Sidesaddle lessons are available at Sweetwater Equestrian Center. We teach using our equipment and horses; however if you own a horse and sidesaddle, arrangements can be made.

Sidesaddle riding is a form of riding where a person sits with both legs on the same side of the horse, often referred to as aside riding. The earliest functional “sidesaddle” was credited to Anne of Bohemia (1366–1394). Around 1830 the sidesaddle went through a transformation from just having an upper horn, to also having a leaping horn. (The upper horn is the part of the saddle whereby a lady wraps her right leg around it and it then drapes on the left side of the horse. ) The impact of the second horn, the leaping horn, was evolutionary as it allowed women a much better level of stability and indeed mobility. The leaping horn allows women the ability to stay on for all of a horse’s gaits and even jumping.

Gael Orr is a certified instructor with the American Sidesaddle Association. You may visit their website to learn more about sidesaddle riding, or schedule a lesson today!