Sidesaddle

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Sidesaddle riding is a form of Equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider (usually female) to sit aside rather than astride a horse, mule or pony. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse in a "modest" fashion while also wearing fine clothing. It has retained a specialty equestrian niche even in the modern world.

History
The earliest depictions of women riding with their legs on the side of the horse can be seen in Greek vases, sculptures, and Celtic stones. Medieval depictions show women seated aside with the horse being led by a man, or seated on a small padded seat (a pillion) behind a male rider. 9th century depictions show a small footrest, or planchette added to the pillion. In Europe, the sidesaddle developed in part because cultural norms for the upper social classes dictated that it was unbecoming for a woman of apparent wealth or high social status to straddle a horse while riding. The practice was reinforced by folk beliefs suggesting that riding astride could destroy a girl's virginity, impair her ability to bear children, or provide a lady with an unnatural sexual stimulation. Riding sidesaddle was also practical, since long dresses were the required fashion. However, in spite of cultural pressures, not all women of the nobility adopted the sidesaddle at all times. Women such as Diane de Poitiers (mistress to Henry II of France) and Marie Antoinette were known to ride astride. Catherine the Great of Russia went so far as to commission a portrait showing her riding astride wearing a male officer's uniform.

The earliest functional "sidesaddle" was credited to Anne of Bohemia (1366-1394). It was a chair- like affair where the woman sat sideways on the horse with her feet on a small footrest. The design made it difficult for a woman to both stay on and use the reins to control the horse, so the animal was usually led by another rider, usually male, and sitting astride. The insecure design of the early sidesaddle also contributed to the popularity of the Palfrey, a smaller horse with smooth ambling gaits, as a suitable mount for women.

A more practical design, developed in the sixteenth 16th century, has been attributed to Catherine de Medici. In her design, the rider sat facing forward, hooking her right leg around the pommel of the saddle with a horn added to the near side of the saddle to secure the rider's right knee. The footrest was replaced with a "slipper stirrup", a leather-covered Stirrup iron into which the rider's left foot was placed. This saddle allowed the rider to both stay on and to control her own horse, at least at slower speeds.

Two pommel design
In the 1830s, Jules Pellier invented a sidesaddle design with a second, lower pommel to the sidesaddle. In this design, still in use today, one pommel is nearly vertical, mounted approximately 10 degrees left of top dead center and curved gently to the right and up. The rider’s right leg goes around the top, or fixed pommel, which supports the right thigh of the rider when it is lying across the top center of the saddle. The lower right leg rests along the shoulder of the left (near) side of the horse and up against the second pommel (called the leaping head or leaping horn.) lies below the first on the left of the saddle. It is mounted about 20 degrees off the top of the saddle. This pommel is curved gently downward in order to curve over the top of the rider's left thigh, and is attached in a manner so that it could pivot slightly, to adjust to the individual rider. The rider places her left leg beneath this pommel, with the top of the thigh close or lightly touching it, and places her left foot in a single stirrup on that side.

The impact of the second leaping horn was revolutionary; the additional horn gave women both increased security and additional freedom of movement when riding sidesaddle, which allowed them to stay on at a gallop and even to jump fences while fox hunting. With this design, nearly all recreational equestrian pursuits were opened to women, yet they could also conform to societal expectations for modesty. The leaping horn was the last major technological innovation for the sidesaddle and remains the core of basic design even for saddles of modern manufacture made with space-age materials.

Riding habit
The riding habit worn by woman riding sidesaddle originally was similar to clothing worn in everyday life. It wasn’t until the second half of the 16th century that a riding habit specifically designed for sidesaddle riding was introduced, though sidesaddle habit design still tended to follow fashion of the day. In 1875, the first safety skirt was introduced and later evolved into the open-sided apron.

In the early 20th century, as it became socially acceptable for women to ride astride while wearing split skirts, bloomers, and eventually, breeches, the sidesaddle fell out of general use for several decades. However, a few aficionados kept the tradition alive and the sport enjoyed a revival beginning in the 1970s.​

 

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Sidesaddle today

While sidesaddles came to be regarded by many in the horse world as a quaint anachronism, some modern riders have found new applications in the horse show ring, in historical reenactments, and in parades or other exhibitions. The modern sidesaddle rider may be seen in many equestrian disciplines, including dressage, eventing, show jumping, western pleasure, and saddle seat-style English pleasure. Specialty sidesaddle classes with either traditional equipment or period costume are popular at many horse shows. Another commonplace to see a sidesaddle is the hunt field, where the tradition is preserved by various sidesaddle devotees. Riders with certain types of physical disabilities also find sidesaddles more comfortable than riding astride, and they are found useful by some people who have lost part of a leg. In addition, the sidesaddle has become a part of many therapeutic riding programs, because the design of the saddle provides extra security to certain types of riders.

Purchase and fitting
A sidesaddle is not easy to obtain. Although sidesaddles are still manufactured today, it is a small niche market, and a new model is quite expensive. Thus, many riders who wish to ride sidesaddle are often found hunting for older saddles at antique shops, estate sales, and in dusty attics or barn lofts. It is difficult to find an antique sidesaddle that not only fits the rider and horse but also is in good condition. Old sidesaddles usually need reconditioning, sometimes even requiring complete removal of the leather and examination of the tree (the wooden understructure of a saddle). The saddle must be fitted to the horse, and ideally, such fitting is done by a specialist experienced in sidesaddle construction. Antique sidesaddles are frequently a problem to fit, as many are too narrow for modern horses.

