Royal King Western Side Saddle   Great for the show ring, this beautifully constructed saddle features smooth dark oil leather throughout, buckle stirrup adjustment, stitched padded suede seat, girth, padded sewn stirrups, back cinch and silver concho accents.     Item Specifications:   Seat: 18"   Cantle: 2" Gullet: 9½" Bars: Full Quarter Horse Rigging: Double D In-skirt Skirt: 33" x 26½" Weight: 29 lb.

Revised/modified on 11/15/11 (new photo, new links) A sidesaddle from the Regency period. The horns are in the 'bullhorn' configuration, where the right thigh would rest. There is no leaping horn. The seat is "Sweepy" The stirrup is a 'slipper stirrup' And far from safe. I’ve rekindled my interest in riding aside these past few years, naturally. Depending on the level of interest, I'm thinking it would be fun to create a 'ORS Equestrian' division, and hold field days and costume-classes and more. But that's in the future. But my interest in returning to 'riding aside' has come closer to fruition. Recently I was able to make a fortunate trade; my beautiful Courbette dressage saddle for a 30-year-old sidesaddle (possibly 40). Yes, it might seem something that is not a fair trade, but understanding how rare new (and well made) sidesaddles are in general, if you can find a good vintage saddle that fits your horse, you’ve done well. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a listing of sidesaddle sellers both domestic and foreign, with a details, pricing comparisons and recommendations. These saddles are made for modern horses. I have also provided a number of other sidesaddle-related links at the bottom of the page. Anatomy of the modern sidesaddle: The near-side top The near side under the flap. The off-side. The near side is where the legs are placed. This is on the left side/mounting side of the horse. The off side is the right side of the horse. These photos are courtesy of the International Sidesaddle Organization. This diagram is of a typical style, but styles do vary. Off-side saddles do exist, meaning that there are sidesaddles where your legs would be on the right side of the horse rather than the near-side or mounting side, which is traditional. Some custom saddlers do make these off-side saddles. Tattersall's for instance has one featured on her website. Scroll down to the link list for details. There are generally two kinds of sidesaddle seats; a "Sweepy" sidesaddle, where the seat looks much like a traditional English saddle, with the dipped center and higher cantle (or back); and the flat sidesaddle, as pictured above, with a seat that is pretty much a flat surface. Some of these have symmetrical seats, and others have seats that are J shaped to conform to the asymmetrical position of the rider's derriere. Most modern riders will recommend the flat seat over the sweepy seat because the sweepy seat tends to feel 'uphill' and gives the rider the sense of sliding backwards, and having to lean forward too much. Position on a flat sidesaddle. The saddle I have has a flat symmetrical seat, and a wide tree. Wide trees are hard to find in vintage saddles; considering that most of the older saddles are designed for non-modern horses, which were shaped differently than today’s horses--meaning they had narrower and taller withers. It is unfortunately not wide enough for my rather portly draught horse in spite of its unusual width. Saddle trees, for those of you who don’t know, are the frames on which saddles are built. There are wooden trees, steel trees and all manner of other materials, including fiberglass. They are built to conform to the shape of a horse’s back and withers so that the weight of the saddle is directed to the sides of the saddle, leaving a channel down the center to protect the spine. An example of a sidesaddle tree (courtesy of Zaldi saddles) You can see the fixed horn, the two adjustment-holes for the leaping horn, and the breakway stirrup bar assembly (the brass). This is rigid, strong construction meant to carry the stresses of a sidesaddle rider. An ill-fitting tree can cause discomfort and injury to a horse’s spine, withers and more. Sidesaddles on the most part have unusual construction because the rider sits asymmetrically and requires more support on one side. In modern sidesaddles, there are a series of measures that are taken in the design to insure that the saddle doesn’t rotate/twist under the weight of the rider, that it doesn’t create pressures on the horse that might create discomfort or even cause injuries, and to prevent the saddle from slipping and rolling under. When the weight is concentrated on one side, a saddle needs to be an extraordinarily good fit on the horse to prevent injury, slippage, rolling or twisting. Flocking (stuffing) underneath the saddle needs to be done carefully to conform to a horse’s shape. Bad flocking or insufficient flocking can naturally also be a problem. With sidesaddles, having a proper fit is especially important. So when trying to pursue becoming