The word dressage means training in French.

Training makes a horse more balanced, supple, and responsive to his rider. But dressage is also a sport in which the accomplishments of the horse-and-rider team are judged according to certain standards.

Dressage by the Letter addresses the needs of those riders who want to get started in the sport. It tells them how to select the right horse, choose an instructor, get the most out of lessons, maintain schedules, and prepare for the first show.

This is a true beginners book--one that assumes no prior knowledge of dressage. Moira C. Harris is the editor of Horse Illustrated, the largest all-breed magazine in the U.S. She lives in Huntington Beach, California, where she rides and shows lower level dressage