Leadership series ‘The Right Lead’ to highlight 2026 APHA Leadership Gathering
Whether working with horses or humans, leadership skills are key to success. In an effort to foster leadership development, APHA is launching “The Right Lead,” a leadership development training series debuting at the 2026 APHA Leadership Gathering. There, attendees will complete a four-hour mini course, titled “Foundations of Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Herd.”
The Right Lead came to fruition thanks to the Leadership Development Task Force, which focused on developing programs specifically for current and future APHA leaders. It’s based on a leadership training program originally created by Tina Shanahan, a member of the task force and the APHA Board of Directors. Tina’s program, “Lessons from the Herd,” introduces fundamentals of leadership using examples based on horsemanship principles.
“I personally developed this training program to build on the natural leadership traits that are commonly used by anyone involved with horses,” Tina explained. “My goal is that participants walk away from the seminar with a good knowledge of general leadership concepts and whet their appetites for more. It will highlight the leadership principles we learn from horses. If you tune into them, horses can make you a better leader. By focusing on leadership principles we learn from horses, we can become more intentional leaders and better horsemen.”
Moving Forward With Purpose
The live event kicking off The Right Lead series begins in February 2026. Additional programming is expected to span webinars, social media and more.
“Deliberate improvement of APHA’s leadership capacity will enhance collaboration while harnessing our collective knowledge, wisdom and experience to ensure we remain on ‘The Right Lead,’ ” APHA President Diane Alves said. “Join us for the 2026 Leadership Gathering, February 27–March 1 in the historic Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas.”
2026 APHA & AjPHA Leadership Gathering
February 27–March 1, 2026
Fort Worth, Texas
Details: apha.com/leadershipgathering
Register Online
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About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association. Since it was founded in 1962, APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses. Learn more at apha.com.