About Cali

Cali Canberra has loved horses her entire life. She grew up riding her neighbor’s pleasure and show horses, although she didn’t buy her own horse until she was an adult. In 1978 in Scottsdale, Arizona, she bought her first Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds to train, ride for enjoyment, and then resell for a modest profit. It was a wonderful way to support her hobby and passion. By the early 1980's, the Arabian market was growing by leaps and bounds (especially in Scottsdale), which caught Cali’s attention. She then focused her entrepreneurial skills and horse sense on buying, selling, brokering and breeding some of the most valuable Polish Arabians in the world. Her most famous client was Paolo Gucci, but she had a fascinating client base, including a leading shareholder of UPS, a world renowned entomologist, and a top gun fighter pilot. With all of the tax incentives for people to buy expensive horses, it didn’t take many clients or many horses to make a good living doing something she loved. She traveled throughout the USA and to Poland studying Polish Arabian horses and building up a small client base as she enjoyed her husband and raised her daughter. Eventually, she owned her own professional horse operation in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. For over ten years she owned as many as 25-30 elite Arabians at a time as she bred, trained, and sold her incredible horses. It was the lifestyle she dreamed of. Until the market crashed and never recovered, that is!

Cali says that in retrospect, there was very little of the 1980’s she would repeat if she knew then what she knows now. Although she dearly loved her horses, she was caught up in making money - and spending money, with little regard for her future or a spiritual life. Then, when the market collapsed, Cali couldn't let all of her knowledge and life experience be forgotten and go to waste. She went on to write fiction about the turbulent era (Trading Paper, Never Enough! and Buying Time) - and has loved every minute of it - as has her audience who loves that she exposed the truth of the industry, albeit through fiction - the most entertaining way to tell her stories. What readers love is that not only are the novels entertaining, but the stories are inspired by the way the horse industry really operates and real things that happen in the business world, in a variety of professions and industries. 

Now, Cali has a spiritual life, a passion for Native American and Eastern/TCM healing, ways of being, living and thinking, and continues loving being out in nature with her horses. Her personal transformation led her to write Wisdom of the Horse, an inspirational novel (rather than a legal mystery like Trading Paper, Never Enough! and Buying Time).

Currently, she owns a five year old Quarter Horse mare, a 25 year old retired Arabian mare sired by Barbary+++, and a semi-retired 21 year old Arabian gelding sired by *Algonkian who she rides once or twice a week. Cali trail rides Kota, her Quarter Horse, several days a week and integrates her training/conditioning program that includes bridleless training and reining horse training (for pleasure, not showing). Cali has a unique bond with her horses that are barefoot (the wild horse mustang model) and pasture boarded. She uses kindness and compassion in handling and training, natural horsemanship methods, and holistic health care. She also rides horses of all breeds for other people and teaches how to effectively understand/communicate/rehabilitate/condition/ train/ride/care for their horses through one on one sessions and at clinics.