Sidesaddle riders?

[Lainey123]

I have a lovely 17hh dun hanovarian gelding that i want to do sidesaddle with eventually. Well, my dream is to hunt him sidesaddle, he hunts astride and has perfect manners. Anyway, got very excited about the prospect of doing something that i have dreamt of ever since being a little girl. Problem is that i just read an article that says you can't have a horse that bucksI am so gutted as although my boy has perfect manners hunting (it's his thing!) he does on the odd occasion buck, and very high! especially in the dressage arenaanyway, i know that rearing is a no no, and he doesn't do that. I am his only ever rider and have had him since a yearling and backed him, so i know this for sure. But bucking is that a serious no no too, if so then my dream is well and truely over

Thanks Lainey x

 

[RunToEarth]

Have you tried him sidesaddle? You won't know until you have tried it really. I would say try get hold of a saddle, school him in it and see how he goes. If he does buck, it would be foolish to show him, as you would be putting judges in danger, however, if you can sit to his bucks, there is no reason you can't taking him hunting sidesaddle.

 

[combat_claire]

just found this on a forum for side saddle. Hope it helps with your dream. Hunting side saddle always looks really elegant. We had three ladies at our opening meet and they looked wonderful.

"Obviously good manners are essential but we should be looking for this in a horse anyway. The only horse which you should NEVER ride side saddle (or at all, IMO!) is a persistent rearer. Because your weight is further back it can pull the horse over backwards when it rears. Bucking is bad manners but not anything to be afraid of side saddle. Because you have a very secure seat the horse gets tired before you do - I know from whence I speak as I have sat out a bucking session on 18 hands of very naughty horse which took me twice round the menage before he gave it up as a bad job! I've also had a frightened horse bolt with me and I didn't part company with him."

 

[Rosie Round The Hills]

Hello there. My mare used to buck a lot when she was going through her very nappy - trying me out - stage. When I knew I was going to 'push her boundaries' a bit and probably generate some big stroppy bucks, I generally chose to put the side saddle on because you are actually much much more secure to a buck if you are aside, then astride.

So, fret not! You can go ahead and give it a try.

 

[Orangehorse]

It was an old trick of horse dealers to ride a bucking horse in a sidesaddle as it is harder to be dislodged.

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

I don't hunt (although if I were younger and physically able to, I would) so can't comment on that, but Hattie can buck and I've sat out her bucks in my side saddle (only once have been thrown in her buck when the side saddle slide forward due to being ill fitting). In my last lesson, she was napping and gave an almighty buck and my instructor said "Well sat!"

 

[SusannaF]

Mrs Hayes, who wrote one of the most popular sidesaddle manuals of the nineteenth century, used to break in difficult horses for her husband using a sidesaddle – she reckoned she had a much better chance of sitting a buckjumper aside than a man would astride.

 

[Lainey123]

Brilliant, will give it a go then. Thanks for all the replies.xxxxxxx