Sidesaddle with guard rail?

[Sparrowette]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321148613328?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Found this while grazing around ebay. Certainly is strange. I’ve never seen anything like it. Would that rail make it safer or not? It’s certainly in rough shape, but unique…

Any thoughts?

[goodhors]

Guess it reduces the chance of falling off to the right, with no leaping horn to hold you in. But that would counter the reason for NOT having the leaping horn, easier, FASTER to get off the sidesaddle, should your horse go down. American ladies didn’t always ride groomed trails and roads, so rough ground did make chance for horse tripping rather common. With the leaping horn, you are pretty locked in place, hard to get off quickly should a horse fall.

I wouldn’t ride in a sidesaddle with that rail, don’t like it. Bet even WITH heavy clothing, if you got bounced in the saddle, landing on that rail would be EXTREMELY painful.

I expect it is one of MANY adaptations to saddles, trying to improve them, make them safer for riding, though this rail looks like a plan that wasn’t well thought out. Those reproductions of Sears catalog show a huge variety of saddle styles to choose from in sidesaddles.

[VTMorgan06]

A saddle like that was really not intended for “riding” but rather being lead or walking around on the horse. As ladies gained independence, began hunting, etc. the 2 pomel style saddle was introduced and ladies were able to truly ride aside.

[ThreeFigs]

I’m no expert, but I’d guess the saddle is older than claimed. I’ve seen photos of similar sidesaddles, but the “rail” was covered and had decorative fringes. Since this saddle has no leaping horn, the rail must have been intended as a safety device. Yikes.

[goodhors]

Actually, I don’t think that saddle is THAT old, probably early 1900’s, made well past the time the hunting saddles were developed for ladies riding aside. There were a LOT of ladies riding these inexpensive saddles, never hunted or wished to go hunting aside. They just needed a saddle to get them from here to there, in their local areas.

Again, the choice to NOT have a leaping horn on the saddle they purchased was common, for easier escape in a horse falling, lady managing things by herself. Farmers wife or daughter would have no grooms to handle things as lady got herself, clothing and skirts adjusted in the saddle. Ladies riding these saddles were NOT usually found in the high-style riding habits of the rich. They rode in their daily clothing, which often included petticoats and big yardage of fabric to get over the horn and legs. These style, one-horn models, were the “common” ladies saddles to be found. There were THOUSANDS made and sold for daily uses. Still rather common to find them locally, in old barns, storage sheds on old farms. They often look as bad or worse than the ebay saddle for sale.

[Loopy]

looks very old to me too, and not one I’d ever plonk my bottom onto. Give me my ‘modern’ Owens etc. any day.

[skydy]

Sidesaddlerider would probably know… :yes:

[ThreeFigs]

http://www.sidesaddlegirl.co.uk/2010/09/off-side-side-saddles.html

Interesting assortment of off-side sidesaddles – look down the page and there is one (Victorian) with that hoop arrangement.

Off to look for more!

[Alagirl]

[QUOTE=ThreeFigs;7055175]
http://www.sidesaddlegirl.co.uk/2010/09/off-side-side-saddles.html

Interesting assortment of off-side sidesaddles – look down the page and there is one (Victorian) with that hoop arrangement.

Off to look for more![/QUOTE]

cool link, but I am thinking the picture of Beatrix is flipped.

[ThreeFigs]

http://www.sidesaddle.com/reference_pages/saddletype.htm#ant

There is another example of a hooped saddle at the bottom of this page.

I noticed that, too, alagirl. I read several of that lady’s blogs and she prefers an offside saddle because of scoliosis. But it was confusing to see her nearside AND offside in the same blog photos.