reining and ranch classes and participated in parades, rodeos, and local gymkhanas. Anna moved to northern California to complete her degree at UC Davis. She graduated in the summer of 2023 with a BS in Animal Science and a minor in Anthropology.
While at Davis, Anna competed in horsemanship on the Davis Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team and worked as an exercise rider for the team’s coach. She also worked at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital as an anesthesia assistant and interned as a herd health manager at the UC Davis Horse Barn. In the future, Anna plans on applying to veterinary school and becoming an equine vet.
After graduating, Anna moved to Santa Rosa with her AQHA gelding Plum. She enjoys competing in ranch versatility classes with him and looks forward to fine-tuning his cow work.