ABOUT ME

My name is Erika Valentina Doria and I love animals!

I have been an avid animal lover my entire life- I like to say I was raised by Doberman Pinschers! At just 5 years old my main interest was to be outside with my family's Dobermans and German Shepherd where I would spend hours roaming our property with them, teaching them tricks with hot dogs I stole from the fridge, and holding funerals for the dead lizards I found that the dogs had very likely attacked! Ofcourse the funerals usually happened with the very guilty Dobermans in attendance!

I was also born a horsegirl.... I am a 3rd generation horsewoman, born and raised in San Diego. I have been riding horses since before I could walk. My grandfather trained thoroughbred race horses as an amateur and he gave me my first experiences with these creatures. My grandparents later began breeding Arabian Horses with my aunt and uncle and I still ride with my family and this lineage of horses to this day. I got my first pony- Tony the Pony-when I was 6 and later showed my family's horses in high school.

When I finished college (with a degree in Literature and Writing from UC San Diego) I found myself with a barn-full of horses and students in Del Mar, California. It was not what I expected I would be doing for the next ten years, but in many ways it was a dream come true! For those years I was a full time professional horse trainer and riding instructor. I specialized in Arabian Dressage horses and taught Hunter Seat Equitation and Hunter Pleasure to students who competed on the National, Regional, and Local level.

This was some of the most rewarding- and I must admit- exhausting times of my life! I was able to learn the true Art of Horsemanship during this time through riding and interacting with hundreds of fantastic horses and dozens of talented riders- many of whom I still have cherished friendships with today.

Me and Max- a purebred Arabian stallion bred by my family.

When the economy crashed in 2008 I was forced to end my horse training business... I then embarked on my career in film and photography which I am still doing today. You can see my photography and film site here www.valentinadoriaphotofilm.com

Today I have Nina- my cattledog-overgrown puppy-wildchild- who is growing up into a proper young lady one day at a time! Like all my dogs, Nina goes with me everywhere and is the perfect match for my busy and active life. I love to be in nature, hiking, and creating art and photos.

My horse's name is Java- he lives with my aunt and uncle at their ranch in Lakeside, California. I try to visit him atleast once a week. He is a real sweetie who likes to lick the salt off my face and loves loves to explore the mountains with my uncle. These days I am not interested in showing,  I love to trail ride with family and friends and spend time teaching Java new skills under saddle. Java is the grandson of the mare I rode in high school- her name was Winterdream.






In 2013 I lost my beloved dog Eva Chan to cancer which was and still is a heartbreaker for me. She is the dog you see in the photo at the top of this page. This dog inspired so much of my own exploration of what it is to communicate and have kinship with animals. She was a dog who touched hearts, that one in a million special dog.

Eva and I

Animals have and always will be an essential part of my life- my life feels more complete when I am around them. I feel that I have a special communication with animals that I was simply born with. I sometimes have private clients who I work with on communicating on a deeper and more effective level with their animals. Contact me personally if you would like to learn more about animal communication with me!

One of my biggest dreams is to create films that highlight our kinship with animals- thus the name of my business Animal Spirit.

Eva Chan and I just a month before she passed...