side saddle ????

[Jay.o]

does anyone do this ?
just curious but is it good or not ????
i dont see many side saddles about and wondered if any one still did it really ! is it hard to train the horses for it ? i thought that maybe it was !

[Nookster]

I think riding Side Saddle is so graceful and elegant! The side saddle has gone through a lot of changes over the years - changing from a basket type seat that sat the rider sideways to a flat seat with horns positioned to sit the rider straight to the front of the horse.

A friend at the yard five minutes from ours rides side saddle. Her horse is beautiful and they look so good together! The lady in question has ridden side saddle for numerous years now and has done cross country and hunting, while recently trying her hand at side saddle dressage.

You can school your horse the same as riding astride. Same process just using the different commands. I was lucky enough to be offered a shot of riding side saddle and boy was it a weird feeling! To mount it is with a leg-up or mounting block. You then sit on the saddle as if you are riding astride, and then swing your right leg across the fixed head thingy.
Shoulder position was the part I found difficult at first. Your right shoulder needs to go back, so that both shoulders are straight and forward facing. I felt I was concentrating really hard to keep my shoulders straight

I used a whip where my other leg should have been for aiding for bend etc, my friend stressed this is why a horse should never be fearful of a whip.
Walking round was fun just takes ages to get used to the position but once you have it, it feels really nice My constant reminder was to stop trying to feel with my leg that was swung over Trot was really weird! And I didn't feel confident to try anything else.

And the really weird bit of it all was dismounting - where you take your foot out of the stirrup. Swing your right leg over the pommels so both legs are on the nearside, and then slide to the ground. BUT at the same time you need to turn as you slide to face the front. It took me ten minutes to get the instructions straight in my head before trying to dismount

All in all a great experience and if I had the time and money I would definitely go for side saddle lessons at the local school! But until then it was just a great experience

[Wally]

I used to ride side saddle, but what I'd really like to do is get some instruction from Heather applying the EE technique to side saddle.

It is SO safe, it is really difficult to fall off side saddle.

[Jay.o]

can you jump side saddle or was it just intended for woman in the olden days to ride a horse with out putting one leg each side !?????

[Jay.o]

sorry - how rude of me !!!!!!!!!
LOL
i forgot to say thanks for the info to Nookster and wally !!!!!!

[Nookster]

You can jump side saddle. Some of the pictures of my friend at cross country events are amazing! Its a skill in its self, I don't think I personally could do it though

[Zingy]

Apparently most horses can be broken to side saddle, but ideally they need to be fairly responsive, as your cane is much weaker than your leg so is fairly easily ignored, and comfy - you have to do sitting trot!
Canter is really weird on the left rein as when the leading leg hits the ground you feel as if your weight is being pushed over their left shoulder - you have to concentrate really hard on keeping your right shoulder back so you stay level - if you twist round you're likely to fall off.
Jumping's easy as all you can do is lean forward slightly, but they've got to be really steady and genuine or it feels awful, and it's easy for them to run out to the right.
I've heard of people going hunting side-saddle, problem is you're so secure that you have to bail out if you think the horse is going to fall or they will squash you - and getting off in a hurry is easier said than done. It's great for riding stuff that bucks though, as provided you keep your shoulder back it's almost impossible to come off.
Most of the side saddles sold now are second hand - people keep unearthing them out of attics and stuff and repairing them. They cost a fortune, and the new ones are unbelievable prices, though I don't think many are made now. They're also incredibly heavy so you're supposed to harden the horses back to get them able to carry the weight - have read something about pouring surgical spirit on their backs to toughen the skin. Whether anyone actually does it or not I'm not sure!

[Wally]

The side saddle I had was no heavier than some ordinary saddle I have ridden in and certainly no heavier than a Western saddle.

They have a much bgger bearing surface than an ordinary saddle if ANY saddle fits you will not have to harden up the horses back honestly.

Bucking I have to agree with, they can do their worst and it is almost imposible to come off so long as you stay upright and tall......rearing on the opther hand is scary and a rearer is now desirable side saddle....or astride for that matter!

Horses with bog movement can be ridden side saddle, you just have to work harder at helping the horse.

[cvb]

Jay

There are various side saddle associations, including a british one. They have regular shows all across the country. I can't remember all the web sites but do a search on side saddle assocation and you should find a few.

There is also some info on side saddle in the information bit of this site !

I've had a couple of goes and had great fun, but the comfort factor is strongly affected by whether the saddle fits the rider's leg or not.

Believe it or not, there are also western sidesaddles, but I have only found a little information on them.

[Wally]

You have to measure your thigh from your seat bone to the back of your knee, this will give you the size saddle you need. I am a 16 and a half, a much smaller saddle than I would ride astride in.

You can get left and right handed side saddles.

[Mossy]

Jf anyone is seriously interested in sidesaddle I have a contact who is a side saddle fitter and restorer. Good side saddles are like gold dust and a badly fitted or ill fitting one can wreak havoc!

[floppy]

i tried side saddle once on my icey...it was fascinating...my horse took it on board easier than i did...we were all in hysterics just watchign me mounting....then trying to ride using one leg and a whip and then trying out the 3 normal gaits and then trying to dismount...was a very funny day and everyone gave it it a go...my friend does side saddle classes at gaited compeitions.

[Beth T]

I have recently started side-saddle, my horse had never carried a side-saddle before so we were two novices together! As long as the horse or pony is calm and reasonably well schooled there is no reason why they can't be ridden side-saddle successfully. It does help if they are fairly responsive as you do have to rely on the cane on the off-side instead of your leg, and some horses may object initially to the balance strap, so it is a good idea to lunge first. You can do anything side-saddle, but it is a good idea to ask the secretary/judge of a class before entering side-saddle - - in show classes you may have to provide an astride saddle for a judge to ride in. Some show classes are side-saddle only, and the Side Saddle Assoc. have their own show each year. The start-up cost is expensive, but you can often buy habits second-hand and hire side-saddles. It is fun, and a bit different. I love it because it is so elegant and this form of riding almost died out, so I feel I am holding onto a bit of history.....You can find instructors (who often hire out side-saddles) on www.equiworld.com/ssa and another contact for second-hand items is www.sidesaddles.co.uk - Good Luck!