Tara began training in English and Western seat in the 1990s, and in vaulting in 2003. Her experience includes playing as a reserve on the Stanford University women's polo team; serving as a trail guide; and schooling horses for use in English seat lessons and on trails.

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Tara also has extensive teaching and herd management experience. For seven years, she oversaw all aspects of a 12-horse summer camp equestrian program, including maintaining Massachusetts riding instructor licensure;  training and supervising program staff; selecting, assessing, and schooling lesson horses; overseeing feed and supplement schedules; attending to veterinary first aid needs; and developing and delivering English seat lessons for novice and intermediate riders age 7-17. During her undergraduate years, she led trail rides for tourists of all ages in the high Sierra, she served as an assistant vaulting coach in a summer camp setting, she co-managed Stanford University's string of 15-20 polo ponies, and she taught English and polo seat lessons for adult novice riders.

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In her riding lessons, Tara encourages her students to focus on breath, alignment, and close attention to the horse-rider relationship.