For newcomers to this discipline confidence is a must.  Anyone who has had some experience riding astride usually acquires this confidence more easily, but basically anyone can do it. 
 

A good rider must be straight and supple, and when viewed from behind should look the same as for astride, except for the position of her legs. 

 To check your position, get a friend to walk behind you: she should be able to draw a straight line from the top of your head, down through your spine to your horse’s backbone.

 Your weight should be evenly distributed, with your hips and shoulders square to the front. 

 Your hands should be held either in your lap, or on either side of your right knee.  This may require the use of longer reins than normal ~ side saddle reins are traditionally 6”-8” (15-20cm) longer than normal reins.

Allow your right knee to relax around the fixed head, with room to fit two fingers between the back of your knee and the front of the fixed head.  Your right calf rests almost vertical against the safe of the saddle, and your right toe drops softly down and turns slightly inward against the horse’s shoulder. 

 This is the sidesaddle rider’s “purchase” – the leverage between your right thigh against the fixed head and your right calf against the safe.

 The left thigh lies under the leaping head with room for the flat of the hand to slip between the pommel and the muscle, and the knee resting gently in contact with the saddle.  In an emergency you can tighten up and lock on- the so-called “reserve grip”.

 The aids are given with the back of the left calf, just as for riding astride.  A dressage whip or long show cane in the right hand can be used to assist.

Sally Austin riding “Tennyson”

Three faults to avoid are:

¨      The tendency of the rider to lean out to the right, to compensate for the feeling of all her weight on the near side.

¨      The tendency of the rider to put too much weight on the near side, usually by leaning too heavily into the stirrup, perhaps because the stirrup leather is a little too long.  This causes the saddle to slip over to the near side too, and can lead to a sore back for your horse.

¨      The tendency of the rider to twist to the left, allowing her right shoulder to come forward.  This loosens the right calf against the horse’s shoulder and weakens the rider’s purchase, sometimes to the point of coming off- usually flat on one’s back!

Once you have got your position correct, learning to relax and soak up the horse’s movement is the main secret to becoming a good sidesaddle rider.

For more information on side saddle riding, check out these books~

• Mrs Houblon’s Side Saddle, revised and edited by Sylvia Stanier, published by J A Allen.
• Teaching Side Saddle by Janet MacDonald, published by J A Allen
• Riding Side Saddle by Janet MacDonald, published by J A Allen
• The Art of Side Saddle, by Rosamund Owen, published by Trematon Press
• All About Riding Side Saddle, by Patricia & Victoria Spooner, Allen Photographic Guides
• Threshold Picture Guides #53 ~ Side Saddle, by Jane Pryor, Kenilworth Press

 The Rider’s Handbook, edited by Jenny Gordon, also has a good section on side saddle riding.

Gillian Thompson, riding “Simon”