Hi there,

sorry to hear you're having trouble with your horse, Pistol. We tend to keep horses in quite an unnatural environment, compared to how they would live wild in herds. There is a lot of really good recent writing about 'Natural Horsemanship' and how you can use the horse's natural instincts, and your own intelligence, to build up confidence and trust between the two of you. In the wild, the horse has to be alert to danger, he has to respond really really quick to predators. Under your care, he has to learn to trust you more and more, with the aim that eventually, he looks to you as his first defence against danger - ie if you're there with him, he trusts that no bad will come to him. I recommend you have a look at 'Right from the Start' by Mike Schaffer, "Lyons on Horses" John Lyons, anything by Gincy Self-Bucklin (yes, that's her real name). Not that you need to sit down and read anything cover to cover, but they all have good chapters in them that give you an insight into how your horse is thinking and feeling.

I know this is a more vague answer than you want, and in the short term you want to get right on and ride him safely, but I would advise you to take it slowly with this horse. Work on your ground handling of him. Work him in hand lots and lots. I bet you will say that on the ground, and in hand he's perfect - but that's the point - the more you do together where both of you are happy and confident, the more you are building up trust in each other.

Good luck ,and keep keep yourself safe

Kate

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