a sidesaddle rider, ladies need to keep in mind that fit and safety should be the two most important considerations when shopping for a sidesaddle. It is more important than authenticity, I’m afraid. So if you are a die-hard reenactor, I’m afraid it would not be advisable to have a saddle made to emulate the Regency period sidesaddle unless it had modern measures built in to compensate for the Regency design's flaws. In fact, any saddle style prior to the Victorian sidesaddle would not be safe for you or for your horse. Even antique late Victorian saddles, if you can find them, must fit your horse well enough as to prevent any issues, and may require modification. Most saddles available today that are antique or vintage hail from the 1920s & 1930s. Very few older than that exist today, and if they do, they are not the safest saddles to have, except when kept for display. This little period-cartoon demostrates (in a subtle, vulgar way) that in the Regency period, the idea of ladies riding astride was considered improper. For the reenactor, it really isn't advisable try for accuracy. The Regency and Georgian sidesaddle was not a safe saddle by any means. For one, it lacked a leaping horn, which provides a greater measure of security for the rider. The near flap is also very large and could inhibit contact with the horse. This article from Regency Redingote describes the pitfalls of regency saddles most aptly. Modern saddles also have breakaway systems for, if in the eventuality of a fall, that your foot is released from the stirrup. At the time, the balance girth also did not exist, which is one of the methods that helps keep the saddle secure and prevent it from twisting/rotating and putting undue strain on your horse’s body. For the historically inclined, you might enjoy this little link: Project Gutenberg's The Young Lady's Equestrian Manual. This online publication has a lovely array of images and tips for the 18th and 19th century rider. Keep an eye out for the images of the bullhorn sidesaddle, which is shown quite frequently. This is a wonderful resource for anyone researching period sidesaddle riding. You can download a .pdf version of this book here. Accessories: The Groom's Stirrup. It happened sometimes that a lady's horse had to be ridden by a groom; perhaps the lady was too tired to ride back, and took a coach, or whatnot. Attached to the saddle would be a small pouch that would carry a stirrup with a special stirrup leather that attached to the off-side billet of the sidesaddle so the groom could sit it astride and ride the lady's horse. However I cannot imagine it was in any way a tolerable ride. Anyone who has ridden sidesaddle knows that sitting astride on a sidesaddle is less than comfortable. But the groom's comfort probably wasn't the most important thing; as long as the horse was taken care of. Riding Sidesaddle in 1799. Accessories: The Sandwich Case For the lady who might get peckish on the hunt; this accessory is probably more modern than the Regency period, but it's a much-desired accessory for any aside rider. A little leather case attaches to your off-side D-rings. It contains a little metal tin to keep a sandwich, and a glass flask for some refreshment. What sort of saddle would suit me? There are a variety of sidesaddles styles and shapes, but if you’re planning to ride in Regency or Georgian habits, your best bet is to stick with a nice simple English sidesaddle, and try to steer away from flowery, leathery western sidesaddles if you can. Although some seats and horns were decorated on period sidesaddles, the flaps were usually quite plain (unless it was a Spanish saddle). Western sidesaddles have more leather, and are usually tooled all over. If you are shopping for a saddle, the first thing you need to do is to figure out what size tree is best suited for your horse (and what size seat is best suited for you). Marti Friddle, a sidesaddle expert, Vice President of the American Sidesaddle Association and owner of Hundred Oaks, Inc. has a guide on how to properly determine your horse’s tree size and your own seat-size requirements. Once you have this information, you can use that to pin down the saddle you need. Most experts will prod riders towards saddles with asymmetrical, flat seats. The ‘J’-shape saddles insure that your hips are in the right position and also insures that your legs are in a  comfortable position. One sidesaddle expert I spoke to said you could always tell the sidesaddle riders in sweepy, symmetrical, uphill seats at events, because they were always the ones who immediately slid their right leg back over to sit astride with a great big sigh of relief when they were finished with their class. Earlier models and sweepy seats often sit ‘uphill’ and the position of the pommel is such that some riders’ feet tend to poke out from the side of the horse instead of resting comfortably against the horse’s shoulder. The legs have a wider separation because the leaping horn is set lower