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 grew up on Long Island New York, and her parents started riding when they bought horses in their 40's, and Katrina started riding at 4 years old. The biggest influence was her instructor, Gail Andrews Butta, who taught her how to ride, hunter-jumper and dressage until age 13. (When Katrina outgrew her pony, her mother rescued a horse, rehabilitated her, and then Katrina rode her, and used her as a lesson horse for beginners.) This gave Katrina the foundation & cornerstone that her life would be built on, un-be-known to her until later in life.
At 18, she would clean stalls just to be near horses.
At 23, she moved to California San Francisco Bay Area to finish her degree in Business Management & minor in Environmental Science. Katrina worked many years in Accounting, Sourcing & Procurement, and IT. Katrina has worked over 30 years for top Fortune 100 & 500 companies to pay for her bad horse habit. She worked at companies like IBM, AMD, Cisco Systems, Trimble Navigation, Yahoo, Google and NetApp. She currently works as an IT Project Manager full time. Katrina always had to be with horses, and work was the means to get there.
Convinced to buy her own horse & property, she adopted her first Wild Horse (Mustang) for $125, from the Palomino Valley holding center in Reno in 2001. She trained, rode mountain trails, and competed with Valentina in the Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expos for years. Subsequently she adopted and trained 3 more Mustangs. Then she immersed herself in all riding disciplines & training, learning from many top equestrians, but keeping Jerry Tindell as her mentor. She had horses for each kind of competition. She had horses for her students and friends to show and compete with. She shared her blessings. She participated at the Reno Mustang Makeover in 2008 with her Mustang named Sunday. Sunday is currently at still SaddleHawk Ranch, along with Iroquois. She created a successful horse show buckle series and held shows around the Bay Area. Katrina always owned no more than 35, and no less then 6 (Equines) at a time in her career. She is an expert in their care.
Katrina has held multiple volunteer positions with non-profits and charitable organizations. She served 8 years total with Golden State Appaloosa Horse Association; Two years as President, 2 years as Vice President and 4 on the Board of Directors. She also served 2 years as Membership Director for the Mt Diablo Beekeepers Association.
Covid created something wonderful called "remote working" and this prompted a move to the Southwest and the Land of Enchantment in 2022. This is the next part of the dream; To save horses from going to slaughter in Mexico, and have them be used by those that are less fortunate, disadvantaged both economically and physically. Give to those that have a burning desire to learn and partner with the Equine. To ride, drive and serve the Equine. To serve Others according to His purpose. Amen
Ken Wendel - Treasurer & CFO & Veteran
Bio in the works
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 was originally raised in Buffalo NY, where his two adult sons currently still reside. Ken left the Eas
Bio in the works
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 was originally raised in Buffalo NY, where his two adult sons currently still reside. Ken left the East Coast 2011, for sunny California San Francisco Bay Area.
Ken has his CPA and has been an accountant for over 30 years, and has his bachelors degree from University of Buffalo in Business Administrator with a concentration in Accounting.
During his corporate employment in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ken has worked for Fortune 100 and 500 companies like; Mattel, Yahoo, Twitter, Golden State Warriors, Yelp, Pattern Energy, Calpine Energy and NetApp.
Ken and Katrina met while working at ITT in NY, and later Ken took a position at Yahoo which brought him to California. Ken and Katrina owned the Loose Rooster Ranch in California for 8 years. After covid, when working remotely was the new norm, they moved to Deming NM in Jan 2022.
Ken started working with horses in 2014, and learning to ride when he purchased his first horse, GIN, in 2021. Ken then became very passionate about driving as well, and has been a big part of moving the Driving program at SaddleHawk Ranch forward in Southwestern NM. He donates his time to Equine Safe Haven as the CFO/Treasurer and as an Instructor.
Ken has worked for many non profits and charitable organizations: Controller for Erie County NY agricultural society. He was Treasurer for the EMW Boys club, and Mt Diablo Beekeepers association in the SF Bay Area. Ken still works full time at his company: Ken Wendel CPA
Joyce Garrison - Director - Veteran & Community Outreach
I am Joyce Garrison. I am almost 69 years old, and I was raised in Texas. I attended the Texas Woman's University and received a degree in Nursing.
I became a Commander in the Public Health Service working with Native American Peoples.
During my years in Alaska I was privileged to train as a dog musher with the father of the Iditarod Tr
I am Joyce Garrison. I am almost 69 years old, and I was raised in Texas. I attended the Texas Woman's University and received a degree in Nursing.
