Bronc to Pack Horse | Training Honey the Mustang

[@mckennakrosby5270]

As someone from the equine clicker-training world, I am very impressed by your knowledge and use of the operant conditioning quadrants to meet your goals. Too few natural horsemanship trainers really understand what they are accomplishing with pressure and release, but you described both the negative and positive reinforcement techniques beautifully. I'll be looking forward to seeing more of your videos!

[@SamVanFleet]

Thank you very much!

[@GypsyEquestrian]

Sam this is a great video!!! I love seeing the whole story in one video! Good job sticking with it. Glad she had you!

[@SamVanFleet]

Awh thank you! She was tricky but it was so worth it for the both of us!

[@april5666]

Wow, Sam -- Honey was lucky to end up with your incredibly patient and careful restarting. After watching a couple of 100 horse-starting sessions I don't think I've seen one more stressed than this poor pretty spotted girl. Your timing, variation of methods and amount of different environments you deployed for working with Honey is extensive. I can't imagine how you had time to work any other horses (but clearly you did). I hope you do feel so proud of yourself for working so successfully, patiently and creatively with this mare. I'm sure Honey's owner was very pleased with the results you clearly achieved in prepping Honey for such a varied work life. Kudos. Btw, about how old was Honey? I don't think you mentioned this. Thanks so much for sharing your work with us.

[@SamVanFleet]

I believe Honey is 6

[@sidilicious11]

Honey is aptly named. Her coloring is stunning. Those swirls on her neck says that she’s a high strung type. Also that she’s very smart and if you can help her calm down and show her her new role she’ll be the best. You certainly got her well down that road. I bet her owner is thrilled. I wish them all many happy trails!

[@juliehattis]

Awww she acts like she turned out so sweet.

[@nbt3663]

Lynx on the walk ~ "look girl, you got to get over yourself. Sam is super cool and you're going to be fine."

[@limitedtime5471]

What a beautiful mare! So glad she ended up with you

[@brittanyritenour4695]

I love your video with her and she is such a sweet sweeet cute horse! You gave her a chance.

[@martylesnick2032]

Well done helping this lovely mustang be a safe and relaxed horse for her owner. All should appreciate the great effort you put in to help her overcome her fear and panick with the saddle. Hard work for both of you again WELL DONE. Susan

[@readytogo6569]

Awesome job, Sam❣️ You gave Honey peace-of mind and heart❣️💖

[@truthofthematter9409]

My gosh what a beautiful girl she is! Her coloration is gorgeous. Great job with her. It is night and day between the the horse you started with and the horse you ended with!

[@laurapope4715]

Wow....suchva major transformation

[@audreygregis8721]

What a beautiful Palomino Mustang. She was one lucky horse, with a smart owner, to have you work thru her issues...or this mare could have gone from owner to owner. Loved her story video. :)

[@leanneeastcoastparanormalc9817]

So awesome Sam!! She’s night n day

[@nezlquasie]

A very special "learning" training. Totally amazing job, i couldnt say this enough. Congrats to all your experiances for this one. Awesome !!🐴💞

[@susanviup5006]

I love her journey!! It's so awesome! Great job to both of you!! Keep rocking!!

[@coraseats2643]

i love your videos so much! you inspired me to get my first every horse and train her myself. i just wanted to thank you for everything u have done for me and everyone else!💗

[@ghettoyeti50]

I enjoyed this video for all the methods that you used to bring honey into the world

[@SoftNLazy]

I always love seeing these Training videos, definitely has helped with some ideas towards my stud colt. Keep it up!

[@jaelhoward4621]

Great video! I think I'm in the same spot, now. My horse was advertised as kid safe- but I think it was only because her feet were in poor condition, and her living situation was awful, she had no spark in her. Now, six months later, we're trying to work under saddle. She either freezes, or bucks/rears/bolts, and I think it might be because she wasn't backed properly, or ridden well. I think I might pack my mare before I try to get in the saddle again, maybe that will save me a bruised backbone.

[@inspiredclips8245]

Wow! Great work! Laural

[@emma_and_a_horse]

Thanks for a lovely video :)

[@Kr1st1n4.H]

Love love love! 💛 watching this encourages me to get back to working with my mare! I recently had a baby and she's had the whole winter off because of my pregnancy. Yesterday was our first day back to the basics and booyyyy as she fresh! Lol 😆 I wish you could do a clinic in TN so we could come pick your brain and learn some things from ya!

[@blessedfire365xgf]

Thank you so much so wonderful

[@sharonholmes8097]

Awesome video!!! I may try doing some of the things u did with Honey, with my mare.☺️☺️☺️

[@keithbuck5504]

Great job I love these video

[@pattirockgarden4423]

Loved this video!

[@marydinicola136]

Great job!

