Enck's Training LLC

Enck's Training LLC Foundation Horsemanship Training for you & your horse! Book a lesson or retreat today. We have in-person demos($15) that show what we do during a lesson.
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We offer lessons that show you how your body language, body position, and attitude affect how you ride.

08/14/2026

All work and no play makes for a boring dayšŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™‚ļø.

Always fun to get in some roping practice out on the pasture.

We have break away hondos on our ropes. Itā€™s another thing to get the horses used to in a safe manner!

The more you can expose a horse to the better they become. Thatā€™s why ranch horses are so sought after. Theyā€™re ready for whatever people throw at them ( or around them šŸ˜‰).

08/13/2026

You probably see a confident boy riding his pony. But thereā€™s more to the story.

For you see 5 yrs ago today that same boy had a bad accident in the very spot of where he is ground driving.

You donā€™t see the fear he has had to conquer and still fights through to this day!

You may see a boy riding a pony, loving life. But, I see a young man who has overcome adversity.

We are so proud of how far he has come in just 5 yrs. From not just riding but starting over 23 pony c**ts.

Ironically the pony he is riding, he started 2 yrs ago and that pony probably did more for his confidence than anything else. That pony tried him and showed him that if youā€™re scared you still saddle the horseā€¦..that pony taught him about courage.

And oh what a moment when he fished this pony and now to have him back to continue the journey of courage is simply a feeling we canā€™t describe.

So hereā€™s to Spot and to his part in this incredible journey!

God is so good!

08/13/2026

Heā€™s making progress with his new project.

It was a bit tough in the beginning. But heā€™s got him moving in the right direction.

08/10/2026

To be honest Iā€™ve probably done more groundwork with this 16 yr old horse than I used to do with a c**t. It was a whole 3 sessions!

Itā€™s not about being afraid itā€™s about being fair and smarter.

I got to know the horse on the ground before I climbed on. I didnā€™t think heā€™d do anything but I wanted him to know who I am and what I expect on the ground first.

Yes in my younger days I would have just climbed on and pushed through. But that was my pride showing up ā€œlook what I can doā€.

Now as Iā€™ve aged a bit I not only donā€™t care about what I can do but what I can help the horse do better.

I donā€™t heal as quickly these days but thatā€™s not the main reason for taking my time.

This horse is in a new environment, heā€™s unsure heā€™s not wild but could spook easy enough because of the afore mentioned things.

If you can avoid a wreck why wouldnā€™t you? So many rush it and sometimes pay a price thatā€™s hard to pay. Most horses that are broke will be fine on the outside but inside theyā€™re unsure.

Donā€™t believe me? Take a new job doing what you were doing at the old job. Then tell me how sure you are of your new surroundingsā€¦ā€¦get my point?

Just a thought!

08/09/2026

This right here represents what the horse industry has become!

Hear me out.

This is a cheap snap on a cheap rope. It looks pretty but is a useless tool when dealing with horses.

This set up is probably the biggest factor in horses learning to pull back. This cheap snap and rope will break very easily. It only takes one time for them to break free and youā€™ve got a problem on your hands.

You may say you must train them not to pull back. That is true, but things happen and theyā€™re horses that can spook regardless of how well trained they are.

Like everything else, weā€™re looking or convenience and simplicity. These snaps are easy to use (compared to a good bull snap). The rope is pretty colors but cheap cotton at cheaper price.

These are sold to unsuspecting horse owners who assume that if it says for horses itā€™s the way to go. And if itā€™s a pretty color, all the better.

Same goes with tack. We by the cheap, blingy tack that is stiff, cheap leather. Never realizing that the cheap leather is more likely to break as well as can irritate the horse and most of the bling is put on with Chicago screws that can leave you in a predicament when they loosen.

Horses are powerful animals that can do incredible damage when frightened.

We seem to worry so much about saddles and how they fit that we forget most of our problems come from using cheap tack everywhere else.

A few extra bucks for high quality snaps and ropes is a small price to pay to avoid potential serious problems!

Iā€™ve witnessed how cheap tack has created problems from broken snaps to ears that are rubbed raw.

Even the posts we use for fences and tie posts are a lot of times inadequate in size and could be snapped like a toothpick.

Think before you purchase. Ask yourself is this going to help or hinder me? Is the bling worth the cost? Is this strong enough to help prevent potential issues? Will this help keep my horse and I safer?

There are a lot of problem issues out there that couldā€™ve been avoided just by using the right snapšŸ˜³šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™‚ļø.