I became a Commander in the Public Health Service working with Native American Peoples.
During my years in Alaska I was privileged to train as a dog musher with the father of the Iditarod Trail Sled-Dog Race; Joe Redington Sr.
I retired from nursing and mushing and moved to New Mexico, where I met Ken and Kate, and began to work with horses. I have worked at SaddleHawk Ranch since Spring of 2022. I cherish my experiences there and I thank Ken and Kate for everything.
Larry McMahan - Director
Jon Brautigan - Director - Community Outreach
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
Jon Brautigan - Director - Community Outreach
Jon Brautigan - Director - Community Outreach
Jon Brautigan - Director - Community Outreach
Bio in the works.
Cori Ryniker- Director - Travel
Jon Brautigan - Director - Community Outreach
Jon Brautigan - Director - Community Outreach
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.
Ginny Sallee - Director - Events
Kenny Sallee - Director - Events, Veteran, Music & Cowboy Church coordinator
Kenny Sallee - Director - Events, Veteran, Music & Cowboy Church coordinator
Skills:
I have loved, ridden, shown, owned and trained horses for much of my life. I was in 4-H as a child, became a teen leader and Adult leader. Volunteering became a big part of my life, Sunday school teacher, Vacation Bible School Superintendent, Secretary for 4-H Council, Secretary for Michigan Deaf Children’s Society, Secretary for
Skills:
I have loved, ridden, shown, owned and trained horses for much of my life. I was in 4-H as a child, became a teen leader and Adult leader. Volunteering became a big part of my life, Sunday school teacher, Vacation Bible School Superintendent, Secretary for 4-H Council, Secretary for Michigan Deaf Children’s Society, Secretary for the Farm Hall Association, I organized and ran Farmers Markets for 15 years in our communities.
Work :
Early Childhood Degree, worked for 30 years with the Head Start Program, teachers assistant, Bus Driver, teacher, Home Visitor, trainer, and the last 10 years there- the Education Coordinator supervising 5 centers and 9 classrooms.
Goals:
After retiring my dream was to travel the U.S., move to a warmer climate, and volunteer at a horse ranch/rescue. All these goals have come to realization in the last few years, I remarried later in life to a wonderful man that had similar goals. We traveled and found we liked the Deming area and I did my research and found Equine Safe Haven. So here we are residents Of Deming N.M. and both volunteers at Equine Safe haven.
Kenny Sallee - Director - Events, Veteran, Music & Cowboy Church coordinator
Kenny Sallee - Director - Events, Veteran, Music & Cowboy Church coordinator
Kenny Sallee - Director - Events, Veteran, Music & Cowboy Church coordinator
Kenny Sallee brings a lifetime of dedication, service, and compassion to Equine Safe Haven at SaddleHawk Ranch. With a background as a U.S. Army veteran and a retired Merchant Marine, Kenny has always valued discipline, hard work, and teamwork. These qualities seamlessly translate into his role at the ranch, where he assists in the care o
Kenny Sallee brings a lifetime of dedication, service, and compassion to Equine Safe Haven at SaddleHawk Ranch. With a background as a U.S. Army veteran and a retired Merchant Marine, Kenny has always valued discipline, hard work, and teamwork. These qualities seamlessly translate into his role at the ranch, where he assists in the care of over 30 equines and supports programs designed to provide horsemanship and carriage driving experiences to the disabled and economically disadvantaged.
Kenny is also a lay minister and Bible teacher at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Deming, NM. His faith inspires his commitment to serving others, whether it’s through ministry, teaching, or helping at the ranch. He and his wife, Ginny, who share a love for animals and community service, have been active volunteers at the ranch since stepping away from their previous roles at a homeless outreach program.
When he’s not at the ranch, Kenny enjoys playing the Native American flute, writing, and engaging with students through his role as a teaching assistant for Christian Leaders Institute. He also has a passion for sailing, a skill he learned as a teenager and carried into his career as a Merchant Marine.
Kenny’s dedication to making a difference is evident in everything he does at Equine Safe Haven. His welcoming demeanor, willingness to lend a hand, and deep love for the equines make him an invaluable part of the team.
Lynn Gay - Honorary Board Member
Kenny Sallee - Director - Events, Veteran, Music & Cowboy Church coordinator
Lynn Gay - Honorary Board Member
BIO - in the works
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