Sidesaddle: Saddles Archives - Black Diamond Designs

Sidesaddle Terminology

Sidesaddle, like most things, comes with its own terminology and “stuff”. Check out the BRIEF descriptions of commonly used terms below.

Saddles, Tack

Balance Strap: This leather strap buckles like a girth near the stirrup iron, runs on top of the regular girth (under the horse’s belly) and attaches toward the back of the saddle on the other side of the saddle. When riding aside it is an important piece of tack that enhances safety for the rider and a more comfortable experience for the horse.
Chape: The piece of material (leather, nylon, etc.) that goes around a buckle and is stitched to the main body of the tack. Think – how the buckles are attached to your girth.
Fixed Head: The protruding piece on the top of any sidesaddle (compared to the one below it). This piece is fixed to the sidesaddle and should never wiggle or move.
Leaping Head: The protruding piece under the Fixed Head of a sidesaddle. This piece can often be unscrewed/removed easily in order to be replaced or reshaped to fit the rider’s thigh.
Near-side Sidesaddle: The more commonly seen style of sidesaddle, this saddle has the leaping and fixed head on the left side of the horse’s body, meaning the rider’s legs fall to the left side of the horse.
Off-side Sidesaddle: A less common style of sidesaddle, this saddle has the leaping and fixed head on the RIGHT side of the horse’s body, meaning the rider’s legs fall to the RIGHT side of the horse. It never hurts to note that off-side saddles require a special apron for the rider.
Tri-Fold Girth: A girth that attaches to the saddle with two buckles on both ends, just as many modern girths do. The difference is that a Tri-Fold is a thinner piece of leather folded three times, then stitched together. This is the construction method historically used to make a grith and is most appropriate in historical presentation-type situations.
Plaited: A style of leather work where the leather is braided as opposed to in one piece.
Queen: Used to help position the right thigh (in a near-sided saddle, left in an off-side saddle) into the proper place to allow for a comfortable and correct position. Typically fits over the fixed head of the sidesadde and buckles under the leaping head iron.
Sidesaddle Iron: the stirrup! With a sidesaddle there is only one “iron” as opposed to two “stirrups”.

Rider, Attire, Events, Etc.

Appointments Class: A common class offered when showing sidesaddle, the Appointments Class is a flat class (walk, trot, canter) that requires you to emulate the historical turnout of a lady in the hunt field. Carrying a hunt whip, rain gloves, and a sandwich case are just a few of the requirements. It is imperative to read the USEF rulebook for the full requirements and description of the class if you are interested in competing.
Aside vs Astride: when you are riding in a sidesaddle it is called “riding aside” – you have both legs on one side of the horse. The opposite would be “riding astride” – with one leg on each side of the horse.
Apron: The “skirt” worn when riding aside; it covers the legs and waist. Historically it was to preserve the ladies’ modist appearance and keep her warm while out hunting.
Habit: The outfit worn by a sidesaddle rider – typically refers to the apron (skirt) and jacket.

Please note – this list is a work in progress. If you think of a term worth defining – drop me a note!

The Illsley Foam Rubber Seat on a Sidesaddle

Do you have a side-saddle that the seat feels like it is filled with fish tank gravel? (That is the best description I can come up with!)

It is/was likely the Illsley Foam Rubber Seat – felt similar to memory foam in its original state.

I have a Whippy with a very soft Illsley seat and it’s a dream to sit in. They have to be cared for in a specific way or they dry out. I’ve only ever seen the one I have that is still soft.

Another clue is often the red dust coming out of the cracks around the fixed head. As you can see in the picture the foam is a reddish-orange color.

My Whippy is starting the long process of being rebuilt. It is going to be a practice for me in many aspects. The first is how to carefully remove this old material. I have heard from others who have done it that it is no fun at all, but I do love these saddles and this is one that was kindly donated to my education, so no rush or pressure.

Just thought I would share in case anyone wondered why their seat feels a certain way. I have seen this much more frequently on Whippy saddles but have also witnessed on other makes as well. Just overwhelmingly on Whippy’s.

