"is reversed and allows the rider to sit with their legs to the off (right) side. In spite of having both legs to the side of the horse, properly positioned riders sit on the horse facing forward, with their spine centered in the saddle perpendicular to that of the horse, with weight balanced equally on both buttocks. The seat must be wide enough to accommodate the rider's offside thigh as well as buttocks. A sidesaddle is comparatively flat from front to rear. Many have a small curved pommel and a long, raised cantle on the off side to support the"
"Saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other creatures. It is not known precisely when riders first began to use some sort of padding or protection, but a blanket attached by some form of surcingle or girth was probably the first ""saddle"", followed later by more elaborate padded designs. The solid saddle tree was a later invention, and though early stirrup designs predated the"
"the upper flap is called the saddle flap (or, simply and appropriately, the ""flap""). The flaps sit between the rider's leg and the horse's side and protects the horse from being pinched by the stirrup leather or girth, and the rider's leg from being chafed by the girth buckles. On some saddles it is also specially padded to protect or support the rider's knee. The differences between the styles of English saddle are small but significant. The most important distinctions are the location and therefore the balance of the seat, and the flap length and shape. A saddle used for"
"which can hit a rider in the buttocks and push the seat too far forward when jumping all but the smallest fences. The jumping saddle, sometimes called a ""forward seat"" or ""close contact"" saddle, is designed for show jumping, hunt seat equitation, foxhunting, and the show jumping and cross-country phases of eventing. Its most distinctive feature is a forward-cut flap that allows for a shorter stirrup length (although not as short as racing stirrups). The flap often has supportive padded knee rolls, especially for show jumping and cross-country, less so for equitation. The balance of the seat is further back"
"Girth (tack) A girth, sometimes called a cinch (Western riding), is a piece of equipment used to keep the saddle in place on a horse or other animal. It passes under the barrel of the equine, usually attached to the saddle on both sides by two or three leather straps called billets. Girths are used on Australian and English saddles, while western saddles and many pack saddles have a cinch, which is fastened to the saddle by a single wide leather strap on each side, called a latigo. Although a girth is often enough to keep a well-fitting saddle in"
"Sidesaddle Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider (usually female) to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse in a modest fashion while also wearing fine clothing. It has retained a specialty niche even in the modern world. The earliest depictions of women riding with both legs on the same side of the horse can be seen in Greek vases, sculptures, and Celtic stones."
"shafts from beneath. For display, a saddle pad may be placed beneath the saddle; historically in England a saddle pad, also called ""housing"" or ""saddle cloth"", was shaped to match the contour of the saddle, in the manner of an English numnah today. For heavy use, the saddle may be six or more inches long, front to back. For very light use, saddle and girth may be replaced by a surcingle. The harness saddle has at least two lines of evolution, both departures from the very ancient throat-and-girth harness . One line was developed as a refinement of that harness"
"Saddle chair A saddle chair uses the same principles in its design as an equestrian saddle. It is equipped with a chair base on casters and a gas cylinder for adjusting the correct sitting height. The casters enable moving around and reaching out for objects while sitting. Some saddle chairs have backrests, but most do not. Riding-like sitting on a saddle chair differs from sitting on a conventional chair. Saddle chair users sit 20–30 cm higher, which puts the hips and the knees into a 135° angle, compared to the 90° angle typically associated with sitting on a traditional chair."
"found that initially saddle chairs were liked better, but the difference leveled off over time. Saddle chair A saddle chair uses the same principles in its design as an equestrian saddle. It is equipped with a chair base on casters and a gas cylinder for adjusting the correct sitting height. The casters enable moving around and reaching out for objects while sitting. Some saddle chairs have backrests, but most do not. Riding-like sitting on a saddle chair differs from sitting on a conventional chair. Saddle chair users sit 20–30 cm higher, which puts the hips and the knees into a"
"back cinch, made of several thicknesses of leather, is held on by a simple heavy leather billet on each side of the saddle that buckles just tight enough to touch the underside of the horse, but not tight enough to provoke discomfort or bucking. At the belly midline, the front and back cinches are joined by a light belly strap, called a cinch hobble, that prevents the back cinch from moving too far back. A saddle that has only a cinch in the front is ""single rigged"". A saddle that has both a front cinch and a back cinch (sometimes"
"the back of the horse. Initially the stock saddle was a ""park"" style saddle similar to the modern English showing saddle, with low set knee rolls and short flaps. However, this style of saddle did not suit the rugged Australian terrain and did little protect the rider’s legs from sweat. Thus the flaps were lengthened, thigh and knee pads added, the seat deepened and the cantle raised. A saddlemaker named Jack Wieneke developed a design that was popular for a number of years, but the design over time became too extreme and lost favour to more conservative styles. During the"
