# anyone ever ridden in a skirt?



## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Just curious. I don't know if it would be a safety hazard. I have a long flowy skirt that I would like to wear but I am always out with the horses and I ride so just wondering.


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## Brithorse1996 (May 25, 2010)

To be honest i think it would be extremly uncomfortable and you would be sore in certain ares for a long time =P


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I've ridden bareback in skirts before. I don't like wearing them with a saddle though, because I fear that something will get caught if I fall and I'll get dragged. Also, chafing...Ouch... Yeah. I'm just going to stick with bareback.


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

I rode in a dress for my wedding.

Holly and Patrick's Wedding - BabyFacePhotos' Photos

A couple of girls that used my horses for a parade wore skirts, and they rode astride. Their skirts were very long and covered most of the rump behind the saddle. I don't know anyone that does it a lot though, I think it gets in the way more than anything.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

LUCKY!
I just got married and I wore this BEAUTIFUL dress. It was extremely long and I honestly had some troubles walking on it. I wanted to have pictures with my horse but my mom(she bought my dress) told me I wasn't allowed to wear it with my horse cause I would ruin it and she isn't tall enough...she would trip as well...here is a picture of my dress.



















the first one was takin by my husband's mom and the last one was taken by my friend 

I have to wait for the professional ones


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

That sure is a beautiful dress Gidget, you guys look very happy together.

As for riding in a skirt apart from the things mentioned by the others, chafe, pinching, if your horse is used to wearing a cover it shoulden't be a problem.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

tehehe i rode in a skirt for halloween, but i had riding pants underneath 
I would be scared of saddle sore in tender places! XD


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

If my cutoffs are dirty I will wear these kind of skirts bareback. I don't like..wear them out in public, though. lol. I just wear them back on our trails.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I am like brighteyes, I would worry about it getting caught on something and getting dragged. It probably doesn't help that I would rather have fleas than wear a dress, though, huh? LOL.


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## Deerly (Apr 18, 2010)

Thanks for asking this! I want to ride bareback for some photos in a long flouncy skirt and was wondering about the level of weird glances I'd get, lol! You could wear pants or something underneath to make you more comfortable if it's real riding riding and not just posing.


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## Deerly (Apr 18, 2010)

FlitterBug!!! Your photos are amazing! I love how your horse was such an integral part of your wedding and ceremony! Gorgeous!!!!


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

alright...i might wear some leggings under it..no one will see. I thought it would be nice to have a nice long skirt and little tank top or something during the summer...


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

Thanks Deerly, when I met my husband, he knew he was getting a package deal!

Also, the other girls that I knew that rode in a parade had skirts that were long enough that they could fold them under from the front, so they didn't have any chafing problems.


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

Personally, I wouldn't do it in a western saddle. English, maybe.. less to get caught on.


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## Mickey4793 (Sep 24, 2009)

If I was to wear a skirt while riding, bareback or with a saddle, I'd wear spandex shorts underneath to prevent um.. uncomfortable rubbing of certain areas.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Mickey4793 said:


> If I was to wear a skirt while riding, bareback or with a saddle, I'd wear spandex shorts underneath to prevent um.. uncomfortable rubbing of certain areas.


 
Thats what I was thinking. I'm not for spandex at all but I think it would be a GOOD idea when wearing a skirt. Mine is a long skirt and I would also like pictures so I think I will do that.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Well Gidjet skirts are a bit out of fashion but ladies in the first quarter of the twentieth century always wore skirts and rode side saddle.

It was felt unladylike for a lady to wear 'trousers' and modern riding breeches 
would have been viewed as being positively indecent.

Riding side saddle is a skill calling for a special saddle but a friend of mine says that she felt quite safe when she used to ride to hounds wearing a long black skirt, fancy leather boots, a ladies top hat, a white blouse, a silk cravat and a button through black jacket. 

