There’s a wonderful post at the Oregon Regency Society by Stephanie Johansen about riding sidesaddle. Not only is she a member of the ORS, she’s a serious horsewoman. If you write anything that is historic, this is a great post. She also has a load of links to other useful resources.
So when trying to pursue becoming a sidesaddle rider, ladies need to keep in mind that fit and safety should be the two most important considerations when shopping for a sidesaddle. It is more important than authenticity, I’m afraid. So if you are a die-hard reenactor, I’m afraid it would not be advisable to have a saddle made to emulate the Regency period sidesaddle unless it had modern measures built in to compensate for the Regency design’s flaws. In fact, any saddle style prior to the Victorian sidesaddle would not be safe for you or for your horse. Even antique Victorian saddles, if you can find them, must fit your horse well enough as to prevent any issues, and may require modification.
You can read the full article at The Oregon Regency Society: Riding Sidesaddle; a very horsey post!.
Thanks Mary! 🙂