While Texas temperatures still feel like summer, autumn has officially arrived at APHA with the addition of two Fall 2026 interns. Maci Read and Makenna Batchelder (pictured above, l to r) join the APHA team this fall as they demonstrate their work ethic, develop new skills and engage with the Paint Horse community at events that include the APHA/WCHA Halter Million and the 35th annual Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering. APHA internships provide the next generation with hands-on experience in the world’s second-largest equine breed association while building on each intern’s unique experience and existing skill set.
Meet the Fall 2026 Interns
Maci Read
Multimedia Marketing Intern
Hailing from Bowie, Texas, and graduating from Tarleton State University this winter with a bachelor of science in agribusiness, Maci brings knowledge, grit and tenacity to reach her goals.
“Horses have always been an outlet for me, and my love for them has been around since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” Maci said. “My family has raised, bred, trained and raced horses for four generations.”
Maci helps run her family’s Paint and Quarter Horse racing operation, and she founded her own marketing firm while still in college. She enjoys Western fashion, authentic Native American jewelry and hopes to develop her own breeding program focused on racehorses and cow-bred crosses.
Makenna Batchelder
Editorial & Publications Intern
Makenna is multifaceted, with a strong work ethic to match. Hailing from the Sierra Nevada region in Bishop, California, Makenna grew up surrounded by agriculture, cattle ranches and small-town values. She recently earned her master’s degree in strategic communication and hopes to build a lifelong career in the equine and Western communities she has always called home.
“From gathering cattle in the pasture to backing into the roping box to the long hours in the practice pen, being on the back of a horse has always made life simpler,” Makenna said. “I deeply value how the horse reflects our own strengths, limitations and challenges us to grow.”
Makenna competes in barrel racing and enjoys working for her family’s construction business while actively developing her own marketing firm.
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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.