Does anyone on here ride side-saddle? I have some questions.
I do, and I show and hunt in sidesaddle.
How is it different from riding astride? I mean I know how it looks differenly, but how does it feel compared to riding astride? I took lessons and ride astride (in English and Western), but I have never ridden side-saddle.
Quite different, but not in the ways you would expect.
Firstly, sidesaddles are pretty high, and you are sitting much higher on the horses back, which can make you feel very detached from the horse. In addition, thehorses head is much lower compared to your relative positions, which can make you feel like you have nothing in front of you.
You also sit slightly further back, which can be a little off blancing. Your stirrup also tends to be slightly shorter.
People who first ride sidesaddle tend to try and grip with their knees, but this just gives you cramp.
You should not be sitting 'sideways' instead you should be sitting square, with your right leg crossed and relaxed. A slight turn to the left is natural, but you shoudl not be twisting.
Getting used to one leg is strange, so a cane - slightly longer than a dressage whip, takes the place of your right leg, and you use it to give the aids your right leg would.
If you want your mount to go faster can you lean forward like you can do when riding astride?
It's not about leaning forward - unless you want a broken rib. You dont' actually have a lot of moving room in a sidesaddle, and besides, it's 'correct' to be upright when galloping in sidesaddle. You can shift your weight forward, but the sidesaddle is not well suited to weight aids, so you tend to rely more on your other aids, in particular your legs and hands, and voice if necessary.
Just FYI my story takes place in the 1770s, Virginia, so I was wondering if clothes would also factor into this? Would a skirt really hamper your riding skills?
Not really. The hardest part is getting on and off with a skirt on. I've ridden in period costume, which is certainly more awkward than modern sidesaddle habits. For one, the skirt is a skirt, and not an apron like now. But they tend to be big, and roomy and allow plenty of room. In generaly they don't get in the way at all.
I feel like the skirts for riding habits were designed so that they wouldn't be difficult for a rider to manager. However, I don't know, since I have never worn a ridding habit or ridden sidesaddle.
Like I said, it's hardest to get on and off, but the skirts themselves generally have a small loop which fastens the longer bit up out of the way at the back. Modern habits are open at the back and are designed tobe worn over jods and are safer because they are open and so don't get hooked on the saddle like a traditional skirt would, and so the rider reduces the risk of ebing dragged along behind the horse in the case of a fall.
Edit: Also, is it called a pommell like in a western saddle? I noticed in side-saddles there is a "gap" if you will to put one leg between. What is that called? Thanks again
Thanks!
Now, the actual way heads are positioned depends on the type of saddle and the era.
My one looks like the one below
Here you can see how the right leg would come over the top pommel - called the fixed head.
The lower head is called the 'leaping head' and this is generally adjustable and really comes into force when jumping, as it allows the rider to 'squeeze' their legs together, essentially clamping themselves onto the saddle. Some riders feel that it's a more secure feeling than astride.
Now, if you have a saddle like the one below you'll see that there is a cradle for your leg, which gives a little extra security.
You can see here how the legs fit into the saddle
Prior to the leaping head, you could jump, but you didn't have that support and it wasn't really advisable, although a good rider could perhaps manage smaller fences and obstacles if they were blanced and reckless enough.
The invention of the leaping head allowed women to jump like this :