Board of Directors: About Us
Katrina Lomax - Executive Director/CEO/Founder
Skills: Equestrian, Horsemanship, training and starting horses, Specializing in Wild Horses. Hunter jumper, Dressage, Western Pleasure, Trail, Reining competitor. Carriage/Cart Driving Instructor.
Entrepreneur, Technology, Leadership, Strategy, Business Management, Communication, Problem Solving, Project Management, Finance, Education,
Skills: Equestrian, Horsemanship, training and starting horses, Specializing in Wild Horses. Hunter jumper, Dressage, Western Pleasure, Trail, Reining competitor. Carriage/Cart Driving Instructor.
Entrepreneur, Technology, Leadership, Strategy, Business Management, Communication, Problem Solving, Project Management, Finance, Education, Customer Service, Critical Thinking, Teamwork, Time Management, Organizational Management, Branding, Marketing, Networking
https://www.linkedin.com/in/klomax/
Katrina was raised on Long Island, New York, where her lifelong passion for horses began at the age of four. Inspired by her parents—who entered the equestrian world in their forties—Katrina received foundational training in hunter-jumper and dressage under the guidance of esteemed instructor Gail Andrews Butta until the age of 13. Her early experiences, including riding a rehabilitated rescue horse her mother saved, laid the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to horsemanship and equine welfare.
By 18, Katrina was cleaning stalls simply to remain close to horses. At 23, she relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area to complete her degree in Business Management with a minor in Environmental Science. Over the next three decades, she built a distinguished career in Accounting, Sourcing & Procurement, and Information Technology, working for leading Fortune 100 and 500 companies including IBM, AMD, Cisco Systems, Trimble Navigation, Yahoo, Google, and NetApp. She currently serves as a full-time IT Project Manager, a role that has supported her enduring equestrian pursuits.
In 2001, Katrina adopted her first wild Mustang, Valentina, from the Palomino Valley holding center in Reno, Nevada. She trained and competed with Valentina in the Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expos, later adopting and training three additional Mustangs. Her dedication to learning led her to study under top equestrians, with Jerry Tindell remaining a trusted mentor. Katrina has trained horses across multiple disciplines, provided mounts for students and friends, and actively competed in regional events—including the 2008 Reno Mustang Makeover with her Mustang, Sunday, who still resides at SaddleHawk Ranch alongside Iroquois.
Throughout her career, Katrina has managed the care of between 6 and 38 equines at any given time, demonstrating expertise in equine health, training, and management. She also founded a successful horse show buckle series, hosting events throughout the Bay Area.
Katrina is deeply committed to community service, having held leadership roles in several nonprofit organizations. She served eight years with the Golden State Appaloosa Horse Association—two as President, two as Vice President, and four on the Board of Directors. Additionally, she contributed two years as Membership Director for the Mt. Diablo Beekeepers Association.
In 2021, the shift to remote work enabled Katrina to relocate to the American Southwest—known as the Land of Enchantment—where she continues to pursue her equine mission. Her current focus is rescuing horses at risk of slaughter and offering them as partners to individuals facing economic or physical challenges. Her vision is to empower others through horsemanship: to ride, drive, and serve the equine with purpose and compassion. To Serve Others according to His Purpose - Amen
Ken Wendel - Treasurer & CFO & Veteran
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenwcpa/
Skills: Basic horsemanship, intermediate driving skills, lover for manure piles.
Accounting, Preparation of financial statements, management. Accounting for non-profits. Teamwork.
Ken Wendel is a seasoned Certified Public Accountant with over 30 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenwcpa/
Skills: Basic horsemanship, intermediate driving skills, lover for manure piles.
Accounting, Preparation of financial statements, management. Accounting for non-profits. Teamwork.
Ken Wendel is a seasoned Certified Public Accountant with over 30 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Ken earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University at Buffalo. His two adult sons continue to reside in the Buffalo area.
In 2011, Ken relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he built an impressive career working with several Fortune 100 and 500 companies. His professional portfolio includes roles at Mattel, Yahoo, Twitter, the Golden State Warriors, Yelp, Pattern Energy, Calpine Energy, and NetApp. He currently is employed with a Medical Software Company as a Financial Executive.
Ken’s journey into the equestrian world began in 2014, and his passion deepened when he purchased his first horse, Gin, in 2021. Since then, he has become an enthusiastic advocate for equine driving and has played a pivotal role in advancing the Driving Program at SaddleHawk Ranch in Southwestern New Mexico and Northern Texas.
Ken and his wife, Katrina, shared a love for farming and horses which led them to co-own Loose Rooster Ranch in California for eight years. Following the shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, they moved to Deming, New Mexico in 2021 to pursue their equestrian mission in carriage driving for economically and physically challenged individuals.
Ken actively contributes to Equine Safe Haven, serving as both CFO/Treasurer and Instructor. His commitment to community service is longstanding, having held leadership roles in several nonprofit organizations, including Controller for the Erie County Agricultural Society (NY), Treasurer for the EMW Boys Club, and Treasurer for the Mt. Diablo Beekeepers Association in California.
Ken continues to balance his professional accounting practice with his dedication to equine welfare and education, embodying a unique blend of financial expertise and heartfelt service.