Imagine riding a horse with one's right leg wrapped around the horn and the left reaching down to a short stirrup iron.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Barry Godden said:


> Well Gidjet skirts are a bit out of fashion but ladies in the first quarter of the twentieth century always wore skirts and rode side saddle.
> 
> It was felt unladylike for a lady to wear 'trousers' and modern riding breeches
> would have been viewed as being positively indecent.
> ...


 
very lady like...
But sounds so uncomfortable!
Ive seen movies and a video on youtube with a lady riding side saddle.
I didn't know they had special saddles for that.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Gidget
It was felt back in those days that ladies might get too 'excited' sitting astride a saddle - where as the side saddle gave them a firm position on the saddle without the need to sit astride.
I am sure you can find a photo of an example somewhere on the internet

How times have changed.

B G


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Here is an example of one.









I agree with you, it looks very elegant, but very uncomfortable.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

whoa! that's awesome.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Now Gidget the question arises as to whether you are going to try perching yourself up on a horse tacked out with a saddle fitted with two hooks.

Maybe SMR can tell you how to do it.

B G

PS This is one occasion where definitely I am very glad I am a fella.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL, don't look at me!! I am purely a western girl and probably, if I had been born in the days of sidesaddles and dresses, I would have been looked down upon for wearing pants and riding astride.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I think I will stick to my jeans!....i could not do that. I don't think I could enjoy it.


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## corabee (Jun 6, 2010)

I frequently ride in a long flowy skirt. I actually prefer it. And if you take the time to position your skirt, it can look really striking and dramatic, unlike me in this picture. I sort of just jumped on and left it as it lay.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

beautiful


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

I was in a sidesaddle in the pics I posted the link to. I just had a cover on the saddle to cover up some blemishes. It really is not hard at all, I was on my old barrel horse and was very comfortable in the saddle. The trick to the balance is through your seat, if you ride focusing on core balance already, then it doesn't really matter where your legs go. It also helps to have a horse that is very sensitive to voice commands, although as I understand it, its customary to use a whip in place of the second leg.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

FlitterBug said:


> I was in a sidesaddle in the pics I posted the link to. I just had a cover on the saddle to cover up some blemishes. It really is not hard at all, I was on my old barrel horse and was very comfortable in the saddle. The trick to the balance is through your seat, if you ride focusing on core balance already, then it doesn't really matter where your legs go. It also helps to have a horse that is very sensitive to voice commands, although as I understand it, its customary to use a whip in place of the second leg.


 

Oh wow...I just thought you were bareback with a blanket underneath.
Such beautiful pictures and I like how the legs are adjusted when sitting in a side saddle. Very lady like and elegant.


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## Jolly Badger (Oct 26, 2009)

For a couple of Halloweens, I've dressed in a long skirt as part of my costume and gone riding. 

One time, I went as a pirate (put a fake parrot in my horse's mane, and used non-toxic white hair spray-paint to stencil a Jolly Roger on my horse's shoulders and flanks). The skirt I wore was long, but I still wore flesh-tone britches and my tall field boots underneath and was perfectly comfortable. No legs "sticking" to the saddle, or uncomfortable rubbing going on.

The following year, I was Red Riding Hood and my horse was "The Big Bad." I wore a long khaki-type skirt, again with the boots and breeches underneath. The skirt was longer than the pirate one, but I was able to arrange it to "flow" over the cantle of my saddle and onto my horse's hindquarters. Of course, I also wore the red riding hood -- well, it was more of a long red cape -- and also draped that over my horse's hindquarters. It looked really cool since he's solid black, and didn't bother him a bit. We went out on trail ride like that, too! I still run into people I met that day, and they still call me "Red Riding Hood.":lol:


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Actually, when women started hunting aside, it was very dangerous as skirts would get tangled causing dragging. Aprons became the proper attire in sidesaddles. Matching breeches were worn underneath. 

I love riding aside



















These pics were doctored to try to make them look even older than they are.


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