[@cocojones8976]

This is awesome! I’m currently breaking a pony and this really helps

[@faithayer1780]

Great job with Honey! Could there be a mustang makeover Q and A I'm thinking about doing it in the future and would like to know more about it.

[@BariJay1]

Great video as always! I have a video idea for you. You mentioned that she'd get really nervous and half of her sessions would be just learning how to relax. My horse is similar in new areas; he'll drop his head for me, but he's still almost always 100% tense in his neck and ribs even though his head is down. I'm unsure of how to help him release that tension when he is in that state. He'll disengage his HQ, but it's done frantically. Anyway, I think there'd be a lot of benefit for others if you ever make a video that specializes in relaxation.

[@SamVanFleet]

I have a relaxation techniques membership group on Facebook. Maybe one day I'll make a video talking about some of these!

[@BariJay1]

@@SamVanFleet Really? I'll have to check it out! I could definitely use some tips.

[@lisazappolo9989]

What a heartwarming video! Seeing her transformation was incredible. Thankfully she wound up in your patient and competent hands. I hate to think what would have happened had Liz sent her to some other trainer rather than you. Thank you for inspiring us AND saving another mustang. Btw, how the he** do your nails look so good at 10:10? Lol

[@KingsMom831]

Great video!

[@LorryMLewis]

Hi Sam- when a horse regresses such as honey as shown in this video, at what point are you implementing a differential diagnosis of pain or discomfort somewhere? One of the things I was thinking about watching this was the sudden change in her anxiety and concerned if she was in pain anywhere? Can you please speak more to that?

[@LorryMLewis]

PS I’m so sorry! I entered this comment at about minute five without watching the entire video! My apologies! Right when you addressed my question- ugh! thanks so much

[@clayknobfarms8069]

Honey could be from my mustangs herd! There build is almost identical! My mustang is from Wyoming!

[@SamVanFleet]

Awesome!

[@susanviup5006]

Also, random question but what age were you when you got Brazil, and Lynx?

[@SamVanFleet]

I had just turned 15 when I picked up Brazil and I had just turned 17 when I picked up Lynx

[@susanviup5006]

@@SamVanFleet That's so cool! Thanks for letting me know!

[@deshaunbethea5254]

She’s a beautiful horse Sam. Are you gonna adopt her?

[@SamVanFleet]

She has a wonderful owner!

[@Mustangsinfinity]

Thanks for sharing!!! How do you teach a horse to pony another horse? My horse kicks at the horse I am ponying.

[@genthespacewitch]

Some horses just don't have the social confidence to pony other horses. You really need a horse who is gentle with others and isn't constantly re-establishing the pecking order while in a herd.

[@Mustangsinfinity]

@@genthespacewitch Thanks!

[@brittanyritenour4695]

You don’t think she would have something like kissing spine? Or back pain?

[@brittanyritenour4695]

Or was anyways

[@pippylongstockings8600]

My guess is ulcers

[@titanbuck7]

Left stifle. If this was my horse, I would never mount from the ground again. These horses' joints are not designed for 160+ ppl on one side, plus gear. They are just not, and the way this pony is moving, there is obvious stifle pain. I am sure there were other joints involved cuz this isn't a problem that develops in isolation.

[@titanbuck7]

I'm sure her fighting didn't help her body, either. Good thing she found you

[@celestinacowgirl9075]

cute

[@nogames8982]

So basically somebody tried to make a quick buck to sell a gorgeous horse to a kid. That's terrible. Somebody could end up getting hurt and then the horse put down.

[@betsysmall3576]

Pack horse seems like such a waste for a mustang?

[@SamVanFleet]

Why would you think that? I think it's a wonderful and unique job

[@betsysmall3576]

@@SamVanFleet That horse had a lovely trot! So many mustangs excellent in dressage! Yes...packhorse is a waste!!!

[@SamVanFleet]

@@betsysmall3576 her trot was average. She’s toed in so bad that lateral work would be near impossible for her and she is not cleared to jump. She also has a sensitive mind. Not sure how you can determine what a horse would be suitable for just from a video and without vet assessment, but okay

[@betsysmall3576]

@@SamVanFleet Did you.do lateral work with her? Horses that toe in generally trot better than horses that toe out!

[@SamVanFleet]

@@betsysmall3576 yes. It’s interesting that you are questioning someone who had the horse in training for an extended period and knows the horse very well over your opinion off of one video. It’s sad that you think one discipline is better than another. That’s like me saying all desk jobs are stupid and useless, everyone should just go train horses. Every job has a purpose that is FIT to what the owner would like and what the horse would EXCEL at and enjoy. I’m not understanding your point here except to question and argue.

[@dezie.]

If she is pissy about the girth she might have ulcers.