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.
Gracie Egelhofer, AESM Clinic Manager
Gracie comes to Alta Equine with 7 years of office administrative experience, 7 years as an Equine Veterinary Assistant, and more than 25 years working with horses. She began riding at age 3 alongside her mom and spent 5 years working on a Warmblood breeding farm, where she helped train and care for horses of all ages. This experience led her into equine veterinary medicine, first working in a practice in Santa Cruz and later in Redwood City, where she worked alongside 4 veterinarians over 5 years, including Dr. Zdimal.
Gracie also spent a year in Pennsylvania, dividing her time between a small animal veterinary clinic and a 3-Day Eventing barn with 33 horses, while her husband completed coursework for his PhD. More recently, she has held administrative roles within a 24-hour mental health unit in a jail and a high-volume dental practice in Redwood City.
Gracie and her husband moved to Rohnert Park in late 2025. Outside of work, she enjoys dance fitness classes, hiking, backpacking, camping, creative projects, and spending time with family and friends, often centered around a good meal.
Tristan Bunderson, Veterinary Assistant
Tristan was born and raised in the Santa Ynez Valley. During high school, she began working for a dressage trainer, sparking her passion for horses and horseback riding. She relocated to San Luis Obispo for college and graduated from Cal Poly with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in June 2023. While attending college, Tristan worked at Varian Arabians, where she broadened her equine knowledge by working with foals, assisting with reproductive services, practicing general equine husbandry with various breeds.
In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her dog, Dakota, and yearling, Caliber, as well as playing tennis and going on hikes.