Maria has been around horses since age 5, and has ridden and competed in many disciplines: hunter-jumper, dressage, reining, roping, and cutting. She’s managed Thoroughbred racing barns, polo teams, and has re-trained and re-directed many of these hardworking horses to new careers after retirement from competition. 

Her interest in rehabilitating horses led her to become certified in the Masterson Method®, and she chose this discipline because of its focus on “what the horse has to say”, something she thinks we all need to listen to as much as possible.  She and her husband Skip have followed the “Californio” tradition of horsemanship for many years, and count Tom and Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt, and Bryan Neubert as their finest teachers (besides the horses, of course!). They both enjoy starting colts, and helping horses and owners work through problems.