A mouthy horse needs lots of attention. He needs all the love and attention that he wants. Zum likes to put his nose into my space. So I handle his head and mouth. I hug his head, rub his head and give his head lots of good petting so he doesn’t demand attention from me. To discourage biting, I hold Zum’s nose gently between my hands and rub it both softly and vigorously. He gets tired of having his nose rubbed and he wants to take it away. I also give him a job. I ask him to move to the right and then to the left. If Zum thinks that every time he noses me around, he has to move his feet then he stops nosing me. I never ignore Zum. The last thing a horse wants to feel is: ‘Go away. Nobody likes you. Nobody wants to be around you.’ Horses are social and they need social contact. Zum needs more love and attention, not less.