A Wykeham Pad on a Sidessaddle

This pad was patented in 1904 and apparently was rather popular when first introduced. It works really well on the wide flat-backed horses.

Unfortunately, it isn’t a great solution for the A-framed-shaped TB types we typically see here in the US. This is why it isn’t an easy answer for a saddle that is missing its panel.

These pads need to be custom-made and shaped to each horse, and while shims can be sewn to them (as seen on this pad) they aren’t able to be altered like the flock in a wool paneled saddle.

These pads did have a channel down the middle (with ventilation holes as seen in the pictures) but as you can imagine- there isn’t the spine clearance on these as you get with the wide gullets found on our modern saddles.

One nice feature was the ability for a lady to have a saddle top that fit her well, and then numerous different Wykeham pads for her different horses. These pads were relatively easy to swap out with the points of the saddle sliding into the leather pockets as seen in the pictures.

A tab that attached at the cantle and then a few other buckles for securing them together. And no you aren’t crazy- this is a Wykeham for an offside saddle.

This particular pad has had linen attached to it to give the appearance of panels. I don’t know when or exactly why this was done (I purchased it this way) but that was commonly done to give the appearance of a panel.

These Wykeham pads were also made for astride saddles, but I have only ever seen the side-saddle version.

The two pictures below are of a traditional wool panel off the saddle. I included them for comparison purposes.

Hope that information is helpful to explain when and why these may be a good or not-so-good choice for a saddle that happens to be missing its “bottom”.

Sidesaddle Stirrup Assembly – Buyer Beware

When things aren’t what they appear…

I glanced at this saddle (image below) that was recently on the market and noticed something not quite right about the stirrup assembly. It’s backwards!

This is backwards on a near-sided saddle. So if it were my saddle, I would be sure to use a safety iron with it.

Now this isn’t something that everyone would notice, but to someone who handles these saddles on a regular basis, it’s glaringly obvious. The reason I point this out is because there is a safety issue with it and a solution for it, but someone needs to be aware of it.

The solution is simple- you need to treat this like it is a roller fitting and not a safety fitting. So use a safety iron. I have included a picture of the correct orientation so people can understand how the Mayhew patent works – see below.

If the lady goes backwards or to the offside- the bar would open under her weight and the entire safety fitting leather and iron would be released from the saddle. She wouldn’t get hung up in the iron and potentially drug. It’s why these safety mechanisms were invented and used. Some work better than others but they all are for safety purposes.

With this pointing the opposite way than was intended it would not necessarily open thus creating a potential drag situation if the rider’s foot were to get trapped in the iron.

I hope these examples are educational – sometimes we need to pay particular attention to the small details to be sure we are as safe as we think we are.

**Above is the correct orientation and the way the safety assembly was intended to be used.**

The Blocked Head on a Sidesaddle

This is the fixed head off of a 1908 Champion and Wilton sidesaddle. Sadly this saddle is beyond repair (yes there is such a thing) but I spent the money and bought the remains of it for the example of a blocked head.

Per Nick Creaton, the blocked head was developed in 1892 and improved upon in 1893 along with the split-flap design. I have only ever seen these heads on C&W saddles (with one exception), and Roger Philpot once told me if you see one you can be assured the saddle was from around the 1912 timeframe (1900-1920 when I asked for a reference). I don’t know why they weren’t seen much after that. It actually was a pretty neat concept but I imagine many didn’t find it appealing.

The one exception is a lovely 1923 saddle built by an independent saddler on a Hunter & Son tree. It was sold to me as a C&W but it wasn’t. But it was still a lovely saddle and is in use by a wonderful member of our sidesaddle community. I will admit recently reaching out to her asking her to contact me if it’s ever for sale again – I liked it that much!

Anyway, the blocked head offers a nice support to the right calf region to allow added stability, especially over a large fence. More surface area to press the leg against equals greater points of contact which should equate to greater stability. I did find this to be the case, but many others I have asked who have ridden in blocked head saddles didn’t notice a difference. A lovely feature that likely added hours of skilled labor to the production of the saddle itself. A beautiful example of craftsmanship in my opinion.

