The sidesaddle is a type of saddle on which the rider sits aside rather than astride the mount.

The sidesaddle was designed for use by women, as it was considered unbecoming for a lady to straddle a horse whilst riding. This results from cultural norms in Western Europe in the Middle Ages where a lady or gentlewoman was much more restricted in her movements. Physically this translated into a social restriction that prevented her from riding astride. Such folk beliefs as riding astride would destroy a girl's virginity, or would provide a woman with an unnatural sexual stimulation persisted in some areas until the 1930s. However, these rules for riding aside applied only to women of wealth or social pretension, farm women undoubtedly rode astride. It was also practical, since dresses were the popular fashion.

The modern sidesaddle consists of two pommels mounted on a flat stuffed saddle. One pommel is nearly vertical (mounted approximately 10 degrees left of top dead center and curved gently to the right and up so to cup the right thigh of the rider with the right thigh lying at the top center of the saddle). The rider places her right leg (if she is sitting on the left side of the horse) against this top pommel. The outside of her lower right leg will rest against the left (near) side of the horse. There is a second pommel below on the left of the saddle. This is called the leaping head. It is mounted about 20 degrees off top dead center of the saddle. This pommel is curved gently downwards as to curve over the top of the left leg. The rider places her left leg beneath this pommel, and rests her left foot in the stirrup. In an emergency the rider can squeeze her right (top) leg downwards, and her left (bottom) leg upwards to create an extremely strong grip. It is tiring for both the rider and the horse to maintain this emergency position, and most riders rely upon good position, balance, and coordination to maintain their seat.

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If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~ Rita Mae Brown http://bit.ly/d5sw9
WrightWorks (Chris Wright) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 18:18:33 -0000
If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~ Rita Mae Brown http://bit.ly/d5sw9
If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~Rita Mae Brown http://budurl.com/kz5q
WrightWorks (Chris Wright) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:23:10 -0000
If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~Rita Mae Brown http://budurl.com/kz5q
If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~ Rita Mae Brown http://bit.ly/d5sw9
WrightWorks (Chris Wright) Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:13:11 -0000
If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~ Rita Mae Brown http://bit.ly/d5sw9
Mumbai 2: Never knew a motorcycle could be "family" vehicle, seats the wife sidesaddle, two kids on the tank, also..love the "auto-rikshaw"!
johnwesleymusic (John Wesley) Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:02:01 -0000
Mumbai 2: Never knew a motorcycle could be "family" vehicle, seats the wife sidesaddle, two kids on the tank, also..love the "auto-rikshaw"!
@imdominating Ty! I did too much research on riding clothes & side saddles (note to self: regular Eng & sidesaddle not the same dumbass)
annanabanana (Anna) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:21:37 -0000
@imdominating Ty! I did too much research on riding clothes & side saddles (note to self: regular Eng & sidesaddle not the same dumbass)
If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~Rita Mae Brown http://budurl.com/kz5q
WrightWorks (Chris Wright) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:18:23 -0000
If the world was truly a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle. ~Rita Mae Brown http://budurl.com/kz5q

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