from the fixed horn than they are on other saddle models. On these saddles, your knee is higher up on the pommel, and your calf rests closer to the horse's neck than its shoulder. You have to lean forward all the time in order to obtain the proper position. This makes your riding position uncomfortable and straining, and a well-designed sidesaddle will not do that. Uphill saddles are a bane to the lower back. Sidesaddle position (from Wikipedia) Marti Friddle from Hundred Oaks, Inc., has been not only riding sidesaddle for over 35 years, but also has been involved in the manufacture and sale of sidesaddles for many years. She is reluctant to push buyers to purchasing vintage saddles mostly because again, they’re just not designed for modern horses. Her experience with owning a variety of these antique saddles is that they are not that comfortable for her or her horse, they require tremendous adjustment in many cases, and they are not very pleasing to ride in. She also says that one should not dismiss some of the new, modern Asian imports outright either--there are decent ones among the chaff. She says that many people on a restricted budget (sidesaddles, like most other saddles are not cheap, even used), can buy the less expensive Asian models and then have them fixed for much less than buying a domestic custom saddle or a European import. In the top image, you see the Regency/Georgian sidesaddle has has a slipper-stirrup. Here is a detail of an extant one from The Sidesaddle Museum. There are very few manufacturers of new sidesaddles today—however there are some brands of saddle that would work very well for a Regency reenactor. Some things you should keep in mind if you are riding for reenactment, is that most of the features that make your saddle incorrect and modern will invariably be hidden underneath the volume of your skirts. The balance girth on the off side of your saddle, where the small portion of your tack is visible at all, is the only thing that would be out of place, however it is really a necessary evil if you want a comfortable ride for you and for your horse. I haven't heard many good stories of people riding without a balance girth, and I've heard stories of people feeling 'twisted' because they didn't tighten the balance girth enough. Imagine having the two panels on each side of your spine twisting and causing pressure... Poor horse. Also, there is very little evidence that sidesaddles of the Regency and Georgian period were ever made black leather. Brown or Havana would be your best colour choice. The reason why I say this is that some of the modern saddlers still making sidesaddles are producing some models in black leather. That might be appropriate for someone riding in modern habits doing dressage, but for historic reenactment, it is not appropriate. Having tooled, coloured leathers or suede on the seat and horns is fine, but the flaps and leathers should be brown. Shopping for sidesaddles on the vintage market? Marti Friddle has written an informative article to help identify what period the saddle was made, and what manufacturer might have produced it. You can use this article to best match the saddle to your horse and your riding needs. This is an excellent and informative article. Riding habits, boots and more: I also posted a comprehensive post on Regency period riding habits sometime back so you can learn more about the style of the period, and what women wore when riding aside. It not only offers a number of pattern references, but also shows how you can make a habit from standard spencer and gown patterns, as well as fabricate your own costume items. It discusses footwear and what is the best thing to wear beneath your habit skirts. I will make a post in the future about hats. LINKS Some modern English sidesaddle sellers: Hundred Oaks, Inc. (US) Offering several styles of English sidesaddle of exceptional quality, Hundred Oaks, Inc has spanking new beautiful sidesaddles that range from $975 - $2,600 depending on the brand (Elan, Steele and others), style and individual features. These are mostly FLAT sidesaddles. After trying my newly acquired sidesaddle on my horse, I discovered it wasn’t a perfect fit. So, I sold it (it sold immediately and for more than what what I was going to sell my Dressage saddle for) and will be buying a Hundred Oaks, Inc Elan saddle. They have a layaway program, by the way. Six months to pay them off. Just saying! She asks that you use her fitting method to insure that the saddle you are getting is going to fit your horse well. It would be bad to gamble with that kind of money. The Elan is an Asian import, but the quality is far greater than any of the below 'not recommended brands'. The manufacture and development of this saddle has been tightly controlled by the importer. Bit on the Side Saddle (UK) Sarah offers an imported, carefully designed, quality entry-level sidesaddle at an affordable price comparable to that of the Elan sold by Hundred Oaks. This saddle also