Editing Sidesaddle (section)

==Sidesaddle today==

[[Image:ElizabethIItroopingcolour.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Queen Elizabeth II]], riding sidesaddle, [[Trooping the Colour]], 1986]]
While sidesaddles came to be regarded as a quaint [[anachronism]], some modern riders found new applications in the [[horse show]] ring, in [[historical reenactment]]s, and in [[parade]]s or other exhibitions. Specialty sidesaddle classes with either traditional equipment or period costume are popular in many [[equestrianism|equestrian]] disciplines, including [[dressage]], [[eventing]], [[show jumping]], [[western pleasure]], and [[saddle seat]]-style [[English pleasure]]. Many [[horse show]]s include sidesaddle classes, usually judged on manners and performance of the horse and rider, suitability of specific style, and appointments. 

Sidesaddle riding has also been revived in the [[fox hunting]] field, where the tradition is preserved by sidesaddle devotees. A small number of sidesaddle riders have also taken up [[steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechasing]] with the creation of several side saddle steeplechases in Britain<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-26|title=Dianas of the Chase side-saddle steeplechase 2015|url=https://www.thefield.co.uk/hunting/racing-hunting/dianas-of-the-chase-side-saddle-steeplechase-2015-30679|access-date=2019-04-15|website=The Field|language=en-US}}</ref> and the US.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mathieson|first=Amy|date=2015-04-09|title=Side saddle steeplechase to return to America thanks to Downton Abbey|url=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/us-side-saddle-race-480735|access-date=2019-04-15|website=Horse & Hound|language=en-US}}</ref> There have also been some [[Horse racing|flat racing]] competitions for sidesaddle riders.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mathieson|first=Amy|date=2015-08-22|title=Side-saddle race to take part at a racecourse for first time|url=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/side-saddle-race-to-take-part-at-a-racecourse-for-first-time-506886|access-date=2019-04-15|website=Horse & Hound|language=en-US}}</ref> 

Riders with certain types of physical [[disability|disabilities]] also find sidesaddles more comfortable than riding astride, and they are found useful by some people who have lost part of a leg. In addition, the sidesaddle has become a part of some [[Therapeutic horseback riding|therapeutic riding programs]], because the design of the saddle provides extra security to certain types of riders.

=== English classes ===

[[English riding|English]] sidesaddle classes are based on style and norms found in the hunting field before the Second World War. Dress, appointments, riding style, and even the type of horse used are all judged against a formalized standard for an "ideal" appearance. The riding habit in such classes is the formal attire found in the hunting field, starting with a coat and apron. The apron used is based on the open-sided safety apron developed in the late 19th century. The rider wears ordinary breeches or [[jodhpurs]], over which she will wear the apron, which can partially open in the back. The jacket is usually cut a bit longer than a standard riding jacket. A vest, shirt, choker or stock tie, gloves, boots, and riding breeches are similar to those used when riding astride. For classes on the flat, a [[Derby hat|derby]] or [[top hat]] is traditional. When jumping, however, tradition gives way to safety, and most riders use a modern [[equestrian helmet]], which is often mandatory equipment in competition rules.

The [[saddle seat]] variation of English sidesaddle, now seen almost exclusively in the [[United States]] in certain breed shows, allows riders to emulate the "Park" riders who rode flashy, high-stepping horses on the flat, often in public parks. The sidesaddle is essentially the same, and the rider may wear almost the same attire as the "hunt" version, an apron with breeches underneath, but with a coat having a noticeably longer cut, sometimes in bright colors, sometimes with a contrasting lining, and either a top hat or a derby. The shirt and vest will be of the style used in astride saddle seat classes, in that the vest will match either the coat or the coat lining, the shirt is a standard menswear dress shirt, and a [[Four-in-hand knot|"four-in-hand"]] tie is worn. When show rules permit, some saddle seat style riders adopt a period costume, often based on an antique riding habit from the [[Victorian era]].

=== Western classes ===
[[File:Half Arabian Ladies Western Sidesaddle (2668749735).jpg|thumb|Western sidesaddle class]]
The [[Western riding|western]] sidesaddle class is similar to the English class but with a sidesaddle having western design features, and riders wearing [[Western wear|western style clothing]]. Riders generally wear a western-styled apron with belt, worn over some type of breeches or pants, but a modified two-leg [[chaps]] design in leather or ultrasuede is sometimes seen, though not legal in some types of competition. Period costumes are also seen in the western show ring. Western riders usually wear a short [[bolero jacket|bolero]]-style jacket that matches the apron or skirt, often with elaborate decoration, gloves, [[cowboy boot]]s and a [[cowboy hat]].

A variation to western-style sidesaddle riding is use of [[Spain|Spanish]] or [[Mexico|Mexican]] style regalia, often based on historic designs.
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