"with preexisting back or hip problems are more comfortable in a treeless saddle due to the extra padding, adjustability and shock absorption. Treeless saddles have started to become popular in horse therapy and hippotherapy for this reason. Saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other creatures. It is not known precisely when riders first began to use some sort of padding or protection, but"
"saddle was adorned with gilt-bronze, arc-shaped ornaments that were attached to the wooden cantles. The saddle mainly consisted of two bows, in the front and the rear, which would have had straps that looped under the accompanying part of the horse for stability. These bows had a section dedicated to decoration that was reinforced by a thick, heavy outer frame and a thick, lower arc for buckles. Only the rear bow had a special middle piece that was completely missing from the front bow. The rear bow appeared to be less extravagant and lacked decoration, indicating this was an afterthought,"
"sidesaddle has only one stirrup leather, and two pommels: the fixed pommel (sometimes called a ""horn"" or ""head"") and the ""leaping horn"" or ""leaping head"". Although there are some sidesaddles that lack a leaping horn, they are not considered safe by modern standards. Both pommels allow the rider to stay in place, even when jumping. In fact, it may be difficult for the rider to be thrown free should the horse fall. The vast majority of sidesaddles are designed so riders sit with both legs on the near (left) side of the horse, though occasionally a sidesaddle is found that"
"Saddle Seat Equitation competition restricted to riders of horses of each particular breed. Crabtree, Helen. ""Saddle Seat Equitation."" DoubleDay; Revised edition, 1982. Saddle seat Saddle Seat is a style of horseback riding within the category of English riding that is designed to show off the high action of certain horse breeds. The style developed into its modern form in the United States, and is also seen in Canada and South Africa. To a much lesser extent, it is ridden with American action horse breeds in Europe and Australia. The goal of the saddle seat riding style is to show off"
"single pommel sidesaddle that was used into mid-19th century is now regarded as creating an insufficiently secure seat for safe riding. Most sidesaddles have a regular girth or cinch, an overgirth that holds the flaps down, and most have either a back cinch or a balancing strap to hold the saddle down in the back and provide additional stability. A breastcollar can be added to stabilize the saddle, and, though seen less often, a crupper. There are few differences in the bridles used for sidesaddle and astride riding. Because riders' hands are farther from the horse's mouth as the riders"
"pony saddles frequently being attached directly to the point of the front arch of the tree; this is known as a ""forward point"". The traditional position of the old style show rider was to ride with the feet placed forward, and the seat pushed back, which was once thought to encourage more action and to make the horse look as if it has a longer front end. Modern competitors are starting a trend to a more classical position, with the leg placed underneath their body and their hips over their heel, a position more forgiving on the horse's back that"
"vertical, mounted approximately 10 degrees left of top dead center and curved gently to the right and up. The rider’s right leg goes around the upright, or ""fixed"" pommel, which supports the right thigh of the rider when it is lying across the top center of the saddle. The lower right leg rests along the shoulder of the left (near) side of the horse and up against the second pommel (called the ""leaping head"" or ""leaping horn."") which lies below the first on the left of the saddle. It is mounted about 20 degrees off the top of the saddle."
"the pommel and cantle on the seat on the saddle, though the seat can be altered to fit a rider by adding padding and other materials to a far greater degree than the fit of the saddle tree's bars on a horse. A wider gullet sits lower on the horse, while a narrow gullet sits higher and is designed to fit horses with higher withers. The bars form the primary loading surface of the saddle as it site on the horse's back. A horse with a flat back and widely sprung ribs will require bars with a flatter pitch than"
"of today's English saddle. Both the Scythians and Assyrians used pads with added felt attached with a surcingle or girth around the horse's barrel for increased security and comfort. Xenophon mentioned the use of a padded cloth on cavalry mounts as early as the 4th century BC. The saddle with a solid framework, or ""tree"", provided a bearing surface to protect the horse from the weight of the rider, but was not widespread until the 2nd century AD. However, it made a critical difference, as horses could carry more weight when distributed across a solid saddle tree. A solid tree,"
"practice was to ride with longer stirrups, and the feet pushed out in front, so this was not a problem. The English hunting saddle is the predecessor of all English-type riding saddles. As the sports of show jumping and eventing became more popular, saddle shape changed. Caprilli, Santini, and Toptani developed the ""forward seat,"" in which the rider uses shorter stirrups and keeps his legs under him as he rode in two-point, with his seat bones hovering above the saddle. The shorter stirrup required a more forward flap, to match the greater knee angle of the rider. The protruding stirrup"
"elephant and castle is also used in the Order of the Elephant, the highest order in Denmark, since 1693. Howdah A howdah, or houdah (Hindi: हौदा ""haudā""), derived from the Arabic هودج (hawdaj), that means ""bed carried by a camel"", also known as ""hathi howdah"" (हाथी हौदा), is a carriage which is positioned on the back of an elephant, or occasionally some other animal such as camels, used most often in the past to carry wealthy people or for use in hunting or warfare. It was also a symbol of wealth for the owner and as a result was decorated"
