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Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle that allows riders, generally female, to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to Ancient history and developed in countries in the Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse.
In Europe, the sidesaddle developed in part because of cultural norms which considered it unbecoming for a woman to straddle a horse while riding. This was initially conceived as a way to protect the hymen of aristocratic girls, and thus the appearance of their being virginity. Further, long skirts were the usual fashion and riding astride in such attire was often impractical, awkward, and could be viewed as immodest. However, women did ride horses and needed to be able to control their own horses, so there was a need for a saddle designed to allow control of the horse and modesty for the rider.
Anne of Bohemia is known to have made the sidesaddle more popular with ladies of the Middle Ages. The type of sidesaddle she used 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 both to stay on and to use the to control the horse, so the animal was usually led by another rider, 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 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 both to stay on and to control her own horse, at least at slower speeds.
However not all women 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.Fraser, Antonia. The Warrior Queens Anchor: Reprint edition, 1990
The impact of the second pommel was revolutionary: the additional horn gave women both increased security and additional freedom of movement, which allowed them to stay on at a horse gait and even to jump fences while fox hunting and show jumping. With this design, nearly all recreational equestrianism pursuits were opened to women yet they could also conform to expectations of modesty. For example a world record in sidesaddle show jumping was set at at a horse show in Sydney, Australia, in 1915. 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 modern materials.
Sidesaddle habits, also known as riding habits, developed as women became more active in the hunting field following the development of the leaping horn.. Skirts were gradually replaced by the apron commonly worn by sidesaddle riders today—which is actually a half skirt worn over breeches, designed so the rider does not sit on any apron fabric. The sidesaddle apron can be attached to the right foot by a piece of elastic to hold it in place when riding. When dismounted the apron is wrapped behind the legs and attached to a button on the left hip to give the impression of a skirt.
In the early 20th century, as it became socially acceptable for women to ride astride while wearing split skirts, and eventually breeches, the sidesaddle fell out of general use. The rise of women's suffrage also played a role as women rejected traditional restrictions in their physical activities as well as seeking greater social, political and economic freedoms. "Sidesaddles and suffragettes - the fight to ride and vote" October 17, 2008. Accessed June 10, 2010 However, there remained a place for sidesaddle riding in certain traditional and ceremonial circumstances, and aficionados kept the tradition alive until the sport enjoyed a revival in the 1970s.
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. Sidesaddles built on a tree designed for sidesaddle use are properly balanced, but many modern sidesaddles are built on a modified astride tree, which may result in an unbalanced, unridable saddle. Side Saddle Trees
Historical reenactment participants, notably those in American Civil War reenactments, also tend to use the two pommel sidesaddle, since the single pommel sidesaddle that was used into mid-19th century is now regarded as creating an insufficiently secure seat for safe riding. Most sidesaddles have a regular girth or cinch, an overgirth that holds the flaps down, and most have either a back cinch or a balancing strap to hold the saddle down in the back and provide additional stability.
A breastcollar can be added to stabilize the saddle, and, though seen less often, a crupper. There are few differences in the used for sidesaddle and astride riding. Because riders' hands are farther from the horse's mouth as the riders are seated further back than when astride, bridles may require that are a longer than standard astride reins. This is most often a problem for western riding riding with romal reins, which are sized for astride riders and sometimes require extensions for use by sidesaddle riders.
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. The hands must be carried square to the horse, keeping both reins at the same length and tension.
Only one stirrup is used and it places the rider's heel higher on the horse's body than when riding astride. The left ankle is flexed and the heel of the left leg is kept down for proper balance, accurate contact with the horse, and correct placement in the stirrup. For modern riders, there are competing schools of thought as to the position of the right leg. Some argue that the right heel is also to be flexed down and the toe up, the same as when riding astride, while others argue that the toe of the right leg should be pointed down. Advocates for each toe position both argue that the position is required to maintain correct balance and make effective use of the leg muscles. In either case, when needed, the rider can squeeze her right (top) leg downwards and against the upper pommel, and her left (bottom) leg upwards into the leaping head 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.
The spur and the whip are employed as supportive riding aids, in addition to weight and seat, used for cueing, not punishment. The English rider's whip is carried on the off (right) side, and is used in place of the rider's right leg to cue the horse on that side. The sidesaddle whip is between two and four feet long, depending on style of equipment and competition rules, when applicable. Western riders generally use the romal (a type of long quirt attached to the end of a set of closed reins) to support cues in place of the right leg. If the rider wears a spur to assist the use of her leg, she will wear only one, on the left boot.
Riders hold the evenly, not allowing one rein to be longer than the other. Most sidesaddle 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 bit may encourage the horse to carry its head too high, use of bits with curb bit 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.
In the early 1900s, some experts recommended riders periodically change from one side to another, to prevent irregular development of thigh muscles, .Emma Elizabeth Walker, "Beauty Through Hygiene: Common Sense Ways to Health for Girls", 1904, However, would be impractical unless the rider had available two sidesaddles, one left-sided and one right-sided.
Sidesaddle riding has also been revived in the fox hunting field, where the tradition is preserved by sidesaddle devotees. A small number of sidesaddle riders have also taken up steeplechasing with the creation of several side saddle steeplechases in Britain and the US. There have also been some Horse racing competitions for sidesaddle riders.
Riders with certain types of physical disability 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 some therapeutic riding programs, because the design of the saddle provides extra security to certain types of riders.
The saddle seat variation of English sidesaddle, now 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 in public parks. The sidesaddle is essentially 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 noticeably 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 is a standard menswear dress shirt, and a "four-in-hand" tie is 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.
A variation to western-style sidesaddle riding is use of Spain or Mexico style regalia, often based on historic designs.
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