When I first picked a horse, I was 10 years old. It was my 10th birthday.

I was about to pick my first horse, though I couldn't decide which.

"Decided yet, Anthony?" Dad asked. "Um..." I had narrowed it down to the all white one and the black and gray one. "The all white one is my pick," I decided.

"Good choice, buddy," Dad said. "I'd say she'd win blue ribbons everyday."

I beamed.

I had even more debate naming my beauty. Ma said Satin. Pa said Beauty. Big Sister Anna said Emma. Little Sister Erin said Snowy.

I chose Satin Beauty because I planned for her to be a show horse.

Big Sister Anna respected my decision but Little Sister Erin said it was a snooty name. She got a lecture for saying that!

I rode Satin (I called her that for short) everyday. Pa and Big Sister Anna taught me dressage moves.

Now one word about horse sports. If you think this word will be boring, skip until you see a picture. But you are very wrong about horse sports being boring. Why are you reading this book if you don't like horses?

Now there are many sports horses do besides the Olympics. One is called dressage. It's where a horse and it's riding are fancied up and almost dance. The rider and horse train for weeks, practicing moves like stepping sideways. There are also some rule you must meet, like at certain points you must stand still for a certain amount of seconds.

Dressage is a very complicated sport for horses and image 10 year old Anthony is trying to try out for it

when he's old enough which I'll tell you will be in a couple months.