I've wanted to learn to ride sidesaddle for years, ever since I did a story on aside rider Sally Truss in Camden, SC. Turns out, Sally and I sat next to each other during a memorial service in March and she offered me her advice on getting started. One was to get an older sidesaddle - this one was made in 1880 in Kentucky. For that reason alone, I just love it.Sally also said I was going to need a "forward moving" horse. I was offered a Thoroughbred a few weeks ago and that was going to be my horse for this new venture, but Helen Four Legs is getting retrained as a jumper. I'm sure another horse will be along when the time is right. I'm not sure Spellbound, at 31, will put up with me trying to figure out how to ride sidesaddle on her.
The saddle needs some work - it has to be cleaned and oiled, I need a girth and new stirrup leathers and a stirrup. The lone stirrup for this thing actually only fits Chooj's foot!
And my friend Tracy has volunteered to make me a riding habit so there you go.
When I next return to South Carolina, Sally and I will get together for sidesaddle lessons. In the meantime, I'll be getting good advice via email from my friend Kimberly in Florida.
1 comment:
Congrats! I think you'll love riding sidesaddle. I'm a recent newcomer to riding aside as well and I'm definitely hooked!
I'm glad to read that you're going to be getting your saddle fixed up so it's safe. The one thing I noticed on your saddle is that it predates the invention of the "leaping horn". They made riding SS a lot safer and more secure. So just be careful in that saddle.
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