Sidesaddle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The sidesaddle is a type of saddle which allows a female rider to sit aside rather than astride the mount.
A sidesaddle consists of two pommels mounted on a flat stuffed saddle. One pommel is nearly vertical (mounted approximately 10 degrees left of top dead center and curved gently to the right and up so to cup the right thigh of the rider with the right thigh lying at the top center of the saddle). The rider places her right leg (if she is sitting on the left side of the horse) against this top pommel. The outside of her lower right leg will rest against the left (near) side of the horse. There is a second pommel below on the left of the saddle. This is called the leaping head. It is mounted about 20 degrees off top dead center of the saddle. This pommel is curved gently downwards as to curve over the top of the left leg. The rider places her left leg beneath this pommel, and rests her left foot in a single stirrup on that side.
The sidesaddle comes in both English and Western designs, usually determined by the underlying tree, girthing system, flap or fender design, styling features and type of leather used. However, the structure of the fixed pommel and leaping horn is a consistent design feature across all riding styles.
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[edit] Usage
Since only one stirrup is used, a whip is often carried on the off (right) side, to act in place of the rider's outside leg for cues. If the rider wears a spur, she will wear it only on the left boot. The sidesaddle whip is about three feet long and used to cue the horse on the off side, and thus takes the place of the right leg. Neither the spur or the whip should be regarded as a cruel device. They are used for cuing, not punishment.
The horse used in sidesaddle riding must have special training to acclimate it to the placement of the rider and the use of the whip for cueing. The saddle must be fitted to the horse. This requires a specialist experienced in sidesaddle construction.
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 position, and most riders rely upon good position, balance, and coordination to maintain their seat.
[edit] History
The sidesaddle evolved in the fifteenth century, and continued in use through the 19th century, when cultural norms in Western Europe dictated that is was unbecoming for a women of wealth or social pretension to straddle a horse whilst riding. A lady or gentlewoman of that time was much more restricted in the amount of travel she would do. Such folk beliefs as riding astride would destroy a girl's virginity, or would provide a woman with an unnatural sexual stimulation. It was also practical, since long dresses were the required fashion. Not everyone adopted the sidesaddle. Such notable women as Diane de Poitiers (mistress to Henry II of France) and Marie Antoinette were known to ride astride. The earliest functional "sidesaddle" was credited to Anne of Bohemia (1366-1394). It was a crude chair like affair where the woman sat sideways on the horse with her feet on a small footrest. A more practical design in the sixteenth century has been attributed to Catherine de Medici. In her design the rider sat facing more forward hooking her right leg around the pommel of the saddle with an extra horn added to the near side of the saddle to secure the riders right knee. This design persisted for over 200 years. Jules Pellier’s invention in 1830 of the “leaping head” finally gave women full security and movement when ridding aside during travel and in the hunt field.
[edit] Modern sidesaddle riding
The sidesaddle fell out of general use for several decades, but the sport enjoyed a revival in the 1970s. Sidesaddles were long regarded as a quaint anachronism by many in the horse world, but modern riders are finding new applications in the show ring, in historical rides and re-enactments, and in parades. In addition, the sidesaddle is a staple in many therapeutic riding programs, because the design of the saddle provides extra security to the ride. Sidesaddles are also used by people who have lost part of a leg below the knee.
Although sidesaddles are still manufactured today, it is a small niche market, and a new sidesaddle is quite expensive. Thus most riders who wish to ride sidesaddle are often found hunting for older saddles at antique shops, estate sales, and in dusty barn lofts. It is difficult to find a sidesaddle that not only fits the rider and horse but also is in good condition. Old sidesaddles usually need reconditioning requiring complete removal of the leather and examination of the tree (the wooden understructure of a saddle). American Civil War re-enactors tend to use the modern two pommel sidesaddle since the single pommel or "U" pommel sidesaddle typical of the mid-1860's in the US is regarded by most modern sidesaddle riders as too dangerous to ride.
The modern sidesaddle may be seen in dressage, eventing, show-jumping, western pleasure, and Saddle seat. Specialty sidesaddle classes with either traditional equipment or period costume are popular at many horse shows, and another common place to see a sidesaddle is the hunt field, where the tradition is carried out by various sidesaddle devotees.
[edit] Modern riding habit
The riding habit used in modern English sidesaddle riding appears to be a dress, but is actually a special construction. The rider wears ordinary jodhpurs, over this she will wear an apron-like skirt that is open in the back. When the rider is on horseback, the appearance is of a woman wearing a dress (the jodhpurs are covered). This apron is necessary as wearing a long skirt would actually be dangerous as the skirt beneath the rider could become entangled in the pommels and the extra cloth would cause discomfort as it bunches under the rider.
[edit] Sidesaddle gallery
 1 - "Strechit" |
 2 - Fashion, 1801 |
 3 - Man with woman sidesaddle circa 1900 |
- "Stretchit", an early nineteenth-century English caricature of women who rode "astride".
- Sidesaddle riding habit fashion, an engraved plate from The Gallery of Fashion, 1801.
- Rotten Row, Hyde Park by Thomas Blinks, Fashionable horse riding on Rotten Row.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- "The Evolution of Women of Horseback" by Margaret Bennett, Canadian Horse Annual, 1999
