Side saddle advice for ancient newbie required

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Ceris Comet

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Good morning everyone
Just saying howdy and wondering if there are any Side saddle ladies on the forum.
I'm turning 50 later on this year and I've decided to have side saddle lessons as my present to myself.
Does anyone have as experience ?
I would love a few hints and tips before I start.
Many thanks
Ceri
 
I had my first try last year, I am 40somthing :) All I will say is get as fit as you can before hand especially working on your core muscles! It was fantastic but hard work! I did think that as I looked after 5 horses rode two 6x a wk and cycled 6miles 5 times a week that I would be fine! lol I ended up with a right dead leg at the end . My instructor did give me plenty of breaks and I managed a canter on my first lesson.
 
flirtygerty said:
borrowing your post, does the horse have to be trained
for side saddle, as I also would like to try it, also not young
Thanks
Click to expand...

The teacher I had for my first lesson (hah - I've had all of two!) said that she preferred to work with either:

1) a rider who has no experience of sidesaddle and a horse that *has* experience of it

2) a rider and horse who have a good bond and know each other well, even if neither of them have tried sidesaddle before.
 
My horse had never done side saddle before and I was a complete novice with it but I plonked my Ebay purchase (a turn of the century Champion & Wilton) on her back and off we went! Now a few years later, we do dressage, show and the odd clear round jumping show- all sorts really so no, the horse doesn't have to be specially trained for it. :)
 
I plonked a sidesaddle on my show cob neither I us had used one before and went off round my 10 acre field the next day we were under spot lights at the royal London show doing the period costume concours class and came 5 th :) !!! X
 
Wear short boots rather than long ones and be prepared for a sore right knee:-) that said it is well worth it the horse doesnt have to be trained - mine wasnt but we did have to build up the riding a bit at a time to get her used to the shape of the saddle. have some cracking pics of us galloping about, will try to upload them tomirrow :-)
 
Ceris Comet said:
Good morning everyone
Just saying howdy and wondering if there are any Side saddle ladies on the forum.
I'm turning 50 later on this year and I've decided to have side saddle lessons as my present to myself.
Does anyone have as experience ?
I would love a few hints and tips before I start.
Many thanks
Ceri
Click to expand...

Just realised that you think think fifty is ancient. Nonsense!!! You are younger than Madonna. I will be forty eight this year and in my own humble opinion am still quite young with a lot of living to do.

Great choice of present though. My fiftieth birthday present to myself is currently planned to be a trip to Glastonbury Music Festival. :D
 
Flirty Gerty & Ceris Comet - I was actually at a side saddle clinic yesterday that touched on introducing horses to side saddle.

The instructor made the very good point that a side saddle sits differently on the horse's back and therefore works different muscles. So you need to introduce (or even re-introduce) a side saddle slowly - 10 minutes the first time, 15 minutes the next and so on.

This lady also said that she wouldn't put a side saddle on any horse under 7 as their muscles aren't developed enough to cope.

Also, if you're thinking of taking up side saddle PLEASE don't be tempted by cheap, new looking side saddles on ebay for a few hundred pounds. They're normally knocked up overseas, bodged around a GP saddle tree and a) won't fit, b) won't balance and c) can't be re-sold. I'm afriad decent side saddles are v. pricey as demand outstrips supply but you can lease them instead sometimes.
 
Wear a decent bra as well! lol I forgot that one! and a t-shirt thats not going to rise up" :) I did have sticky bukm breeches on and the horse was my friends and very used to SS.
dont laugh at this video! It was a very hot day last summer:)
 
asommerville said:
A point to remember also genuine side saddles with always be brown leather apparantly :-)
Click to expand...

This may have been true with saddles made "back in the day" but not necessarily true with quality modern side saddles. I had a Barry Swain one made from black leather and another by him made from funky buffalo hide!! Zaldi makes beautiful and correctly built side saddles in any color including black as well. :)
 
Ceris Comet said:
Good morning everyone
Just saying howdy and wondering if there are any Side saddle ladies on the forum.
I'm turning 50 later on this year and I've decided to have side saddle lessons as my present to myself.
Does anyone have as experience ?
I would love a few hints and tips before I start.
Many thanks
Ceri
Click to expand...

You are certainly not ancient ;-) - last year I taught a lady who was the wrong side of 75 - but riding sidesaddle was one of her "do before you die" activities. She was a very fit lady who had hunted/teamchased/evented etc for many years - she was absoultely brilliant and took to it so well, but I think she actually found it a bit "sedate" compared to what she was used to!

If you want to try it on your own horse, there are often "have a go" days around the country, organised by that particular area of the SSA, where there will be a wide variety of saddles to try on your horse and SSA registered instructors.
There are also quite a few equestrian centres that provide lessons on their own horses - whereabouts in the country are you?
 
Audley End House in Essex offer the most fantastic side saddle have a go days, not only do you get a side saddle lesson but lots of info on the history of side saddle and the opportunity to dress up in full side saddle regalia. Great Fun!!!
 
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