Pony pictures!

[flick]

It wasn't entirely sunny today, but Mike took a few pictures with his phone of us with the new side saddle.

GB is definitely more comfortable and forward with it, which is good, and I think I did ok....

(Photos would, of course, be better if it wasn't slightly dull, and if the pictures weren't of a dark horse carrying a dark-clothed rider, against mostly dark-green background, as with this user pic, for example!)


It is, of course, very important to be elegant and lady-like at all times when riding aside....


These are about the best we managed, showing the two sides:

(I really need to clean my riding boots. I do *try* to only wear them for riding, but there always seems to be some reason (such as another horse's arse) why I need to walk over the grassmud when I'm leading him to the school.)
I'm quite pleased with the effect of the nice new saddle cloth: the colour looks well on him, and with the saddle. Of course, the saddle being brown means that if I were ever to show him using it I'd have to get, sigh, a new bridle....

And one of Mike, just to prove that he does occasionally, briefly, ride GB too!

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. Knowing nothing, I'd always assumed there was only one post on a side-saddle, which you'd put your top leg around and then hook the foot of it under your other leg (under your flowing skirts, obviously), and thus secure your grip. Evidently, and not surprisingly, I was entirely wrong...

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Have you seen a Roman cavalry saddle? They had curved posts on both sides that you wedged your legs under - this meant that you could use a spear even though you didn't have stirrups.

Side saddle is incredibly secure and some horse go better in a side-saddle, though with most the problem is keeping the weight off the horse's loins.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

The design you're thinking off is the pre-1830s saddle, which is much less secure. (The second horn, the one that gives the rider stability, is not called the 'leaping head' for nothing.) In medieval times, sidesaddles were little more than a flat cushion, which made the extremely unsafe; then they became more useful, and with the redesign, even suitable for the hunting field.

<watches desperance squirrel away knowledge>

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

As green_knight said, they were like that at one time. The skirts mostly hide the workings, though.

(And, yes, now available for side saddle info for plotting purposes!)

[asphodeline.livejournal.com]

I've often wondered about hte "workings" of a side saddle - it looks more secure than I'd thought. Lovely photos - all very handsome beasties!!

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

It's incredibly secure: once they got the 'modern' saddle design, with the two heads, the biggest problem was with horses falling over, the rider not coming off, and the horse crushing her. They they invented safety stirrups, which made things much better!

The theory is that you grip the top head with your leg, and use the lower one only in emergencies / when jumping (hence it's called the 'leaping head'). I'm not yet up to that, and have a habit of gripping it all the time to make myself feel safer, but we'll get there....

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

You have a lovely position in this - you look very balanced and comfortable.

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it's true, but thank you!

I feel safe, which probably helps: I know my horse, and much though he is an evil little shit at times, he's *my* evil little shit, and very predictable in what will and won't bother him, so I don't have to worry about him bucking or spooking or anything that might lead me to feel insecure.

Still need to work on keeping my seat straight, though. Hopefully, I'll get there!

[guybles.livejournal.com]

I see you enjoy having your photo taken as much as ever.

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

Oh, indeed: just as much as ever.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

That nearside photo is a lovely leg position - nice straight stirrup!

It's always worth getting someone to photo or film you from time to time - it's much easier to see what you need to work on (somewhere I have a film of me failing to sit a buck... but at least I learned how to avoid it next time!)

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

One thing I would like is a mirrored arena. Ah well, such is life.