For hobbyists; The Rider's Handbook, by Sally Gordon. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. $19.95.

This is the kind of book Pony Club and 4-H riders and leaders have been waiting for. It shows how to learn to ride, step by step, from first mounting to advanced-level horsemanship. There's instruction in European and Western riding, including dressage and jumping.

The author, and experienced rider, not only includes the basics you'd expect -- information on choosing a horse, stabling, maintaining tack, and preparation for showing -- but also gives practical tips on braiding manes and tails, with plenty of helpful illustrations and photographs. This book would make a good self-instruction manual in areas where professional instructors are scarce. Pictures and drawings explain the right and wrong ways to execute movements. All of this combines to make this handbook one of the most practical and complete books of its type on the market today.