When I get on Zum, I am asking Zum to keep his attention on me. I am giving him a job. I practice getting Zum to walk calmly. If Zum sees a scary rock or log, I have him walk closer and closer gradually. I don’t approach it all at once. Sometimes I even keep the scary things at a distance. I set up a request that Zum sees as worth responding to. When Zum does what I ask, I release the reins. When my hands are off his mouth, this release is his reward.
