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.

Dr. Charlotte Burns, DVM, Director

Dr. Burns is a senior partner at Mendocino Animal Hospital in Ukiah, CA. She is a long time resident of Ukiah as well. She was a vet tech for 8 years before enrolling in vet school because of her passion in working with & treating animals. Dr. Burns is a graduate of UC Davis veterinary school. She is also an acupuncturist. At home Dr. Burns has her own dogs & cats as well as chickens that she adores. In her limited spare time she enjoys dancing and in particular fire dancing.

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.

Rachel Masen, Director

Rachel Masen, has been involved with Neigh Savers since the early days as a volunteer, barn manager and more recently webmaster. She is the founder of lifestyle website Decidedly Equestrian and was the TB Aftercare Liaison at Golden Gate Fields for 6+ years. She is an artist/photographer and was an art consultant many long years ago. She is also a dressage rider who has shown to PSG level (with a OTTB and more recently a warmblood who is more than 75% Thoroughbred – she has a type).

Rachel holds a BA in Studio Art and Marketing from the University of Arkansas and a MA in Art History and Visual Culture from the University of Chicago. She’s also active in her local dressage community being on the board of her local chapter of California Dressage Society for several years.

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 and their rescue dogs, cats & young daughter Maggie.