When you see – Q, you know it’s Cowboy Dressage.
Sidesaddle allows a rider (usually female) to sit aside rather than astride a horse. Sitting aside dates back to Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse in a modest fashion while also wearing fine clothing. It has retained a specialty niche even in the modern world.
Photo of Jane Creagh and her lovely Lusitano.
The earliest depictions of women riding with both legs on the same side of the horse can be seen in Greek vases, sculptures, and Celtic stones. Medieval depictions show women seated aside with the horse being led by a man, or seated on a small padded seat (a pillion) behind a male rider. Ninth century depictions show a small footrest, or planchette added to the pillion.These designs did not allow a woman to control a horse; she could only be a passenger.
In Europe, the sidesaddle developed in part because of cultural norms which considered it unbecoming for a woman to straddle a horse while riding. 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.
The western sidesaddle class is similar to the English class but with a sidesaddle having western design features, and riders wearing western style clothing. Riders generally wear a western-styled apron with belt, worn over some type of breeches or pants, but a modified two-leg chaps design in leather or ultrasuede is sometimes seen, though not legal in some types of competition. Period costumes are also seen in the western show ring. Western riders usually wear a short bolero-style jacket that matches the apron or skirt, often with elaborate decoration, gloves, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. A variation to western-style sidesaddle riding is to wear Spanish or Mexican style regalia, often based on historic designs.
Photo of Jane Creagh and her lovely Lusitano.
