Getting your horse to trust you/preventing nibbling

Question
Hi,
I just recently bought an Arabian who is four years old. This is the first time he has been with another owner. His previous owner had him since he was 3months old. He seems to trust me somewhat, but not 100%. I have only had him for about a week and a half but what can I do to help him trust me more? Also, after I give him a treat he nips at my jacket and is constantly sniffing me and anyone who comes up to him, nipping, not biting but I am afraid he might bite every once in a while. He is pretty insistent and it's becoming annoying. Is there a way to stop him from being so mouthy and nippy? Thanks!!!

Answer
Thank you for the questions!

Trust is a delicate thing with horses... because they are prey animals, they are always on their toes and needa lot of reassurance from their humans before they can settle in... the best thing you can do with your new Arabian right now, since he is very new with you, is just spend time with him.

Do lots of ground work... grooming, petting, taking him for walks, doing some lunging and halter work, etc. Until he's used to you, the best thing you can do is just be with him. He'll thank you for not just getting on him right away.

As for the nipping... some horses get nippy from being fed treats. The best thing you can do to fix this, is not feed him treats by hand. If you'd like to give him a special treat try to feed it with his grain or on his hay, rather than by hand. This way he shouldn't associate hands and people with food... I know how hard this can be though, so the other option is to use some discipline on him. As soon as he nips you could give him a little smack on the muzzle or neck and a strong NO. Don't linger though, after the smack act like nothing happened or he will be frightened.

I hope this has helped!