Do you know how sidesaddle came to be?
One of the most historically famous ways to ride a horse is sidesaddle. Not only is it one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is rich with history as well. In the beginning, only men rode horses while women were their passengers, often sitting behind their male counterpart on a cushion or blanket, being as modest as possible. The sidesaddle was created in order to allow women to ride horses themselves. Originally, the first sidesaddle looked similar to a bench on the horses back. The "saddles" allowed women to ride while remaining modest with their knees together and their large dresses covering their legs. Some say women started riding as early as 1382, as this is when Princess Ann rode sidesaddle to marry King Richard II. Over the years, sidesaddles evolved and became much more comfortable for women. This meant women could gallop, hunt, and even jump if they wished while still being able to keep up with their male counterparts. However, ladies riding horses was still very much an upper class endeavor until the 1850's. Then, it was not until almost the 1880's that an outfit was designed specifically for women to ride. It was not until the 20th century that it became acceptable for women to wear pants. Today, women across the globe enjoy riding aside in competitions, parades, expositions, and for fun in order to help preserve the history and tradition of a beautifully challenging discipline.