And so back to his first chapter and the idea of individuality, ignoring external pressures to pursue what is real for you.

"Classical riding is all about the process, not goals. Along the way you are learning emotional control, patience with insight and physical fitness," he says, which is how he defines "collection or centering" for the rider, a necessary parallel education to that of the horse.

There is a great deal more in this book, philosophical, practical, biomechanical, artistic, scientific, that the limitation of space does not permit mentioning. Suffice to say that nowhere else except perhaps in the books of Portuguese maestro Nuno Oliveira, have I read analyses of the movements, starting with shoulder-in, that clearly define the objectives of each exercise.

This book, for me, is like a guiding light home in the encroaching dusk. I am glad it was written. It has been my humble privilege to review it.

Paul Belasik is the author of Riding Towards the Light, Exploring Dressage Technique and The Songs of Horses, the trilogy which gained him a wide audience. He is also author of Dressage for the 21st Century. He gives clinics, lectures and demonstrations internationally and trained clients at his Pennsylvania Riding Academy.