It has taken me many months to earn Zum’s trust in people. Unfortunately, there are people that believe horses should obey and if they don’t obey, they should be punished. Zum was very afraid when I made the mistake of taking him to a neighbor’s arena. He was afraid of the cows, the horses, the barrels and the machinery. There were too many new and frightening things for him to process all at once. He couldn’t handle his panic. He reared, bucked and ran off. My neighbor caught him. She wanted me to hit him. I didn’t. She yelled at me that Zum didn’t respect me. This was not a positive experience for Zum or myself. He and I have both lost confidence and trust in each other and in humans. I need to start from the beginning and try to win his trust in me back. We both need to feel safe around each other again.
