Tara Baiano

Tara Baiano grew up in the picturesque town of Bishop, California, nestled in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. With a father who was a farrier, Tara was introduced to horses at a young age. Although she has competed in various disciplines, both English and Western, on the Cal Poly rodeo team and as a member of the Pro-West Rodeo Association, she humorously claims, “I was no good at any of it!” She fondly remembers that her favorite times were spent outside the arena — riding and training young horses, starting colts, and exploring the Eastern Sierras on horseback.

Tara earned her BS in Animal Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before obtaining her DVM from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Although she grew up immersed in a family business centered around horses, Tara chose to explore other interests during college, focusing on California Rangeland Management and Beef Cattle Production. However, she often found herself drawn to equine science electives and spending time with equine veterinarians, who eventually encouraged her to pursue vet school during her junior year — and she is glad they did. Now, she says, “I get paid to wake up, study, and work with horses every day. I couldn't imagine doing anything else!”

Growing up as the daughter of a farrier, Tara has found that she has special interests in Podiatry, Lameness, and Sports Medicine, but she has kept very busy exploring many areas of equine veterinary medicine. While an undergraduate, Tara worked with Metron Imaging studying radiographic parameters of the equine distal limb. She completed a breeding internship at the Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma (when it was the home of Corona Cartel, inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2022). While studying for her DVM, Tara was president of her school’s SCAAEP (Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners) club, which provided free preventive and dental care and field castrations to 100+ horses during her year-long tenure. Prior to her Internship at Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics, Tara volunteered on a service trip to the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota providing free veterinary and preventative care to 50+ tribe horses and, in her “spare” time, also volunteered at a spay and neuter clinic twice a month to gain additional surgery practice. Tara is considering pursuing a Large Animal Surgery Residency, with the ultimate goal of owning a small property on the Central Coast and continuing her practice in equine medicine.

Tara is delighted to be back in California, closer to her friends and family again. She does not currently have horses but enjoys any chance she gets to work cattle or ride on the beach or in the hills with her friends. She has two Dobermans: Virgil and Apollo (Paul, for short) and two lovebirds that she raised from chicks. In her free time, Tara loves surfing, skiing, hiking, camping, live music, and cooking for friends and family.