Tug, tug, and let go

About 10 days ago I had my first lesson on Gally with Mark. It was just after I had read the "on the bit" chapter. Having read that chapter, I then rode Crownie, driving her up to the bit.

When I met up with Mark, I was brutally honest that I may well have been somewhat heavy handed with my horses. Mark is great in the sense that he listens to what you say, then he converts it into his own understanding of horses, and goes from there.

When I hopped on Gally, Mark immediately asked me to tug on the left rein, tug on the right rein and let go. The horse's head went down, and he relaxed. I relaxed. And here is the key. Tug once, tug a second time, then let go. Let go of the bit, let go of all tension, let go of your breath. The minute you start riding like this, you will feel riding take on another dimension.

Of course, the minute you have let go, you may need to start the next "tug, tug and let go" sequence. But the key is to let go after two tugs. I highly recommend trying this exercise, if only just for size. And if you're out competing, and are feeling nervous, this exercise can work wonders in settling your nerves.