"to the horse. The billets of most dressage saddles are very long, to allow the girth to be buckled near the horse's elbow rather than underneath the rider's leg (which would get in the way of giving effecting leg aids). However, some dressage saddles come with shorter billets. The saddle seat saddle, also sometimes called a ""Park,"" ""Lane Fox"" or ""cutback,"" is a variation on the English show saddle. It is seen most often in the USA and Canada, but also on occasion in South Africa and other parts of the world. It is used most often on the high-action"
"Howdah A howdah, or houdah (Hindi: हौदा ""haudā""), derived from the Arabic هودج (hawdaj), that means ""bed carried by a camel"", also known as ""hathi howdah"" (हाथी हौदा), is a carriage which is positioned on the back of an elephant, or occasionally some other animal such as camels, used most often in the past to carry wealthy people or for use in hunting or warfare. It was also a symbol of wealth for the owner and as a result was decorated with expensive gemstones. Most notable are the Golden Howdah, the one used in display at the Napier Museum at"
"Pack saddle A pack saddle is any device designed to be secured on the back of a horse, mule, or other working animal so it can carry heavy loads such as luggage, firewood, small cannons or other weapons too heavy to be carried by humans. Ideally the pack saddle rests on a saddle blanket or saddle pad to spread the weight of the saddle and its burden on the pack animal's back. The underside of the pack saddle is designed to conform well to the shape of the pack animal's back. It is typically divided into two symmetrical parts separated"
"the past, when the sidesaddle was common, it was recommended to frequently change from one side to another, to prevent irregular development of thigh muscles, especially in girls who start riding in childhood; this would be impossible with the usual modern design of sidesaddle, unless the rider had available two sidesaddles, one left-sided and one right-sided. Sidesaddle Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider (usually female) to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as"
"only piece of equipment placed on a horse's back, attached with a strap or rope, used primarily to protect the rider. Over time, the blanket developed into a pad, and later the pad or blanket became a buffer and support for a saddle. Saddle blanket The terms saddle blanket, saddle pad (or numnah), and saddle cloth refer to blankets, pads or fabrics inserted under a saddle. These are usually used to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and protect the horse's back. There are lighter types of saddle cloth, such as the shabrack, used primarily for decorative purposes, often placed over"
"Forelock The forelock or foretop is a part of a horse's mane, that grows from the animal's poll and falls forward between the ears and onto the forehead. Some breeds, particularly pony breeds, have a naturally thick forelock, while other breeds, such as many Thoroughbreds, have a thinner forelock. Primitive wild equines such as the Przewalski's horse with a naturally short, upright mane generally have no hair falling forward onto the forehead. Other equidae such as donkeys and zebras, have no discernible forelock at all. Little research has been published on the purpose of the forelock. However, the thick forelock"
"definition the col of the saddle. A saddle is the lowest area between two highlands (prominences or peaks) but has two wings which span the divide (the line between the two prominences) by crossing the divide at an angle, so is concurrently the local highpoint of the land surface which falls off in the down direction. That is, the drainage divide is a ridge along the high point of the saddle, as well as between the two peaks so defines the major reference axis. A saddle can vary from a sharp narrow gap to a broad comfortable sway-backed shallow valley"
"encourages better movement. The traditional English showing saddle is not used by these riders, and instead a more modern dressage-like saddle is used, with a more vertically cut flap. There sometimes is slight padding in these saddles, providing extra support, and the horses themselves are often shown in leaner, more athletic condition. The American-style Saddle Seat position, set behind the horse's center of balance, somewhat resembles the old-style show position, though the modern rider remains balanced over the stirrups. The sidesaddle was used by women from approximately the 14th through 19th centuries, when a combination of long skirts and social"
"Saddle blanket The terms saddle blanket, saddle pad (or numnah), and saddle cloth refer to blankets, pads or fabrics inserted under a saddle. These are usually used to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and protect the horse's back. There are lighter types of saddle cloth, such as the shabrack, used primarily for decorative purposes, often placed over the top of a more utilitarian pad. Saddle blankets have been used for many centuries with all types of saddles. Some are a single thickness, others are made to be folded and used with a double thickness. Although a pad or blanket cannot"
"Ages, as knights needed saddles that were stronger and offered more support. The resulting saddle had a higher ""cantle"" and ""pommel"" (to prevent the rider from being unseated in warfare) and was built on a wooden tree that supported more weight from a rider with armor and weapons. This saddle, a predecessor to the modern Western saddle, was originally padded with wool or horsehair and covered in leather or textiles. It was later modified for cattle tending and bullfighting in addition to the continual development for use in war. Other saddles, derived from earlier, treeless designs, sometimes added solid trees"
"very low withers, making it far more difficult for a saddle to stay in place. Withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle are normally measured to the top of the hips. The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the 3rd through 11th thoracic vertebrae (most horses have 18 thoracic vertebrae), which are unusually long in this"