Board of Directors
Karin Wagner, Founder/Executive Director
Karin is the founder of Neigh Savers & has been its Executive Director since its inception in 2007.
Karin grew up in the Bay Area but also lived in Europe for some years. She studied at UC Berkeley and the University of Goettingen in Germany. For over 25 years, Ms. Wagner was a partner in a small computer applications consulting firm & worked for several major computer software companies as well.
In order to understand the physiology of a horse, Ms. Wagner completed her certification through the Equissage program and became an ESMT (Equine Sports Massage Therapist).
Her love of the Thoroughbred breed in particular was the impetus behind the creation of Neigh Savers. At the time there was a great need to help retiring off track horses as aftercare was not yet a concept in the racing industry.
Caroline Holmes-Nathan, Director
Caroline is a lifelong horse enthusiast, and she believes wholeheartedly in providing animals with a second chance at life. Caroline started riding at the early age of five at Thomas School of Horsemanship on Long Island. Her first horse, Tiki Tiki Tumbo, was bound for auction after coming off of Charlestown Raceway in West Virginia. She trained him from a young, green OTTB through novice level Eventing. Caroline continues to train & show with several off track Thoroughbreds to this day.
Dr. Charlotte Burns, DVM, Director
Laura Zeigler, Director
Laura has been horse crazy almost her entire life, she grew up in England doing Pony Club from the age of 6, where she fell in love with the sport and the animals. She is known for her bleeding heart for animals and believes wholeheartedly in providing animals with a second chance at life – fun fact, every single one of her animals (3 cats and a horse) are rescues, including a cat that was bottle fed from 5 days old!
Laura got her first horse, through Neigh Savers at the age of 16. Democracy, affectionately known as Disco, was never a good racer but had a rough life at the track and Karin and her team saved him and rehabbed him. Laura adopted him when he was 4, still a baby (both him and her). She trained him from a young, green OTTB through beginning level Eventing, even taking him across the country to Louisville, Kentucky for college. He was unfortunately diagnosed with severe kissing spine at 9 years old after moving back to California – and she has since retired him. But keeping the promise she made to him as a child, and to Karin, to always keep him safe, he is happy and healthy, living 15 minutes away, being pampered daily by Laura, where he’ll stay until his last moments. Laura’s riding and showing days have slowed down a bit as adult life has picked up, but she continues to ride when she can on other horses at the barn and still hopes to rescue more off track Thoroughbreds in the future.
Laura runs a thriving real estate business in Sacramento, CA. She and her husband, Travis, reside in El Dorado Hills, CA with their three cats.
Maureen Sowell, Emeritus Director
After living in the Southern California area and working in the construction industry for many years Maureen retired whereupon she returned to her native England. She now volunteers at a therapeutic riding program for children.
We thank Maureen for her many years of dedicated service as a Board Director.
Paul Henry Nathan, Legal Counsel
A graduate of the University of San Francisco in Political Science and with a juris doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law, Paul is also a published attorney and a sought after speaker. He has won multiple awards and has been honored in the legal community by his peers having been selected as a “Super Lawyer” 2013, 2014 and 2015. Paul was also asked to be a member of the “National Association of Distinguished Counsel” in 2015. Only 1% of the top attorneys in the United States are invited to become members. Paul lives near San Francisco with his wife Caroline (a NS Board Director) and their rescue dogs, cats & young daughter Maggie.