Jenna joined the San Dieguito Equine Group team in June of 2014 as an ambulatory and surgical technician. Jenna grew up in Marin County, California and has been riding since the age of three. She has competed in jumpers, eventing and dressage, and is a graduate of the United States Pony Club. Jenna attended UC Davis, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Equine Studies, with a focus on Equine Nutrition.
While in college, Jenna worked at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Hospital Large Animal Surgery unit and at the on-campus Equestrian Center, and has worked in Equine Ambulatory Medicine since graduating from college in 2010. Jenna returned to school at Santa Rosa Junior College attending their Veterinary Technician program and received her RVT license in November 2014.
Nowadays, you can find Jenna working primarily at SDEG’s clinic, where she where she frequently runs Advanced Imaging modalities including MRI and Nuclear Scintigraphy, and truly enjoys providing excellent patient care. When not at work, she loves to spend time with her husband, John, their dog Herbie, and her horse Comic. Jenna and John love barbequing and hosting their friends and Jenna is always trying out a new recipe for some delicious baked good.
Andrea earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Economics before ultimately choosing to pursue her true passion—working with animals. She continued her education with an Associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology and became a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2002. Shortly thereafter, she relocated to Southern California when Cavalia, the production company where she served as Head of Veterinary Services, brought its show to Del Mar.
Andrea brings extensive expertise in sport horse medicine, advanced diagnostic imaging, ICU and neonate care, as well as hospital and clinic management. She is also certified in equine dental prophylaxis and equilibration through the Academy of Equine Dentistry, completing its intensive two-year program that included ten weeks of hands-on training, in-depth coursework, and many additional hours shadowing certified practitioners.
Her dentistry-related case studies and articles have been published by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Modern Equine Vet. Passionate about education, Andrea enjoys sharing her knowledge and has presented at the AVMA, the International Association of Equine Dentistry, and the AAEP/AAEVT Annual Conventions.
Sanandry began her career in small animal medicine, specializing in ophthalmology. She received her RVT license in 2018 and began working in small animal emergency and specialty medicine. Sanandry grew up in Orange County and began riding at the early age of six. She is excited to transition into the equine side of veterinary medicine. Sanandry assists our doctors with their ambulatory appointments and also at our clinic. She is currently training in MRI and Nuclear Scintigraphy.
In her free time, she enjoys leisure riding, hiking with her cattle dog, and riding her motorcycle with her husband.
Heidi grew up in Southern California and began riding at the age of six. Throughout high school, she competed in rodeo and worked for both hunter/jumper and dressage trainers. She later ran her own training business and riding school for more than ten years.
Although she loved training, Heidi’s true passion has always been medicine. In 2014, she combined her love of horses and healthcare by entering the equine veterinary field. She qualified for California’s alternative RVT pathway, completing 300 hours of classroom instruction and 4,416 documented clinical hours to earn eligibility for the RVT boards.
Heidi passed her RVT boards in August 2021 and has been thriving in her role at SDEG ever since.
Miranda’s educational journey started at the college of St. Catherine in St. Paul Minnesota where she earned a BA degree in Biology. She later completed her Master’s level work in Coastal Zone Management and Marine and Coastal Climate Change through NOVA Southeastern University in Florida. For a time, she found herself living in Germany working for the Community College of the Air Force and in Paris, France working with UNESCO. Despite a wide variety of career and educational experiences she always found her way back to the equine world. After her experience with the suffering and displacement of animals, including her own, during the 2017 Lilac Wild Fire in Bonsall, she was resolved to remain involved in the equine community.
She began her veterinary assistant career under the tutelage of Dr Mark Silverman, a prominent local veterinarian until his retirement in 2024. She obtained her RVT license earlier in that same year and joined San Dieguito Equine Group, making a positive impact every day on the people and animals with whom she works.
When she’s not working with horses she can be found on the rugby pitch playing with West Coast Marine Corps Rugby, throwing rocks with her kilt laiden friends at the Highland Games, of which she has attended Nationals and World’s twice. Additionally, her life is enhanced through the joy of her dog (Holly), training her three very friendly BLM burros (Wyatt, Jo, and Huckleberry), and cruising around SoCal on her Harley.
San Dieguito Equine has been like a second family to Zoe since she was young. Growing up with the practice sparked Zoe’s interest in veterinary medicine early. She is excited to sit for her RVT boards, as she recently completed her degree in Veterinary Technologies Animal Health at Mesa college. Zoe has grown up with horses and has been competing in various disciplines from a young age.
