Board of Directors

Daryl Smoliak

Daryl is the founder of American Horse Rescue Network. A horse advocate since 2006, he envisioned an organization that would assist horse rescue facilities and directly save horses that are neglected, abused or slaughter-bound. After twenty-five years as a golf professional he now works full time in horse advocacy. He believes this nation owes the horse a great debt for all they have done for us—from helping build this nation to the many ways they serve us today. He is fully dedicated to helping pay that debt through the work of the American Horse Rescue Network.  

Margaret Bass

Margaret’s education is in biochemistry and molecular biology. She has worked for many years in sales and sales management in the pharmaceutical industry. Presently, Margaret is in business selling advanced anti-aging skincare. She has spent her entire life caring for animals. Her passion is to help improve the lives of all animals through good nutrition, healthy exercise and gentle care. Her love of horses began at the age of four when she rode her first horse. She has been active in horse advocacy since 2008.  

Puller Lanigan

I have loved animals my entire life. I cut my teeth on our family dog’s tail and I was pretending to be a horse from the moment I could walk. As a child, I was acutely aware of cruelty to animals, whether it was a horse being mistreated at a public riding stable, a wild colt removed from the range whose parents went for slaughter, livestock abused in rodeos, kittens drowned or dogs left neglected on chains. Somehow, I vowed ‘when I got older’, I would help these voiceless animals. And so I did. Active as a junior member of our local Humane Society in my early teens, through advocating for a new shelter in my college town; conducting TNR on Capitol Hill, and closing a roadside zoo in Southwestern Virginia, to starting a breed specific rescue organization, I have been involved in humane work for over forty years working with both domestic animals and wildlife. It is my pleasure to have been asked to serve on the Board of the American Horse Rescue Network.  

Phil Carter

Phil Carter is the Equine Campaign Manager for Animal Protection of New Mexico and also part of the legislative and lobbying team of Animal Protection Voters. Born and raised in Missouri, Phil grew up on a farm with Arabian horses. There, he developed a love for working with and caring for animals and for the great outdoors. Phil studied political science at the University of Missouri and environmental science at the University of New Mexico. Phil later used his political science background to work as a campaign field organizer for a variety of candidates for office. In his work with Animal Protection of New Mexico and Animal Protection Voters, Phil has been instrumental in the administration of the vital humane assistance programs of the New Mexico Equine Protection Fund, in preventing the return of domestic horse slaughter, and the creation of permanent public funding for horse rescues across the state. When not advocating for horses and other animals, Phil is an avid outdoorsman and frequently explores the landscapes of the Southwest with his wife, Kristina.