page_title: Sidesaddle
section_title: Fitting
hierarchical_section_title: Sidesaddle / Equipment / Fitting
caption_attribution_description: English: Fitting a sidesaddle to a rider: Yellow line is how to measure length, orange line shows that width is measured across the widest part of the seat, and the lavender line shows measurement of the "neck" or "twist" - the narrowest part of the seat
context_page_description: Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider 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.
context_section_description: The saddle must fit horse and rider.  The sidesaddle tree differs from an astride tree, most notably by the structure of the pommels but also due to a much longer saddle point on the left side of the saddle.  Horses are fitted in a manner similar to that of a regular saddle; the gullet must clear the withers, and the bars of the saddle should be the proper width to be comfortable on the horse.  The seat is measured for the rider in three places:  Length, from the front of the fixed pommel to the end of the cantle; width across the widest part of the seat; and the distance across the narrowest part of the seat, called the "neck".  To determine the correct seat length, which is based on the length of the rider's femur, a person sits on a stool or chair with their back and hips against a wall or flat surface, and the length of a saddle is ideally one inch longer than the distance from the wall to the back of the person's knee.  Riders can more easily manage a saddle that is a bit too large than one that is too small, though a too-large saddle may leave the rider with an insecure seat.
caption: A sidesaddle is measured by length and two width measurements, "neck" and "seat"
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