Being exposed to three day eventing in the United States Pony Club, Zoe has competed through the preliminary/2* level with her horse Tristan, while currently bringing along young horses. When she is not working, Zoe can most always be found riding, working out, spending time outdoors, and baking
Ivan Pioquinto grew up in the company of horses. They have always been a part of the fabric of his life. While in high school he spent much of his free time assisting his father Manny running an active show horse stable. He was always conscripted to assist the doctors when they came and this eventually evolved to Ivan taking a position as a veterinary assistant with San Dieguito Equine.
Ivan is undoubtedly reliable and hard working. He has a calm and confident demeanor with the horses which really helps the doctors focus on their diagnostic work. But the bonus you receive when working with Ivan is the enjoyable youthful exuberance to working in the team atmosphere.
Stella began riding at 10 and knew she wanted a life with horses by the time she was 12. Born and raised in Seattle, she was fortunate to have supportive parents and a few older barn friends who were willing to get her out of the city to the barn until the exciting day she could drive herself – from there the horse time only increased. She received her Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Bellevue College in 2017 and moved to Oceanside in 2018.
Over the years Stella’s roles have included working student, exercise rider, and groom in both the hunter/jumper and dressage worlds as her goals evolved but her commitment to horses stayed the same. After meeting a former San Dieguito employee and hearing about her experience at the practice, she applied for a position and started as a weekend groom before advancing to full-time veterinary assistant, clinic staffer, and occasional administrative helper. She enjoys the variety and learning as much as she can.
Outside of horses, Stella loves books, music, film, and spending time with family and friends.
Vera, a San Diego County native, has been riding horses since she was five years old, competing in 4H, Gymkhana, and barrel racing. Although no longer competing, she still enjoys western and trail riding in her free time.
Her desire to find a career doing what she loved led her to pursue studies in the pre veterinary curriculum. In 2024, she graduated from California State University San Marcos with a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and a minor in Biology while simultaneously working at the Helen Woodward Equine Hospital. With over six years in this position, she gained extensive experience assisting with emergency equine surgeries and emergency care. She joined San Dieguito Equine Group in March of 2024 where she currently acts as veterinary assistant. Vera is primarily involved in care of in-patients and also assists with out-patient cases at the clinic. She accepted the additional role of imaging specialist and has become MRI certified on Hallmarq’s standing MRI. She now regularly performs MRI scans in addition to her patient care assignments at the clinic. Vera brings a compassionate and positive attitude toward her work and is a consummate team player, working effectively with a diverse staff of doctor and assignments.
Outside of work, Vera enjoys riding, spending time at the beach, or exploring new hikes. When at home, she loves spending time working on her flower and vegetable garden, listening to music, and sharing that precious time with her boyfriend Javier and their cat, Cannoli.
Valya grew up in Maryland and has been riding horses since she was three years old. She has competed in the hunter/jumper ring as well as through the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA). Beyond riding, she spent many years as a working student and gained hands-on experience in a variety of barn roles.
Valya moved to San Diego to attend San Diego State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2023. During college, she worked as a research assistant in a psychology lab, contributing to original research that was presented at international conferences and prepared for publication.
After graduating, Valya spent two years as a therapeutic riding instructor—a role that allowed her to blend her passion for horses with her interest in psychology. Working closely with the program’s veterinarian and participating in the rehabilitation of therapy horses ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in equine veterinary medicine. She discovered that her true calling lies in supporting the health, well-being, and long-term soundness of the horse.
Outside of work, Valya enjoys hiking, working out, playing soccer and lacrosse, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with friends and animals.
Michaela grew up in Northern Virginia and discovered her passion for horses at just seven years old. Throughout her teenage years, she competed in hunter/jumpers and developed a lasting appreciation for off-the-track Thoroughbreds.
With five years of experience as an equine veterinary assistant—including more than four years in ambulatory equine medicine—Michaela has cultivated a strong interest in equine sports medicine, which remains her favorite area of the field. She is also an active member of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians (AAEVT).
Dedicated to ongoing professional development, Michaela is continuing her education with plans to become a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT).
Outside of work, she enjoys riding her OTTB, Moose, spending time with her Australian Shepherd, Indie, and getting outdoors whenever she can—whether hiking, fishing, kayaking, or camping.
Olivia’s passion for animals began early—she first declared her dream of working with them during her kindergarten “what I want to be when I grow up” speech. Olivia fell in love with horses at six years old and never looked back. Since then, she has had the opportunity to work with, ride, and show horses of all levels and disciplines, with particular enjoyment for dressage and roping.
Olivia is currently working toward her goal of becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) through Mesa College, with a special interest in large animal medicine.
At home, Olivia loves spending time with friends and family. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, going to the gym, baking, attending church, and, of course, spending time at the barn. She is excited to learn and grow with the SDEG team.