If I had a dollar for every email I get asking "what to do" to make a riding horse out of the mare Uncle Emo just traded for the old RV - or how to retrain a horse that's grown rusty - or some version on either theme, I'd be the world's first gazillionaire. With the publication of this book, I'm hoping to grab that distinction.

If you broke your horse to saddle and rode it for the first time yesterday, this book (Chapter 1) is where you'd start tomorrow. If you have an older horse and you've taught him everything you know and he still don't know nothin', this book is where you'd start, (Chapter 2). It's a roadmap to building the foundation every horse needs, regardless of age, breed, or background, regardless of what you've got ultimately planned for that horse.

Afterward, when your horse knows this book back to front, go train for barrels, roping, eventing, jumping, or dressage. But today, basics are basics.

Section I is the stuff your horse needs to know. Section II is the stuff (the theory) you need to know. Practice the first handful of chapters in order. Beyond that, you should feel free to mix and match depending on your needs or abilities. Some chapters are dependent upon others - but in those cases, I've spelled out necessary prerequisites.