I know some saddles like the one above really can’t go back into circulation for use due to the damage to the tree and metalwork but I am slowly building an educational collection and would love to have examples of the various features to share at events like Camp Leaping Horn. If you have pictures or own an example I would love to hear from you – email me.

The Doeskin Seat on a Sidesaddle

A person reached out to me asking how to care for her doeskin seat that appears to be wanting to crack.

She said it does feel dry but didn’t want to put anything on it.

I understand this concern!!!!! You don’t want to ruin it, but if it feels like paper, it does need conditioning.

The following is what I do. It’s not perfect but it has worked for me on many occasions:

I recently acquired a beautiful Owen with a dry seat. The seller told me it was dry and I knew I could help it. It’s a slow process and the worst thing you can do is ride in a seat that is dry. It will crack and tear.

Personally, my favorite product for the doeskin is the CWD conditioner. Yes, I know it’s $30 a jar… and they charge a ridiculous amount for shipping, but I stock up on Black Friday when they typically have their things on sale. It is a creme gel that in my experience darkens the doeskin the least. I have trialed other products, but this is my favorite for this purpose. Some have asked my 2nd favorite. Effax conditioner in the brown tub container.

I do several coats with my fingers rubbing it in circles on the seat and the heads. One perk of doing this in the winter is my hands can usually use moisturizing as well!

I let it sit for several days between coats and then will ride in the saddle even with the conditioner on it.

After I have ridden in it and I feel it is more supple then I will clean it with leather therapy and a credit card to scrape the yuck off if I feel it needs it. Not all saddles need it but if it has so much dirt and conditioner accumulated that it feels like a leather seat, it’s best to clean it.

How do I know what size girth & balance strap I need for my horse?

By far the most frequently asked question I get is: How do I know what size girth and balance strap I need for my horse?

You can not just go by your astride girth as side-saddle billets tend to be shorter, have less wiggle room than astride saddles, and don’t typically use elastic. The easiest way is to test with a girth that is too short and add girth extenders. But I know that isn’t always possible. Here is an easy thing you can do using materials typically found in most barns. Let me be clear- this is for MEASURING only. NOT FOR RIDING. This is not a safe setup for riding and I do not encourage people to use stirrup leathers as a temporary balance strap.

Supplies needed:

(2) old stirrup leathers
Duct tape
zip ties or bailing twine
Tape measure
(2) 1” buckle (could be from old girth, old stirrup leathers, or anything old that has 1” buckles on it).

Take the 1” buckles and secure them tail-end to tail-end. Make sure they are secure as if not they will pop apart when you go to tighten your “girth”. You can use multiple pieces of duct tape, bailing twine or zip ties are great for this!

Use this buckle piece to attach 2 stirrup leathers together so there is a buckle on either end.

Attach one end to one billet and the other end to the other side. In the case of balance girth measuring- one to the front balance billet and then to the rear balance billet on the opposite side. (I am not using near or off side someone might be using this for an offside saddle). You may need to punch holes in the stirrup leathers unless using really short ones.

Make sure your horse is done puffing and tighten again before taking a final measurement. This is a common mistake. People frequently ask for girths that are too long. I encourage people to measure from 2nd hole on from the bottom to 2nd hole on the bottom for a girth. And from 2nd hole on the short balance billet to 1/3 to midway up on the long (offside on a near side saddle) balance billet. This helps ensure there is enough room to tighten especially if you use these girths hunting! Sometimes people have to use a girth extender on one buckle to get the girth started. This is okay as long as you prepare for that and have one handy.

Take the stirrup leathers off and measure tongue to tongue on the buckles. The tongue is the metal tab that inserts into the billet as seen in the photo above.

This is the most accurate measurement and the one I like to work from best. The girth in the pictures would be 58” tongue to tongue. That’s a really big girth by the way!

Some additional hints: Your girth and your balance strap are not always the same length. I have seen them be up to 4” different. It all depends on the shape of your horse and billet placement on the saddle. If you have outer girthing on your side-saddle you will want to be more accurate in where your girth and balance strap buckles line up. Ideally, they should be within the same plane when viewing the horse from the side. It’s most pleasing to see.