When Zum acts out and non-verbally says to me ‘I don’t want to do it,’ I ask him to perform a familiar task that changes his attitude. Sometimes I say to him ‘I know you don’t want to do it, but you can do it anyway! I know you can!’ If he throws his head up, I don’t chase his head with my hand. I keep my hand down, asking him to drop his head by gently pulling down on his halter. As soon as Zum drops his head, I release halter pressure and pet Zum. I never use pressure that makes Zum explode. I ask gently and I release consistently when he responds to my request. Zum is very aware of his surroundings. Distractions unsettle him. I need to keep him calm with my peaceful humming or singing. Or, again, I ask him to repeat the action he likes to replace the undesired action. Zum doesn’t bite me. Horses that don’t bite get lots of pets, praise and attention. Horses that bite are telling you that they don’t like people because people are not nice to them. These horses are starved for affection and attention. Zum loves my attention!
