Okay, I got a response from the side saddle board.

But first, I wanted to clarify that YES, I know that many of the (at least young) women of the day (1800-1900), if they rode at all (and probably farm girls, at that), would probably just ride astride. And I know that the women who did ride side saddle were probably wealthy, esp if the cost of a side saddle was anything comparable to today's price.

The response: "A lady would never have been out riding alone during those times, they were always accompanied and would therefore always have had a helping hand. Being very well used to wearing costume myself, I should think it would be nigh on impossible to get on the horse safely wearing the long skirt. Only attempted in an emergency I should think!!!"

She also said that today's women who ride side saddle wear a split skirt covered by what they call an 'apron', that disguises the outfit and makes it look like they are wearing a dress. They mount as Benjammin describes above, then arrange their outfit as needed.

My reference to the first woman seen riding astride was was from two sources. The first was when I was reading a diary of a woman traveling west in a wagon train in 1852. The second was a reference in (I think) a book by Time/Life on the American West, where I am sure they were referring to passing the same small party that was heading east, and they mentioned that that was the first reference of a woman being SEEN riding astride, IIRC.

The women of the time seemed very careful to always be seen as ladies, or they wouldn't be able to catch a decent husband. But I'm sure that the farm girls wouldn't think anything of jumping on a horse or pony to deliver Pa's lunch to him in the north forty.

I can't remember the Laura Ingalls Wilder books well enough to know if she ever mentioned riding in any form.


"We concluded sidesaddle was for women who were more concerned with how they looked than whether they could actually accomplish anything on the back of a horse."

Side saddles are different than a regular saddle with a high horn (although I'm sure many women of the days used those as a side saddle). The major turning-point was a design of the 1830s that added a second pommel that made all the difference in the world for women's comfort and control of the horse. Of course, no woman was using a side saddle or riding side saddle while roping cows, etc.

One accomplishment of a woman riding the "new" sidesaddle was a woman in England who was participating in show jumping, and cleared a 6'6" fence in 1915. (This is a real feat to me, as I can fall off a horse if they just stop suddenly...)

But when it comes right down to it, if the woman was alone, I guess she could just scamble aboard any way she could, then wiggle around and rearrange her clothing as needed for a decorous return to town.

I just thought there might be a secret to which I was not party.

Sue