The Engel Equine Foundation

10/12/2026

Our mission is to give children and teens the opportunity to grow, heal, and build confidence through horses, nature, and meaningful connections. We keep our program small and personal because every child deserves to be seen, heard, encouraged, and celebrated for who they are.

We believe God can use His creation in incredible ways to bring comfort, peace, and healing to hearts. And sometimes, He uses four hooves, a soft muzzle, and a gentle nudge to remind a child just how special they are.

10/10/2026

HELP US KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE!

Alright, friends and family! It’s been a little while since we’ve received a student sponsorship or donation, so I’m reaching out to our community for a little help.

If you know me, you know that helping children, teens, and families find confidence, connection, and balance through horses and nature has ALWAYS been my dream. That’s why I started The Engel Equine Foundation. I wanted to create a place where kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity could experience the incredible things horses can teach us, patience, trust, confidence, emotional regulation, and the feeling of being understood without having to say a single word.

But here’s the honest truth: I can’t do it alone.

I’m a one-woman band behind so much of this work, balancing the foundation while being a wife, a mom to three girls, and caring for our wonderful horses. I pour my heart into making these opportunities possible, but between caring for the horses, maintaining our farm, and helping students, I need our community’s help to keep moving forward.

Right now, I have students waiting for the opportunity to participate in our program. I would LOVE to be able to say yes to more of them!

Here’s how you can help:

💚 SPONSOR A RIDER: Help a child or teen on our waitlist experience our program and the confidence-building power of horses.

🐴 SPONSOR A HORSE: Help us provide feed, hay, and the everyday care our wonderful horses need as we head into the winter months. They give so much to our students, and they deserve the very best care we can provide.

🤎 MAKE A DONATION: Every dollar, big or small, helps us continue this mission.

📣 SHARE THIS POST: Even if you’re unable to donate, sharing this post could connect us with someone who can help change a child’s life.

I’m also working on putting together a FUN Waffle to raise funds for the foundation, so keep an eye out for that announcement!

This dream means so much to me. I don’t want finances to be the reason a child misses out on an opportunity to grow, heal, and build a connection with these incredible animals.

If you’ve ever believed in what we’re doing, encouraged us, donated, shared a post, or simply cheered us on from the sidelines, THANK YOU. It means more than you know.

Let’s come together and help make room for a few more kids in the saddle!

Every donation matters. Every share matters. Every child matters.

To donate or ask about sponsoring a rider or horse, please send us a message!

With love and gratitude,
The Engel Equine Foundation

ZELLE and ApplePay; 252-204-6254

PAYPAL; Michelle Engel

We will send out Receipts for donations at the end of the year! 🩵

The Engel Equine Foundation is a Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization providing access to horses and nature for children, teens, and adults seeking confidence, emotional healing, and personal growth.

09/29/2026

I have never seen horseback riding come so naturally and effortlessly to someone as it did with Emmie.

From the very beginning, there was just something about her connection with horses. Watching her grow from a nervous young rider into the confident equestrian she is today has been such a special part of my journey.

What amazes me most is that Emmie doesn’t get to ride consistently, but every single time she gets back in the saddle, she never misses a beat. It’s like she never stopped. Her balance, confidence, feel, and connection with the horse come so naturally to her.

Some riders spend years trying to find that kind of connection. For Emmie, it has always seemed to live right inside of her.

Watching her ride today makes my heart so full. I’m so proud of the equestrian she is becoming, and even more grateful that I got to be apart of her journey.

Some lessons go far beyond the saddle. And some students leave a permanent hoofprint on your heart.

- The Engel Equine Foundation

09/21/2026

Well, this cowboy was trotting around like a PRO today, grinning from ear to ear!

We may have gotten caught in a little rain, but he was such a great help getting everything put away in a hurry! Nothing like a little teamwork when the weather decides to change on you!!!

09/14/2026

These two cowgirls BOTH got new boots, and they were feeling extra good riding today!

There’s just something about a fresh pair of boots that makes you sit a little taller, smile a little bigger, and ride with a little more confidence!

09/13/2026

Don’t forget why you started.

Remember what made you fall in love with horses in the first place.

Sometimes we take on more than we can handle, and honestly, I don’t know why we do it. We add more, give more, say yes more, and somehow along the way, something that once brought us so much peace can start to feel like another responsibility on an already overflowing plate.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in simply surviving that we forget to stop and remember the love and passion that started it all.

I know life gets busy.
I know things get hard.
I know we struggle.
I know sometimes we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could handle.

But don’t forget why you started.

Go back to the beginning.
Remember the feeling of being on their back.
Remember the freedom.
The connection.
The peace.
The way horses made you feel when life felt heavy.

And if you need to slow down, simplify, or take a step back, that’s okay, too.

You don’t have to keep adding more to prove how much you love horses.

Sometimes protecting the love you have for them means doing less.

Just don’t forget why you started.

09/11/2026

One thing about me is that I never wanted horses to become something I eventually got burnt out from.

I never wanted them to become something that made me more unhappy than happy. Horses have always brought me so much peace, and I never wanted that peace to turn into a burden.

I never wanted to lose that feeling of freedom when I’m on their backs. That feeling of strength. Resilience. Happiness. The feeling that, for a little while, nothing else matters.

Horses have always been my safe place, my escape, and one of the things that brings me back to myself.

So I’ve always been intentional about keeping them that way.

I don’t want more horses just for the sake of having more. I don’t want a huge operation. I don’t want horses to become something I have to do instead of something I get to do.

I want to wake up excited to see them. I want to enjoy riding them. I want to sit in the pasture and just breathe. I want my girls to experience that same feeling.

Because at the end of the day, I never want to lose the very thing that made me fall in love with horses in the first place.

09/09/2026

I have found my favorite people to ride with and they just so happen to be my kids 😂

09/08/2026

I always said I would NEVER force my kids to ride. I wanted horses to be something they loved and chose for themselves. So today, when ALL three of them wanted to go on a trail ride with me, my heart was SO full. And the fact that we all got to ride our very own horses made it even more special.

Oh And HOW IN THE WORLD did I go from saying I would NEVER have a mare… to having FOUR of them? I guess we are officially a mare family! I sure do love these girls and I’m even more grateful for the way these four-legged girls took such good care of my kiddos today.

Some days you realize you’re living a dream you once prayed for. Today was one of those days.

09/06/2026

I remember the first time I was ever kicked by a horse and of course, that horse was Tec.

Tec would plant his feet right in front of the arena and REFUSE to move forward. Me being young and inexperienced, “pain” never even crossed my mind. Everyone told me he was just being stubborn, and of course, I listened to everyone because I was only a kid.

Well, one day Tec planted those feet again. I took my crop, gave him a good smack right on the butt and he kicked me so hard I went flying backward and was left with a perfect hoof print on my thigh.

I was TERRIFIED to tell my mom because I was convinced she was going to sell him.

So I hid it.

And gosh, did it hurt!

I came home from school a couple of days later and my mom looked at me and said, “Is there something you would like to tell me?”

I immediately froze, started crying and said, “PLEASE DON’T SELL HIM!” A friend of mine had already told my mom what happened.

She wasn’t going to sell him. She just wanted to make sure I was okay and, more importantly, make sure I had learned my lesson.

And I absolutely did.

Looking back now, I realize Tec wasn’t being “stubborn.” He was trying to tell me something, and I was too young and inexperienced to understand what he was saying.

That day taught me one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned with horses: when a horse is telling you something, listen to the best of your ability.

Tec and I have spent the last 24 years learning each other. And somehow, that stubborn horse who once left a hoof print on my thigh became one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had.