Modern sidesaddles are usually based on the Jules Pellier two pommel design. The underlying tree, girthing system, flap or fender design, styling features and type of leather used may differ, however, the structure of the fixed pommel and leaping horn is a consistent design feature across all riding styles. Historical reenactment participants, particularly those in American Civil War reenactments, also tend to use the two pommel sidesaddle, since the single pommel or "U" pommel sidesaddle that was used into mid-1800s is regarded by most modern sidesaddle riders as too dangerous to ride.

Sidesaddle classes
Many horse shows include judged exhibitions ("classes") of sidesaddle riding. Sidesaddle classes are judged on manners and performance of the horse and rider, suitability of specific style, and appointments.

English sidesaddle classes
English sidesaddle classes are based on style and norms found in the hunt field from 100 years ago. Dress, appointments, riding style, and even the type of horse used are all judged against a formalized standard for an "ideal" appearance. The riding habit in such classes is the formal attire found in the hunt field, starting with a coat and apron. The apron used is based on the open-sided safety apron developed in the early 20th century. The rider wears ordinary jodhpurs, over which she will wear the apron, which can partially open in the back. The jacket is usually cut a bit longer than a standard riding jacket. A vest, shirt, choker or stock tie, gloves, boots and riding breeches are similar to those used when riding astride. For classes on the flat, a derby or top hat is traditional. When jumping, however, tradition gives way to safety and most riders use a modern equestrian helmet, which is often mandatory equipment in competition rules.

The Saddle seat variation of English sidesaddle, seen almost exclusively in the United States in certain breed shows, allows riders to emulate the "Park" riders who rode flashy, high-stepping horses on the flat, often literally in public parks. The sidesaddle is the same, and the rider may wear almost the same attire as the "hunt" version, an apron with breeches underneath, but with a coat having a noticably longer cut, sometimes in bright colors, sometimes with a contrasting lining, and either a top hat or a derby. The shirt and vest will be of the style used in astride saddle seat classes, in that the vest will match either the coat or the coat lining, the shirt will be a standard menswear dress shirt, and a "Four in hand" tie will be worn. When show rules permit, some saddle seat style riders adopt a period costume, often based on an antique riding habit from the Victorian era.

Western sidesaddle classes
The western sidesaddle class is similar to the English class but with western style clothing. Western riders often utilize an apron with some type of breeches or pants underneath, though a historic Chaps design is sometimes substituted for the apron at some levels of competition. Period costumes with a regular skirt are also seen in the western show ring. Western riders usually wear a short bolero-style jacket that matches the apron or skirt, often with elaborate decoration, then add gloves, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. A variation to western-style sidesaddle riding is to wear Spanish or Mexican style regalia, often based on historic designs.

Other equipment
A breastcollar is usually added to stabilize the saddle, and, less often, a crupper. There are no substantive differences in the bridles used for sidesaddle and astride riding, though because riders must carry their hands a little farther from the horse's mouth with some saddle designs, bridles may have reins that are a bit too short. This is most often a problem for western-style riding with romal reins, which are sized for astride riders and sometimes require extensions for use by sidesaddle riders. However, cheaper English bridles sometime also have slightly shorter reins than a higher-quality product.

Riding techniques
Correct posture is essential for balance and security in a sidesaddle and is specifically judged in sidesaddle classes. The rider sits squarely on the horse with the spine of the rider centered over the spine of the horse. The shoulders and hips are square to the horse, not twisted or turned off-center.

Both legs are to be carried with the ankle flexed and heels down. The heel of the left leg is down for proper balance, accurate contact with the horse, and correct placement in the stirrup. The heel of the right leg is flexed down in order to maintain correct balance and make effective use of the leg muscles. In an emergency, the rider can squeeze her right (top) leg downwards, and her left (bottom) leg upwards to create an extremely strong grip. It is tiring for both the rider and the horse to maintain this emergency hold, however, and most riders rely upon good position, balance, and coordination to maintain their seat.

Since only one stirrup is used, and it places the rider's heel higher on the horse's body than when riding astride, the spur and the whip are employed as supportive riding aids, used in a humane manner for cuing, not punishment. The whip is almost always used, carried on the off (right) side, and is used in place of the rider's right leg to cue the horse on the off side. The sidesaddle whip is between three and four feet long, depending on style of equipment and competition rules, when applicable. If the rider wears a spur to assist use of her leg, she will wear only one, on the left boot.

Riders hold the reins evenly, not allowing one rein to be longer than the other. Some saddle designs also force the rider to carry her hands a bit higher and farther from the horse's mouth than in a regular saddle. Because high hands on a direct pressure bit such as the snaffle may encourage the horse to carry its head too high, use of bits with curb pressure, such as a pelham bit or a double bridle, which help the horse lower its head to a proper position, are often seen in sidesaddle competition.

The horse used in sidesaddle riding will have additional training to accustom it to the placement of the rider and the use of the whip to replace off side leg commands. The horse also may need to adapt to a different and higher hand position. However, most well-trained horses adapt to the basics fairly quickly and generally can be used for riding both sidesaddle and astride.​