Sidesaddle

[Trot-on]

Recently have been offered by a friend the use of her sidesaddle as its something i've always wanted to try but never really got it all sorted and organised.

Does anyone on here have experience with SS, how have you found it? what do you do? Have you had instructors etc? Id love to give it a go- but really am struggling to know where to start.

Thanks in advance

[arrogorn]

Firstly your horse needs to be going spot on astride. No point putting a sidesaddle on something that isnt going it best astride.
Sidesaddles are difficult to fit due to their age and most ladies had TB types back then therefore the more modern horse are difficult to fit. Saddles oftern nip their shoulders, hence why wide Sidesaddles are like hens teeth to get hold of.
Start with putting the saddle on and lunge on the right rein as the saddle will be to the outside and first time horses find it easier to work with the saddle to the outside. Again when you ride on it start off on the right rein.
Its easier to canter and more comfy for the horse as the trot bobs you around the saddle.
Some horses take to it some some like the balance girth and will buck.
Dont go out and buy all the gear until your sure you want to do it as its so expensive.

[armada]

If you contact the Side saddle ass, they will have a list of accredited instructors.
I cant re-iterate enough how important it is your saddle fits correctly, and you yourself are taught to sit correctly, and as arrogorn has said, your mount needs to be schooled well, off the leg and correctly muscled to be able to do the job, and you yourself in my mind, need to be able to absorb the movement in trot very well, nothing worse than blobbing about on top and gripping the leaping head with the right leg, and drawing the left leg up to wedge yourself into place, making yourself losed through the pelvis and therefore stiff in the seat, its so uncomfortable for both horse and rider, but something I see a lot unfortunately.
I rode side saddle for many years and on a variety of ponies as a youngster, showed successfully at a high level and hunted side saddle and loved every minute of it, but I was taught and drilled on the importance of sitting correctly.

[sparkle123]

As armada said if you go on the side saddle association website they have lots of instructors
I rode side saddle at home with a borrowed saddle last year on my little connie x whp and loved it! It's actually more secured than it looks; said pony spooked when I was riding with one and I felt a lot more safe with the side saddle than a GP saddle! However when my mum got on,
He had never done it before but took it all in his stride, but I know some ponies who don't like it, especially if you're not sitting straight and all your weight goes onto one side.
Shame they're so expensive, I'd love to take it up more.

[herbster]

My daughter started side saddle last year. She finds it brilliant and never gets bored; it takes a while to get the riders position but i urge you to give it ago !!

[teamwebster]

Side saddle is fabulous, so elegant and so much fun, i absolutley love competeting side ways been doing it for 4 yrs now and everyone is very helpful and friendly, highly reccomend going to some side saddle shows ( there are area ones and also at county shows) to see what you have to do and if you ask someone on the side they will point out good things and bad things to help you.
I will say you need to get it right first time, everything for side saddle is costly but very much worth it but speak to people who know what they are doing as you dont want to pay out for something more than you need to.
Enjoy it and go and watch the national side saddle champs at the begging of August you'll love it

Area 12 have some very good ( but mad ) side saddle riders and tey have been in the pages of H&H hunting search area 12 ssa and the website will come up they are also on fb

[bigmama]

You can hire a side saddle for a couple of hundred pounds ... the side saddle leasor should come out to your horse/pony to try on some side saddles .. we are new to ss but the importance of correct fit for both horse and rider is of the utmost importance and tuition to make sure you are sitting in the right position and then after that off you go and practice, practice, practice .. and yes, you will be told to trot and canter on the right rein at first to get going but we found our m&m kept going disunited in right canter so we swapped to left canter and he picked that up quickly and is now fine on both reins .. good luck and have lots of fun