includes a stirrup and balance girth with purchase, and can be further accessorized with English leather items. For about $1100 plus shipping, Sarah will ship to the US. The manufacture and development of this saddle has also been strictly controlled by the importer. This entry-level saddle is not fortified for jumping, but it can be modified upon request for a modest fee. This seller also plans to develop a higher-level sidesaddle for the serious rider, comparable to the Lady England from Zaldi. This is a new brand and has yet to be reviewed by the sidesaddle community. This narrative will be modified when reviews are provided. Tattersall’s English Sidesaddles (Canada) I am posting them because they have J-shaped deep seats and the workmanship looks pretty good. They’re custom made, FLAT sidesaddles so they’re probably more desirable than an import for instance--but these are not cheap. They are the high-end of sidesaddles. They are also built on more western-style trees so the shape is a bit different than the standard English sidesaddle, but it's still a wonderful saddle. The basic English style saddle is $2,600. The saddle comes iwth a balance strap, over girth and stirrup leather. You can choose the colour of the skirting as well as the upholstery leather used on the seat and pommels. The latter can be suede or leather. The padded safe is $100.00. She also makes a three-fold sidesaddle girth for $100.00 (which is reasonable). Zaldi Sidesaddles (Spain) These Spanish-made saddles look very nice. The used to be sold in Europe and the US through EquusDomus, but that business is no longer in operation. However Zaldi does still sell their saddles both domestically and to the US, but they do so by shipping them individually at this point. I do believe that there may soon be a few US retailers that carry Zaldi products, including their sidesaddles, but at this stage, I don't know of any. The best bet is to go to http://www.zaldi.com/ and to find out for yourself. At present, the saddles are only viewable in their online catalog (pg. 45 and 54 I think), and you can write Zaldi for more information. Their most popular saddle in the sidesaddle community is the Amazona Lady-England, and it looks like a really great contender. The shipping would probably abount to about $230. They are priced as following; $2550 (the Amazona Lady-England); to $2120 (The Amazona-Caza) and the tiny one on the bottom the is about $556 (The Amazona-Lady which appears to be a child's saddle). The Caza and Lady England look both to be J shaped, with a nice breakaway system on the stirrup.. By the picture of the tree, they look solidly made and I've heard only raves about these saddles among the sidesaddle community. One or two ladies I know of have bought one, so I'm waiting to hear the full reviews when they come in. I will modify this post as they do. Jean Lemaire (France) These saddles are custom made to order. I'm still not sure about whether he can pull off exports or not, or what the cost would be, and measuring might prove to be difficult since he makes every saddle to order and are made to measure. I am told the photographs do not do his saddles justice. He apparently makes all manner of artisan saddles, including Western saddles. There is no mention of cost on the page, but they're not going to be cheap by any means. They're beautiful saddles nonetheless. Sellier Phoenix (France) The standard saddle on the page is listed (St. Orens) at about $1870. The next one (St. Angely) $1963. The St. Marie is about $2900. Mind you, these prices reflect a 19.6% Value Added Tax, which Americans would not be obligated to pay. The prices vary from there, depending on the model and whether you want tooling/quilting on it. So they're competitive with domestic sellers.This French saddler exports, They are again, absolutely stunning sidesaddles and might be worth the extra money to ship. The saddler estimates that to ship to the US, the cost would range from about $200 to $325. Seems reasonable enough to me for a custom, beautiful saddle. Sidesaddle.com (US) You can obtain newly custom-built or restore an existing saddle. Can't find a tree to fit your horse? They have someone who will carve a custom one for you. No pricing is listed on the website, but that can be quickly solved with a well-placed phonecall. EQUXTRA (UK) The Manorgrove saddle has received much acclaim. The saddle sells on ebay stores for about $2600. It's a handsome model. These are custom made saddles. No idea about shipping, but I'm sure an inquiry directly to the store would get you what you need. Lillian Chaudhary (US) Builds and restores sidesaddles, both English and Western. Has tremendous knowledge of riding aside, and can help you identify any saddles you might find along the way and help you determine if it's worth buying and restoring. She comes extremely highly recommended in the sidesaddle community. Use her email to contact her, in spite of her website being slightly outdated, she is still