meet our humans

 Jim Gath enjoyed a very successful corporate career as one of the founders of USA Today, moving on to Turner Broadcasting, becoming a publisher for a few college magazines and later producing and promoting college football bowl games and large city-wide events. His drive to return to reconnecting with horses started with volunteering at kids’ camps and giving riding lessons, progressed to a boarding facility, then morphed into a safe haven for horses who needed him. Offering his complete heart and soul to these animals became his mission as he created Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary in 2006. 

Lead Volunteer

  Chelsea Barraco joined the Tierra Madre family in July of 2021 shortly after relocating to Arizona from New York. Chelsea grew up participating in 4H and horseback riding and fell in love with all things horses at a young age. Years later, upon discovering she'd landed in cowboy country, Chelsea realized horses had been a missing piece of her life and began actively chasing horse property professionally as a realtor and found a way to make horses the foundation of her business and personal life. Chelsea is nearly complete in obtaining a PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) Certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning as she recognizes the healing power of horses and the impact they have on humans. Saturday chores at Tierra Madre offer the grounding, meditative peace that eludes the modern working world during the week. Chelsea finds meaning, life lessons, and boundless love in the minutiae of ranch life and is often found in Slayer's stall humming to a Stapleton song and offering a hearty butt scratch to the best listener on four legs. 

Lead Volunteer

 Denae joined the Tierra Madre team in October of 2017. She loved the idea of working with like- minded individuals who share her same passion for helping horses in need. Since joining the ranch, Denae has watched her life improve in terms of gaining confidence and finding her ranch family. When she’s not helping with chores, you’ll find her in the round pen with her best friend, Iron Man. Once intimidated by his size and spunk, Denae now handles him with ease and the two have formed a very special bond. She has had an unwavering love for horses since she was a little girl and plans to make rescuing horses a part of her life forever. 

Lead Volunteer

 An empty nester, Mindy came to Tierra Madre in August of 2021 looking for a purpose. She moved to Arizona from “Hellinois” to be close to her grown children but with no friends here and plenty of time on her hands, she needed to smell and touch horses. Tierra Madre has provided hard work to occupy idle hands, horses’ love to clear a troubled mind and human friendships for the needed heart hug. She has continually proven herself to be a valuable asset to the TM family. Mindy likes hiking, sports, nerdy stuff like cross stitch, 70s music and walking the cutest dog on the planet.  

Lead Volunteer

  Susan came to Tierra Madre in June 2015 on a volunteer outing with her high school students with autism. It was the beginning of an amazing opportunity for the students and truly “love at first sight” for Susan. Susan has loved horses all of her life but realizing the chance to ever own one had long passed, she just let that desire fade. The day she walked through the gates at Tierra Madre that love sprang to life and she just knew there would be no need for turning back. Susan is a faithful Saturday volunteer who looks forward to every opportunity to serve those amazing animals and help realize the vision that brought about such an amazing place as TMHHS. 

Administrative Assistant

 I started volunteering at Tierra Madre in 2021 and am a retired Special Education teacher. I have a Masters in Education and have taught inclusion preschool for the past 25-30 years in the public school settings in New York, North Carolina and, most recently, Arizona. I have worked with a variety of students over the years with varying disabilities and have devised  learning environments that  ensure each child's needs were met in a loving, fun setting. Because I feel that  children can best reach their potential in a natural environment, I am a believer in play-based learning. Children and teaching continue to be my passion and I hope to help create some positive, exciting experiences for children at Tierra Madre. I currently serve as administrative assistant for the ranch so if you make a donation you will get a receipt from me! 

 Executive Director Emeritus

Alexis walked into Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary in June 2009 when she was 17 years old, armed with the task of completing 100 hours of community service for a school project. The original plan was to get those hours done, learn some more about horses – her first love in life – then be done. By the end of her first day at Tierra Madre, however, she knew she was never going to leave. Five and a half years of volunteer and videography work for the ranch later, Alexis was appointed a ranch manager in October 2014 and the ranch director a few months later. In January 2017, she was appointed Tierra Madre’s Executive Director. During her time as director, in addition to ensuring the completion of day-to-day tasks that come with the smooth running of a ranch, she oversaw volunteer training, fundraising and marketing efforts, social media, event planning, donor development, community outreach, program creation and development, and morning donut gatherings. Her favorite part of her job, however, was being responsible for the health and happiness of the horses. Alexis holds a bachelor’s degree in sustainability and a master’s in nonprofit leadership and management, both from Arizona State University. She is additionally the author of 'A Year With Angels' and 'Toward Sunrise,' both of which detail her life and experiences with the horses of Tierra Madre.  

Alexis has fulfilled many different roles at Tierra Madre over the years including a board member and CEO from June 2022 - October 2023, and she never misses the opportunity to swing by as a volunteer and say hello to the horses she considers her family.

Lead Volunteer

John is an Arizona man through and through. He's lived here his entire life. A few years ago, John's wonderful wife, Francie, saw a news special about a group of Boy Scouts who visited Tierra Madre to help with some of the more difficult labor that needed to be done. After retiring, John was enjoying quiet days in his home, but Francie informed him that on a certain Saturday, John needed to be out at Tierra Madre bright and early for volunteer orientation. John has been with us ever since and is one of the hardest-working people we've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He always has a smile on his face and a rake or shovel in his hand.

Volunteer Coordinator

 Chuck joined us in January 2022. Growing up in Seal Beach, California, Chuck had more interactions with jellyfish than horses. Quickly after joining the volunteer team, Chuck fell in love with the horses, specifically Birdie, who remains his closest confidant to this day. Chuck has found a group of volunteers that he considers ranch family, so becoming our Volunteer Coordinator was a natural fit. Outside of volunteering with horses, Chuck also loves donkeys, Florida Gators football and any grain of sand touching the Pacific Ocean.  

Lead Volunteer

 Leika has been a member of the Tierra Madre family since February of 2014. A native of New Jersey, Leika became interested in horses during a childhood trip to the Kentucky Horse Park but never had the opportunity to gain horse experience. Tierra Madre’s hands on approach appealed to her and dedicating her time weekly, she quickly learned the ropes and gained confidence. Leika credits King John with helping her overcome initial fears and now spends time pampering a once-neglected Kiss, who has quickly become one of the most spoiled kids on the ranch. 

Lead Volunteer

 Jeremiah wasn't around horses much growing up but he was always captivated by them. After a long visit to a family friend's ranch in Texas, he began to understand just what horses can do and how they can help humans. After searching horse rescues and programs in Arizona, he found Tierra Madre in December 2018. Jeremiah committed to coming out six days a week and quickly became a leader and lover of the herd. He was especially attached to Jack and dedicated time into training him nearly every day. Jeremiah is a competitive dancer and has been instrumental in organizing and hosting fundraising events for the ranch at his studio.  

Outreach Coordinator

 Claudia was born in Brooklyn, NY. She earned two Master Degrees in Early Childhood Education and taught in New York for several years. A leave of absence took her to the Navajo Reservation to do volunteer work with an animal rescue group as well as teach Kindergarten in the Navajo school system. One of her first rescues was a snow blind horse named “Tony”. The Navajo helped her learn “the way of the horse”. With growing understanding, Claudia fell in love with “Tony” and all the other horses she met on the reservation. Claudia has been a volunteer at Tierra Madre for 12 years, working with and for the horses that live there. She is a resident of Cave Creek and as a result, has developed many important friendships with individuals, merchants and organizations that have supported Tierra Madre both financially and socially. Claudia is a sponsor of one of the rescued horses at Tierra Madre named Annie Oakley, who has become her Heart Horse.