Larry McMahan - Director & Fundraising Committee
Larry McMahan - Director & Fundraising Committee
Skills: Former Journalist for newswires and features, PR, Marketing. Fundraiser for various outlets. Hard Labor; Farming and Package Handling. Award winning filmmaker, former Creative Exec at Paramount. Top producing realtor, current property manager, adventure traveler, kills it at cocktail parties and discothèques, animal lover, some S
Skills: Former Journalist for newswires and features, PR, Marketing. Fundraiser for various outlets. Hard Labor; Farming and Package Handling. Award winning filmmaker, former Creative Exec at Paramount. Top producing realtor, current property manager, adventure traveler, kills it at cocktail parties and discothèques, animal lover, some Spanish. Writing instructor, volunteer coordinator...
When Screenwriter (Larry McMahan) Airbnb' d at the Bunkhouse to work on a writing project, he was so enchanted by the horses and humans at the Ranch that he came back the next week, and then stayed an extra week. And..is back again
He grew up down the street from the farm of Gold Medal Olympian Melanie Smith (and her horse Calypso), in Germantown, Tennessee, a stop on the then Rolex Grand Prix Show Jumping tour. A grandson of farmers, a brother of an equine assisted therapist, and frequent attendee of the tour's Germantown Charity Horse Show, Larry grew up learning the importance of horses and how their presence enriches and informs.
While getting his MFA in Film, with funding in part from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, he helped jumpstart, CineStory, a national 501(c)3, non-profit dedicated to the craft of screenwriting. There he served to connect emerging writers with industry professionals via constant outreach, organization and promotion via an international writing contest, which he served as a Director, and co-producing conferences, workshops and retreats.
Larry has also worked extensively with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation as a team leader and participant, managing creative fundraising teams for 3 different 1/2 marathons to raise money and awareness for finding a cure.
His other volunteer experiences range from St. Jude's Childrens Hospital, the Austin Humane Society socializing dogs, and various hurricane relief efforts raising money for those recovering from natural disasters.
A sucker for a selfie and self promotion, Larry hopes to expand both awareness and understanding of Equine Safe Havens mission via social media and other avenues bringing the world to know the richness of the Ranch
Cori Ryniker- Director
Larry McMahan - Director & Fundraising Committee
Skills: Leadership, Business Acumen, problem solving, critical thinking, space planning and evaluation, teamwork, teaching, traveling the world and meeting new people/other cultures
Cori was born and raised on Long Island NY. She is sister to Katrina.
She had a career as a Registered Commercial Interior designer, holding positions as D
Skills: Leadership, Business Acumen, problem solving, critical thinking, space planning and evaluation, teamwork, teaching, traveling the world and meeting new people/other cultures
Cori was born and raised on Long Island NY. She is sister to Katrina.
She had a career as a Registered Commercial Interior designer, holding positions as Design Department Director for a national company, past president of several volunteer organizations, board member of a school district's educational foundation, experience as head coordinator of educational programs for professional groups and elementary school programs.
Travel coordinator and advisor. Loves the arts.
Lynn Gay - Director & Fundraiser
Lynn Gay - Director & Fundraiser
Lynn started as an honorary board member by rescuing numerous Equines and sponsoring many of the Equines on a regular basis.
She enjoys traveling, coming to volunteer in her spare time, and has a tremendous heart for the animals in need. She especially enjoys Mules and Donkeys. We have named several of the Equines in memory of her fami
Lynn started as an honorary board member by rescuing numerous Equines and sponsoring many of the Equines on a regular basis.
She enjoys traveling, coming to volunteer in her spare time, and has a tremendous heart for the animals in need. She especially enjoys Mules and Donkeys. We have named several of the Equines in memory of her family. Pictured here is Lynn with Louie, the donkey that was born on the ranch in Deming NM
Support Equine Safe Haven Today
We are members of...
The American Driving Society or ADS
Arizona Carriage and Driving Society
United States Trotting Association
Deming-Luna County Chamber of Commerce
Life As A Horse
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Most horses pass from one human to another - some horsemen and women are patient and forgiving, others are rigorous and demanding, others are cruel, others are ignorant.
Horses have to learn how to, at the minimum, walk, trot, canter, gallop, go on trails, tow a cart or carriage, and maybe jump, to be treated by the vet, all with sense and good manners.
Talented horses must learn how to win races, and if they can't do that, they must learn how to negotiate courses and jump over strange obstacles without touching them, or do complicated dance like movements or control cattle or accommodate severely handicapped children and adults in therapy work. Many horses learn all of these things in the course of a single lifetime.
Besides this, they learn to understand and fit into the successive social systems of other horses they meet along the way.
A horse's life is rather like twenty years in foster care, or in and out of prison, while at the same time changing schools over and over and discovering that not only do the other students already have their own social groups, but that what you learned at the old school hasn't much application at the new one.
We do not require as much of any other species, including humans. That horses frequently excel, that they exceed the expectations of their owners and trainers in such circumstances, is as much a testament to their intelligence and adaptability as to their relationship skills or their natural generosity or their inborn nature.
That they sometimes manifest the same symptoms as abandoned orphans - distress, strange behaviors, anger, fear - is less surprising than that they usually don't.
No one expects a child, or even a dog to develop its intellectual capacities living in a box 23 hours a day and then doing controlled exercises the remaining one. Mammal minds develop through social interaction and stimulation.
A horse that seems "stupid", "slow", "stubborn", etc. might just have not gotten the chance to learn!
Take care of your horses and treasure them.
- by Jane Smiley