active and happy to respond to queries. Laura Dempsey (UK) Another custom saddler with a lovely product. Contact for pricing. Laura will also reconstruct saddles from the tree-up. Hilason (US) For the budget-conscious person, or someone who doesn’t want to go all-in until they’re really sure about riding aside, this saddle sells for about $500 (on eBay, sometimes less), this is a pretty affordable price compared to other sidesaddles, but there's obviously a reason for that. It's not a well-designed sidesaddle. The Hilason is considered a "Sweepy" saddle, so it will sit differently with a slightly uphill position, and your right leg might not be quite as comfortable as it would be in a flat sidesaddle. I do not highly recommend it as I would the above saddles, but I want to make a fair list and let consumers choose for themselves. These saddles are not perfect by any means, but a few tweaks from someone who knows sidesaddles and it could probably work for you. It’s an affordable option, it’s new and it has all of the safety features on it that one requires, and could work as a starter-saddle if you know someone to make the necessary modifications so it won't hurt your horse or be a danger to you. Derby Originals This is not a recommended model, but it's only fair to put it up here anyway. This is also a "sweepy" sidesaddle. Derby is no longer manufacturing them, but there are a few floating around at different sellers and on ebay and such. At the provided link, their current inventory is: 4 of the 21" medium tree in black, 1 each of the 21" wide tree saddles, in black and brown. That's it. I will say though, in studying the image, that the leaping horn is set quite low from the pommel, and it looks like a symmetrical seat saddle. I can't imagine the quality of this saddle is going to compare to the Tattersall's or Hundred Oaks saddle by any means. The manufacturer would not tell me where they were made, he said "overseas" and when I asked where, in Asia? He replied 'Something like that." That kind of ambiguity worries me. Most (and I use the word most with purpose, not ALL Asian imports are horrid or unfixable) Asian saddles are made by companies that are not at all familiar with the sidesaddle sport. Hilason, Silver Fox and its other name brands, Derby and other Asian brands often design these saddles on astride trees, making them improperly balanced and causing the rider to tilt towards the offside. They also often lack point straps for the balance girth, and have been known to have two balance girth straps. The pommels and horns are in awful places making the rider's position and posture uncomfortable for both them and the horse. Silver Fox/Silver Cup/Gold Winner/Royal King As you broaden your knowledge of sideaddles, you will begin to recognize the Asian saddles that are of the kind you need to avoid. Although some, like the Silver Fox (and its various other monikers), attempt to mimick the high-quality saddles in the flat seat and suede leather, they are still not built properly from the tree-up. The Silver Fox is available in a flat J-seat with a suede seat. They can be found on eBay and other such places--and they're always at unbelievably low prices, attempting to lure the newbie into buying something vastly inferior. Do not be fooled! Some people recommend you have these saddles x-rayed, because there are stories of some of them being stuffed with medical waste for flocking. I am not kidding. x-raying can show exactly how slapdash the construction is. I've also heard of leaping horns being made of old metal signs. Although the price, which usually ranges between $250 and $400 as a mean, for these saddles may seem appealing as a starter saddle, I do not recommend them AT ALL, and hope that you would keep your safety in mind, and that of your horse before you spend money on saddles that were not made by people who understand the dynamics of sidesaddle riding. Stick with saddles from sellers who are accountable to you as their customer. Hundred Oaks, Bit on the Sidesaddle, these may be Asian-made, but they were designed by a sidesaddle rider, and the ladies who sell these saddles are there to stand by their products if there are problems. With these cheap models, there's nobody accountable for shoddily made saddles, bad design or dangerous construction. They are merely thrown together and shipped out to any retailer who wants to carry them. * A comprehensive PDF list of saddlers, manufacturers, exporters, artisans and retailers can be downloaded HERE. Do you know of other sidesaddle sources that you think should be included on this list? Then comment here anytime with the saddler's name and website, and I will add it on. Thanks! Lots of links on sidesaddle riding: Introduction to Sidesaddle riding (Newrider.com) About the condition and the saddle itself (Newrider.com) Fitting a Sidesaddle (Newrider.com) Hitchcockwoods.org – An article “Riding Aside Demystified” Old Sturbridge Village extant saddle (estimated c. 1790-1810) A study of very early sidesaddles and an actual medieval sidesaddle project Wikipedia (of course) Georgia Ladies Aside – another article on sidesaddle history with some nice photos . Hoosier Ladies Aside – History and information And finally, this delightful page that has illustrations of sidesaddles through time (it may take a while to load, have patience, it’s worth it. If you are a member of the Oregon Regency Society (or wish to be) and you are an equestrian interested in pursuing riding aside, or period costume in saddle, be sure to email us at [email protected] to let us know. :) 

