My favorite line in a book that I read is: Horses need teachers, not bullies. I don’t want to muscle my way through problems. I don’t want to shove or push my colt. I don’t want to pull and yank on his head, drag him around or haul him into a halt. I don’t want to yell at him or punish him. I want to treat Zum with patience and care. I want to reinforce all his good behavior with a loving rub on his neck. I found out how much Zum loves the feel of a stroke or scratch on his neck. I learned that I need to do every lesson with Zum in small steps. I can engage Zum’s mind not his muscle. I can put my colt in a learning situation where his head is never jerked on. I can touch him on his shoulder to teach him to soften to pressure and move over. The same is true for his hip and ribs. I want every inch of his body to respond to my touch. I can pair correct responses with lots of verbal praise. He will be learning to be a light, responsive horse who knows when he is good!
