1400's
- The earliest know type of sidesaddle was a stuffed pillow that was
attached to the back of the man's saddle. This was called a
"pillion". The lady would have been positioned completely
sideways on the horse. There are two short scenes in the movie
"The Other Boleyn Sister" of ladies riding pillion.
Some time later a saddle was developed that had a foot rest and back
rest. Often they also had hand holds in the front and back.
Called a "planchette", this would also place the rider sideways.
It is unknown when the
upright horn - the one you hook your right leg around - came into
use.
1500's - The second horn - an
appendage that comes from the right side of the saddle - is commonly
attributed to Catherine de Medici. This would cradle the right
leg between the two horns and offered a bit more security.
(This saddle is a later version
of the "second" horn. Earlier ones were much smaller and more
a part of the tree. The leaping head seen in photo was added
recently in the interest of safety. It was not original to
this saddle.)
1800's - Early in this century the
leaping horn was invented. Both the French and English lay
claim to this advancement. It was also at this time that the
balance strap was created. This strap attached to the right
rear of the saddle, passed under the belly of the horse - and
fastened to the left front. This served to stabilize the
saddle and offset the extra weight from both legs being on the
left side of the horse.
late 1800's - The Victorian era was
during the reign of Queen Victoria and is typically what we think of
when we recall "sidesaddle". The queen wore black for much of
her life in memory of her late husband and the ladies of the day
would have emulated her. Could this be the nexus of the
traditional black habit seen in the hunt field? A lady's horse
was trained to walk and do a collected canter - it was unseemly for
a lady to be bouncing at the trot. Riders were quite often
sewn into their habits in order to show off their figure to best
advantage.
1860's - A Western sidesaddle was
attributed to Charles Goodnight from the United States. He had
a saddle made for his wife - built on a western style tree. It
was believed that the typical English saddle was not sturdy enough
for the rough country out west.
There are photos of Belle
Starr (a notorious bandit and horse thief) on her sidesaddle,
usually with her six-gun on her hip.
The Western sidesaddle often
included a "purse" on the offside to hold the lady's incidentals
such as coins for tolls and possibly a small derringer for
protection.
Most of the saddles we use today
are holdovers from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. Four
manufactures are desirable for a quality ride. These are
Mayhew, Owen, Martin & Martin, and Champion & Wilton.
New saddles are being produced but
are quite pricey and are best left to the serious sidesaddle
devotee.
BEWARE of buying a saddle on-line!
Many of these saddles are of poor quality in materials and
construction. A badly fitting saddle will be uncomfortable for
both you and your horse. There are sources for learning about
fit and what to avoid on the NEA Sidesaddle site (a link can be
found on our links page).
Some safety features that are
considered a necessity:
A safety stirrup. One
that breaks away at the foot rest or one that the leather separates
from the saddle in the case of a fall.
A safety apron. A skirt like
garment that has much less fabric to get caught on the horns.
Some riders like to carry a
sidesaddle cane to cue the horse on the right. A dressage whip
(longer than a hunt crop) can also be used.
With the exception of roping
events, sidesaddle riders enjoy nearly all types and styles of
riding. There have been ladies participating in eventing,
dressage, endurance, barrel racing, fox hunting, and most types of
pleasure events at shows.
Sidesaddles are beginning to be
used in handicapped riding programs. As was the case after the
wars (especially WWI) riders who, for any reason cannot ride astride,
can enjoy their horses sidesaddle.
Some famous ladies who rode
sidesaddle include Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, and today's
Queen Elizabeth II. Laura Ingles Wilder of Little House on the
Prairie fame, Annie Oakley, and one whom you may not have heard of -
Sybil Luddington who rode to warn of the British coming just like
Paul Revere. She rode further and she didn't get caught!!