The Lusitano Shop for Lusitano Horse Finder features Victorino Bridles, Lena Saugen Artwork, Portuguese spurs, Pelham Bits and other specialist Portuguese items

Downton Abbey has revived an interest in riding aside – which is the correct term for riding Side Saddle. I ride (and compete and jump) aside. Yes, that is what I said: jump. Contrary to misguided belief riding side saddle – at least with a modern saddle – is safer than riding astride. By modern I mean from mid-Victorian. One of my saddles is marked by the makers as 'suppliers to the King' so this is either King Edward VII or VIII or George V or VI – the probability is George VI the present Queen Elizabeth II’s father and made some time between the two wars. As someone passionate about history I find it thrilling to know that I use something that was made in the past, belonging to history. My preferred competitions are those of the costume classes, which are fun and challenging regarding any accuracy required – although I tend to go for the fun side more than the correctness. Early History to the Tudor (1500's) and Stuarts (1600's) The 'saddle of Queens' by Tudor times was considered the proper way for a lady to ride - astride was considered to be base. Early side saddles were - literally side saddles - a bit like a chair with a footplate, where the woman would sit as if in a chair. These were padded and highly decorated, and built upon a man's astride saddle. The lady could ride independently, but because she had little control of her mount was more usually led – however a few old paintings may contradict this: artist: Mencia de Mendoza J. Hoefnagel, 1574 Mencia de Mendoza, detail of tapestry cartoon Bernart van Orley, 1530 In Greek and Roman art women were rarely portrayed on horseback unless they were Goddesses and most of them are riding aside. Epona, Celtic Goddess of horses Wife of Bath Prioress However, women with determined characters and a mind of their own seem to have chosen either aside or astride. In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the Prioress rides aside while the Wife of Bath is astride. Which begs the question, was one a revered lady with a sense of decorum and the other somewhat headstrong? The sideways facing "chair" was then turned to face the front - think of a typical western (cowboy) saddle with a tall front pommel, but with the saddle itself looking like a chair, with a high back. The lady would face front, her back supported by the 'chair' with her right leg hooked round the pommel. This is possibly the sort of saddle Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn would have used when riding. It is unknown when the upright horn, the one the rider hooks her right leg around, came into use. The second horn, an appendage that comes from the right side of the saddle, is commonly attributed to Catherine de Medici (1519-1589). This horn cradled the right leg between the two horns and therefore faced the rider forward, but Albert Durer's etchings of 1497 and 1504 show ladies facing the front long before Catherine's second horn came into being. The horn, however, gave women a more secure seat, an independent control of their horses, and enabled a faster gaits. A later version of the 2nd horn, earlier ones were smaller a modern saddle showing the position of the legs Fashion must have dictated whether a lady rode astride or aside – farthingales were not designed for riding (nor were the later Victorian crinolines and bustles!) These pictures show the women clearly riding side saddle, for even where a long skirt is worn, the right toe is visible, and in the other picture the lady is wearing trousers and her leg position is shown. Family Hunting Party 1755/6) 1674 It is interesting to note that we now ride aside with the legs on the near (left) side of the horse – which is also the traditional side to mount and lead from, but in early images (including Greek and Roman) the women are often the opposite way round. There seems to be evidence that women in England/Britain rode to the left side, whereas the Spanish ladies who came with Catherine of Aragon (initially to marry Henry VIII’s elder brother, Arthur, then Henry himself) rode on the right. It seems that ladies did ride astride, particularly when hunting (too fast a pace for the literally sitting sideways saddles.) However, a big problem would be what to wear underneath. Bloomers were not in use then, so either women donned men's apparel, or they had very chafed thighs. How did they ride astride with those voluminous skirts? Were they split in the middle like modern culottes? Queen Elizabeth I rode side saddle on ceremonial occasions and, as depicted in woodcuts, also while hawking. Whether this was the forward chair or the 'Medici' two horns, we don't know. Queen Elizabeth I's saddle from the Booke of Venerie 1572 The images below show that women were riding in almost the same position as ‘modern’ riders – the ladies’ position is remarkably similar. 