Sidesaddle ride critique

[helent623]

So this past wekend I did my first show in my side saddle. It was just a schooling show, and we did first level 2 & 4 and second level 1. I got a lot of helpful feedback from the judge and had a blast! We ended up with 2 firsts and a second. Anyway, here's a video of 1-2 up for critiquing. Be nice. :winkgrin:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96TSsmrvTUg>
Btw, don't mind the habit riding up- I still haven't quite figured out how that thing is supposed to fit! :lol:

[butlerfamilyzoo]

Well i'm impressed. :) How hard is it to keep his body straight for long sides and diagonals? Do you ride astride all the time or school in a regular saddle as well?

I showed against a lady at a hunter show who rode astride. Horse was not the easiest ride to begin with, and she not a petite rider... I was SOOO impressed by the end of the day, she could have ridden anything out there. That mare gave her fit after fit and she stuck it all! I would have been gone.

Closest i've come to side saddle is riding "astride" in a dressage saddle in my wedding, and that ended up happening because i could not get my dress to cooperate to throw my leg over, not that it would have made a very lady like dismount at the alter anyway... LOL... I found that a challenge, of course, probably easier in a REAL side saddle... :)

[webmistress32]

"astride" means one leg on each side of the horse.

[bort84]

"astride" means one leg on each side of the horse.

Haha, I was thinking that too. I think y'all are meaning "aside." = )

But the video is lovely. You do a very nice job keeping his hind end following his front - sometimes challenging riding sidesaddle, haha.

[buck22]

I can show sidesaddle??? That is IT! I'm not waiting any longer and I'm getting myself a side saddle too! It has been my secret dream to hunt sidesaddle actually :D

My goodness you make a lovely pair!

Whats the learning curve with teaching the horse? Do you just slap one on and go? or is it a big deal for a horse to adapt to side saddle?

I want I want I want... :lol: and I just bought a new dressage saddle too. :lol:

Thank you sooo much for posting that!

[butlerfamilyzoo]

Thank you for the correction... Dont you guys know you have to understand what i'm thinking and not what i type? Sometimes my fingers do whatever they want to... LOL :)

[trakehner013]

How can you do that so well? Your horse looks great!

[Mrs. Cowboy]

Great ride, you and your horse really look like you work well together.

I hope to show aside one day. But for now it's all trail and playing around. Maybe I'll work my dressage test aside in the next CA_Aside clinic!

[helent623]

Wow, thanks everyone!
It's not too hard keeping him straight, it's the right bend that gives me the most trouble. Mostly it was just slap the saddle on and go; I mean, your seat aids are the same, so if your horse is already trained to respond to the seat, it's no big deal. The only difficulty I had was teaching him to yield his quarters to my offside stick, instead of seeing it as a whip (which means 'forward' to most horses). And I do most of my schooling astride. I find he gets really forehand heavy if I ride aside too often, but we're working on that. Does anyone know if a horse uses diff back muscles carrying an aside rider? One does sit farther back.
Yeah the astride thing- sorry my mom posted the video. :lol:
One can ride aside in any discipline, except QH classes I think... I know there's at least one person with a USDF bronze aside. <looks hopeful> :)

[Fireangel]

My mare it was a slap it on a go. Couple of tight circles with the balance strap and off we went! Walked Trotted and Cantered my first time. Somehow it felt really natural! And I was also a lucky one ~ A lady gave me her saddle that has been sitting in the barn never gets used and it fit my horse perfect and I just had to do some tweaking with the leaping head and it fits me great also!

[ideayoda]

The w/t is ok, but you are very crooked, keep shoulders square and right hip back/even (no collapsing btv). And the canter is where the horse is not straight and is off the track, more left hh/use the whip on the right! (support the actions astride). For sure carry a whip, support actions which get the horse more into the outside rein.

Most horses do ss fairly easily, those that do not are often just very uncomfortable with the balance.

[Puddin Pie]

For the habit fit: sit on the saddle on a sturdy rack, wrap skirt around the waist velcro (or snap/whatever) so that the seam in vertical and perpendicular to the ground. Then lift right leg (the top one) to allow the habit to wrap around right thigh and either pin or button to breeches. The body of the skirt hangs down. Mine also had an elastic that wrapped around the toe. Drapery chain (fabric covered weights in a rope) work so much better in the hem, then just plain old weights (like washers). The hem should be parallel to the ground. If necessary, put another elastic strap around the right leg from the apron. This should keep it in place, even in a windstorm.

[XenophonKnows]

That's it. I've had enough. I can't take the deprivation any longer. I haven't ridden aside in over a decade and I can't live without it another day. helent623 I have only you to blame !! Okay, maybe some others on COTH have helped push me over the edge, but now that's the final straw.

As for the lucky poster who was bequeathed a side saddle, GOOD FOR YOU. Now how can I get somebody to bless me with the same? Hardest part could be size, I'm 6'1" and looking for something to go on a 17.2hh warmblood.

I am on the hunt for someone with an old sidesaddle they no longer use.
I will start a new thread in the Giveaways Forum. Please don't leave me there alone !! Some of you other sidesaddle coveters please come chime in.

[Icecapade]

aw... I can't see it!

what a shame I love sidesaddle...

my horse is too small- and the saddle gets very squirly on him.

Anyway can't see it but GOOD FOR YOU!!! =)

[Jealoushe]

You look great, your horse looks like a very traditional side saddle horse too.

I love it.

[Beasmom]

That was beautiful! I took a couple of sidesaddle lessons years and years ago. Watching your ride makes me wish I'd stuck with it!