- A practical guide to developing the classical seat for all serious horsemen and women - Comprehensive advice on the training of the horse from earliest handling as a foal, through basic training and on to jumping and dressage A Beginners guide to Horse Riding is intended as a companion volume to the author's popular The Horse Owner's Handbook. It is a practical guide to developing the classical seat and, consequently, the accepted training and riding of the horse by the use of the aids which have been developed since academic riding was first written about, three hundred years before Christ. It covers broadly the psychology and physiology of the horse at a level required by all serious horsemen and women. Without this elementary knowledge a thorough understanding of the horse and his needs cannot be achieved. The Horse Rider's Handbook takes the reader through the training of the horse from his earliest handling as a foal, through his basic training and on to jumping and dressage. The work goes on to explain the requirements of competition dressage, show jumping and cross country riding, together with some guidance on how these equestrian disciplines may be approached in order to stand a fair chance of success. Any rider who takes his or her discipline seriously will benefit from the advice given in this excellent handbook.