'An Elegant Equestrienne on a Grey Horse ' Alfred de Dreux 1810-1860 Albert Durer circa 1495 Kathy 2013 Apart from Good Queen Bess, there were a few dashing ladies before the TV drama series of Downton Abbey who rode aside; Downton's Lady Grantham – the character, actress or her stunt double – was not the only woman to hunt riding side saddle! The Eighteenth Century The Marchioness of Salisbury was a renowned British political hostess and sportswomen. Born as Lady Emily Mary Hill in 1750 and married James Cecil of Salisbury in December 1773, becoming a rival to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and renowned as being active from dawn to dusk. Probably by today’s standards she would have been labelled as ADHD or hyperactive. She rose early to go hunting and would then socialised before attending balls and parties in the evening. In 1775 the earliest pack of hounds was recorded in Hertfordshire, with the Marquis of Salisbury recorded as Master. When ill health forced him to retire from hunting in 1793, Lady Salisbury took over the responsibility of the hunt, a position which she maintained for thirty-five years. Moving the hounds to the family residence of Hatfield House, Lady Salisbury absorbed herself with running the hunt. Despite her slight build she was renowned as a fearless rider. This was before the modern security of the leaping head had been invented. The side saddle of this period had two horns, both curving around the right leg but offering no real purchase on the saddle for galloping or jumping. Hunting, then, was at a much slower pace, but disregarding the pro or anti-hunting element this woman’s riding ability is something to applaud as the Marchioness was always at the front of the field, looking most striking in her habit of sky blue with black cuffs and collar. There is a contemporary description of her: ‘The only one who mounted her horse like an arrow from the hand of her groom’. Lady Salisbury is at the front in her sky blue habit By 1819, in her seventies, the Marchioness handed the hounds over to the newly formed Hertfordshire Hunt Club, but she continued to hunt until 1828. Even with failing eyesight and becoming frail, she would spend an entire day in the hunting field, insisting that her grooms tie her to her hunter so she could not fall off. Another groom would act as her guide with her horse on a leading rein. ‘Damn you, my lady, jump!’ he would shout whenever they came to a fence. Lady Salisbury died on the 22nd November 1835. It is believed that she was writing at her desk when the feathers in her hair caught alight on a candle. A horrible end to such an amazing life. Celia Fiennes was born in 1662 at Newton Toney, near Salisbury. She is remembered for her diary account of a series of journeys which she made between 1684 and 1703 riding side saddle through every County in England, accompanied by only two servants. At this time travel was still quite novel, England was largely an unmapped wilderness with tracks, not roads, no road signs, no motorway Service Stations or conveniently placed motels. Not surprisingly, she encountered numerous mishaps: twice she was thrown from her mount but these accidents failed to upset or discourage her, indicating that her nerves were just as strong as her body. Her diaries provides and invaluable insight into the social and domestic attitudes of 17th-century England. Her descriptions of Bath, Epsom, Hampstead, Tunbridge and Dulwich to sample their waters, shed a light on the medical beliefs of the period. Her lavish interest in touring the great houses provides detailed descriptions of the gardens, ground and number and arrangement of rooms as well as their portraits and furnishings. Apart from various ‘feminine’ details, Celia took an unladylike interest in new manufacturing processes and drainage projects, devoting her most detailed descriptions to various mines and quarries that she visited. She Celia was fascinated by the innovations of her age and highly impressed by the new-fangled water closet that Queen Mary had installed at Hampton Court. Never marrying, Celia wrote out her notes in 1702 turning them into a travel memoir, which was never published as she intended them for family reading only. She died in 1741. The first complete edition of her travel memoirs ‘Through England on a Side Saddle’ was published in 1888 after the discovery of her journals in 1885 – and could be an