Book excerpt: The BHS Complete Manual of Equitation is the official handbook for all those learning to ride and/or train horses and also for teachers of riding. It is based on the hugely successful BHS Manual of Equitation which was first published nearly thirty years ago and which was updated and reprinted many times. The Complete Manual retains core material from The Manual and this has been updated and new chapters have been added by leading specialists, all of whom are Fellows of the BHS, on The Historical Review, The Scales of Training, The Training of the Dressage Horse, Jump Training and Cross-country Riding. The BHS Complete Manual of Equitation is a complete, authoritative training guide for horse and rider both on the flat and over show jumps and cross-country fences, based on sound classical principles that have stood the test of time.