I recently wrote a scene for Book 5 of my “Realm” series, A Touch of Mercy, in which the heroine must ride side saddle and be unseated from the ride. Therefore, I spent a good deal of time checking other sources for details. Below, you find some of the facts I discovered. 

15th Century saddle

A pillion is a mostly British English term for a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a horse, motorcycle, bicycle or moped. A passenger in this seat is said to “ride pillion” or may themselves be referred to as a “pillion.” The word is derived from the Scottish Gaelic for a “little rug,” pillean, which is itself from the Latin pellis for “animal skin.” One or more pelts would often have been used as a secondary seat on horseback; the usage has carried over to motorcycles. A pillion was placed behind the man’s regular saddle for him to carry the woman behind him.

Facing to the side on the pillion placed the woman in a precarious position. The woman had no control over the horse, she was merely a passenger seated by the man. In the 9^th Century a planchette, a small footrest, was added to the pillion. The planchette improved balance, but the woman still had no control over the animal upon which she rode.

Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II, introduced this Classical Greek pillion with the attached planchette style to England in 1382, and it remained the standard for several centuries. Eventually, a raised cantle and a horn in the center front were added. In the 16^th Century, Catherine de Medici, Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France, insisted on changes to her side saddle. Catherine suggested a horn in the front over which to hook her knee and to face forward for the beginning changes. Later, she suggested a second horn to the left of the central one, which further improved balance.  She also had the planchette removed and replaced with the single slipper stirrup, which could be made of metal or wood and covered with fabric.

1799 side saddle

Two centuries passed before the side saddle saw additional changes. Unfortunately, the important changes occurred after the Regency Period. Regency ladies still suffered from frequent falls. Only the most expert horsewoman could maintain her balance over rough roads or with any speed. In addition, Regency side saddles sported a long leather skirt, which prevented the woman from controlling the horse with her leg and foot. The slipper stirrup often placed the woman in danger for it she fell from the saddle, she could be dragged behind the horse. It was also precarious to sit with one weight too far to the left. Balance remained an issue.

Toward the end of the eighteenth century some women, such as Catherine the Great and Marie Antoinette, chose to ride astride, but it was not popular among the nobility. Marie Antoinette relinquished the idea when she became queen. In 1805, a Milanese riding master, Federigo Mazzuchelli, made the ridiculous claim that women could not ride astride because they had more rounded thighs than men. Men and woman alike accepted Mazzuchelli’s assertion as the absolute truth. His book Scuola Equestre remained a popular and was widely circulated on the Continent.

Needless to say, women could not easily mount the side saddle without the assistance of a riding block or with a gentleman’s assistance. If she tried to pull herself into the saddle by catching the horn and hoisting herself up, the lady would likely find herself lying flat upon the floor. A woman would place her foot in the joined hands of her gentleman escort or the groom to be lifted to the saddle. Women always rode with an accompanying gentleman or a groom.

Behind the side saddle, it was common to place a heavy weight linen canvas to prevent slippage. The side saddle was also padded heavily to fit the specific horse. This protect the female rider and helped to prevent saddle galls, sores on the horse’s back caused by abrasions. Most Regency side saddles were customized for the women who rode upon them AND the horses who carried them.

Because the woman could not cue the horse equally on its right and left flanks, she normally carried a short whip or a thin leather-covered cane to cue the horse on the right. If the leather skirt was shortened, the lady could use a single spur on the left side. The riding habits Regency women wore often rose above the ankle and exposed skin if she rode too quickly. Such behavior would be considered scandalous. Therefore, women often sewed ribbons into the hems of their skirts to tie to their boots to keep the skirt tail in place. Again, this could place the woman in danger, especially if the ribbon wrapped itself about the spur or the slipper stirrup and the woman took an unexpected fall.

In 1830, Charles Pellier came up with the leaping head/horn. The leaping head was an additional pommel, which curved downward. Women placed their left knee under the leading head, which improved balance. Later improvements included a flatter seat, a safety stirrup (approximately 1850), and a balance or Sefton girth (1880).

The Oregon Regency Society has a wonderful post with FABULOUS diagrams of side saddles. Please visit http://oregonregency.blogspot.com/2011/09/riding-sidesaddle-very-horsey-post.html for more details, as does Christy English on English Historical Fiction Authors http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2012/10/noblewomen-and-horseback-riding-in.html .