invaluable source of information to historical fiction writers of this period. The Victorian Era The Victorian era in the late 1800s is typically how we think of side saddle riding. Early in the 1800’s the leaping horn or head was invented and the balance strap (another girth) was created. This is attached to the right rear of the saddle, passes under the belly of the horse, and fastens to the left front. It serves to stabilise the saddle and offset the extra weight from both legs being on the left side of the horse. the balance strap is the rear on The hunting field was a great place to meet a future husband; unmarried Victorian ladies wore a navy habit with a bowler hat, while married ladies wore a black habit with silk hat if they were a subscriber, or a black habit and black bowler for less significant meets or while visiting another pack. As a widow, Queen Victoria wore black for much of her life and ladies of the day emulated her. It is possible that this could this be the reason behind the traditional black habit seen in the hunt field (and showing arena) today. A side saddle horse was trained to walk and do a collected canter as it was thought unseemly for a lady to be bouncing about (especially a particular part of her anatomy!) at the trot. Victorian riders were quite often sewn into their habits in order to show off their figure to best advantage. Brown gloves should be worn with a bowler hat, well fitted and clean. Black gloves are a major faux pas because traditionally, black gloves signified that you were in mourning and therefore should not be riding! By the mid to late 1800's the riding habit changed to a more sober appearance, especially in the hunting field. This 1858-1859 photograph of young Mary Toogood, shows her wearing a hat with ostrich feather at the front, and a fitted bodice instead of a jacket with a long basque and peplum. Although there is no hoop under her skirt she is wearing a small bustle to support the peplum of her bodice. photo from the collection of L. Hidic In this photograph below, a young English woman has a habit which is transitional in style between the 1850 and 1860 fashions. The bodice remains cut slightly longer in length than the fashion of the 1860's but retains a long 1850's style basque and peplum. The coat -tyle sleeves of the bodice would have been a common feature. She has a small ostrich-feather trimmed pork-pie hat which were popular during the 1860's and were considered "saucy" when most women continued to wear bonnets. photo from the collection of L. Hidic American ladies were still sporting a slightly "behind the times" fashion. Circa 1860- 1862 pre Civil War era - a curved flat hat, full-sided hairstyle - which is slightly out of date, even for America, being more common during the 1840's. The bodice of her habit retains a small basque, visible on her left hip. Early Victorian HATS photographer, Charles Reutlinger of Paris The 'leg o' mutton' sleeve circa 1885-1895 Catherine “Skittles” Walters. She was stitched into her riding habits for the tightest fit possible! The popular 'leg o' mutton' sleeve, circa 1885 And finally a note about the men. Writer Rita Mae Brown once stated, ‘If the world were a logical place, men would ride side saddle.’ There are occasional examples of men riding side saddle other than for humorous, drag, or satirical purposes. During World War II riders rode aside as they laid field telephone cable from a cable-drum on the back of a galloping horse. Some farm workmen riding wide-backed draft horses bareback to or from the fields found it easier to sit sideways than astride and a few modern male riders with certain types of back injuries or lower limb injuries and amputations find riding side saddle to be helpful. Male grooms would also have ridden side saddle in the hey-day of aside riding – primarily to school a lady’s horse or to ensure it was exercised before she mounted. men can ride aside! What a pity more men cannot pluck up courage to ride aside nowadays! Further information A Side Saddle Ilaria Veltri degli Ansari Sidesaddle - Wikipedia Corsets and Crinolines

The Dianas of the Chase Cup side saddle race, the only one of its kind in the World, Ingarsby Hall, Leicestershire, Sunday 29th November 2015.

Riding costumes were introduced in the 16th century, after which women wore clothing and accouterments which were built for safety and style. The line of a woman’s riding habit mirrored that …

Perhaps thanks to costume dramas, the modesty-minded side saddle has come back into style.

Behind the scenes footage of The Field's side saddle photoshoot in High Leicestershire. Three side saddle thrusters demonstrate how to hunt side saddle over a hedge in Quorn Monday country

She has been busy with New York Fashion Week, and is now in the British capital ahead of the London shows.

Sarah Farnsworth

Photos of sidesaddle riding, old and new. Special interest on photos of the saddles by themselves aswell ^^

I have sold my beautiful sidesaddle on Ebay.