08/08/2026

Itā€™s getting to be that time of the year againā€¦..weaning!

If you want your weanlings halter trained with the future in mind give us a shout.

We will work on building a trust and willingness that will carry them into the future!

We work on catching, tying leading (everywhere), trailer loading, and handling their feet.

In addition we will teach you how to work with them when you get them home. We highly recommend this because they will need time to adjust at home.

We believe this is the most important stage of the horseā€™s training. We do not take it lightly.

We are only taking a limited amount of youngsters. Contact us for pricing and details!

08/07/2026

There is so much that goes into making a good horse. No one can even come close to teaching all of it.

One of the things that you hear a lot is ā€œhorses need a jobā€.

What does that mean to you? To me itā€™s a lot more than just riding around or trail riding or even competing.

Donā€™t get me wrong all of those are great experiences for a horse and help in the over all process. But a job requires you and them to do things, if given a chance to think about it, you wouldnā€™t do in most cases.

Take for instance gathering cattle in the breaks. All is good and one minute youā€™re casually navigating some tough terrain and the next a cow breaks and tries to get back. You instinctively go after her and push your horse to go through, over or around things at speeds you wouldnā€™t if given the chance to avoid.

Or shoot a gun off a horse not because you want to but because you have to.

These are jobs. These arenā€™t just challenges or trail riding. Those help with preparing them for jobs but having a job to do with your horse makes you push past the fear and hesitation of the situation because your goal is to get the job done.

I saw a young man out on the breaks that reminded me of my younger self. Taking a green horse and working the breaks. I may not be as bold anymore and I may prepare a bit more these days but that is what makes great horses. Yes you may hit the ground at times (and he did) but you get back up and keep going because the job has to be done.

So next time you hear ā€œthey need a jobā€ remember they need to be given a task that has to be done regardless of the situation.

That is what giving a horse a job means to me!

08/06/2026

As I ride my horses I try to think of the psychology of a horseā€™s behavior (Iā€™m weird that way).

Youā€™ve all seen Popeye in action. Heā€™s my main mount. Steady and down to business.

When I took him to move cattle on the river breaks he was more nervous, hollered a lot, wasnā€™t focused!

So I was thinking about it and this is what I came up with.

1. Different terrain and environment than heā€™s used to. It made me a bit nervous at first and Iā€™m sure that affected him with his confidence.

2. Heā€™s used to going at his own pace and by himself. There were 10 other horses and he wasnā€™t sure of all that.

3. He hasnā€™t been hauled that long of trip in quite awhile.

The reason Iā€™m telling you this is because Iā€™m sure a lot of you have faced this type of behavior. Itā€™s not that your horse isnā€™t trained or broke. Itā€™s actually more about how you act when youā€™re in a new place.

When you are asked to do something youā€™ve never done, in a place youā€™ve never been, around strangers you never met, you look for guidance you may observe how someone else does it and when someone shows you how to do what is asked and you get to know the folks around you, your confidence increases and if asked to do it multiple times it becomes second nature.

Thatā€™s exactly how Popeye acted. By the end he was a lot more calm and less nervous! And I too was a lot more comfortable riding the breaks. So I guess you could say we both relied on each other to enjoy the experience.

Hope this helps someone! Thanks

08/05/2026

You all know Iā€™ve been sitting a horse almost everyday and helping with checking pastures. Itā€™s a great thing, but yesterday we helped move cattle on the Missouri River breaks .

My hatā€™s off to these guys. They have good horses and ride these breaks with ease. It was an honor to be invited. Yes our horses did fine but it was terrain they havenā€™t come up against before.

When you come over a ridge and the way to the cattle is literally straight down the other side, you hope youā€™ve trained your horse well.

Something else I decided to learn and that is the use of a bull whip. I really enjoyed watching and hearing the crack of the whip and how it helped get the cattle moving out of the scrub brush.

Itā€™s a way of life that is fading away but itā€™s good to know thereā€™s still some who carry on the traditions.

If you noticed there wasnā€™t one side by side, or 4 wheeler in any of the video. It was just the sounds of the cows, the wind, the horses, the people, the dogs and the whips popping. It was surreal! Like stepping back in time.

Iā€™ll try to keep in mind that I too will try to honor the old ways and by continuing to check pastures on a horse.

God bless cowboys!

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22143 430th Avenue
Carthage, SD
57323

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Monday 6am - 6pm
Tuesday 6am - 6pm
Wednesday 6am - 6pm
Thursday 6am - 6pm
Friday 6am - 6pm
Saturday 6am - 6pm

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