Biography

Dr. Sickler's love of horses started at an early age.  She got her first horse, Toby, at the age of five.  As a girl, she rode dressage and hunter/jumper, cleaning stalls to get lessons and riding time. She went to college at the University of Conneticut, majoring in animal sciences and business.  During her college years, she worked summer jobs consisting of anything involving horses . . . show grooming, grooming for polo and working at the university horse barn.  Her love of polo began at the University of Connecticut where she played the sport intercollegiately for three years and was captain of the women's polo team her senior year.  After undergrad, polo was an expensive proposition and Dr. Sickler spent several years riding classical dressage with Bettina Drummond who studied under Nuno Oliveria.

Veterinary school brought Dr. Sickler to Minnesota for a chill, but wonderful four years.  She stayed on in Minnesota for a one year internship at Anoka Equine in Elk River.  Dr. Sickler was tempted to stay on at Anoka Equine, but the cold weather and family brought her west.

Settled in Arizona, Dr. Sicker worked for Cave Creek Equine Surgical Center prior to starting Carefree Equine in 2002.  Dr. Sickler started playing polo again for several years until the arrival of her second child.  Now, she rides for fun and will try almost anything, including chasing cows, trail riding and periodically heading to Indio for a polo tournament. 

Education

University of Connecticut

Storrs-Mansfield, Connecticut

Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences & Business

 University of Minnesota

St. Paul, Minnesota

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

 Anoka Equine

Elk River, Minnesota

Veterinary Internship