Cowgirls

[River City John]

You may have seen this image before, but it's a good one for ideas creating an authentic cowgirl persona.


RCJ

[Cliff Fendley]

What is the date of that photo?

[River City John]

I've no idea, but I'd guess circa 1900.

RCJ

[Pitspitr]

John, Any idea as to the location or Photographer?

[OklaTom]

I am not sure of the date of the photo, but if I did not have Angel, I probably would be asking any one of them for their hand in marriage.   

[bear tooth billy]

I notice they are riding "normal" , last year I was in a Buffalo Bill reenactment and a couple of the woman were riding
sidesaddle and a horse spooked causing the one girl to go over backwards and got kicked in the face. It was a pretty bad
scene, ambulance and everything, anyways I was convinced NOT to ride sidesaddle around spooky horses. Does
anyone know about riding sidesaddle? was that real or Hollywood?

                                               BTB

[Shawnee McGrutt]

When I saw the topic title, I was hoping we were getting a dating site.

[Pitspitr]

Does anyone know about riding sidesaddle? was that real or Hollywood?

Yes it was real. In the Fort Hartsuff collection of tack there is an original side saddle the probably dates from the 1870's or 80's.

[St. George]

The sidesaddle goes back to the 13th Century, but the ones made during the 16th Century were more accommodating.

In the 1830s, Jules Pellier invented a sidesaddle design with a second, lower pommel to the sidesaddle.

The impact of the second pommel was revolutionary, with the additional horn giving women both increased security and additional freedom of movement when riding sidesaddle allowing them to stay on at a gallop and even to jump fences while fox hunting and show jumping.

With this design, nearly all recreational equestrian pursuits were opened to women, yet they could also conform to expectations of modesty.

Women wore a 'riding habit' - similar to clothing worn in everyday life, but specifically designed for riding sidesaddle - the first being developed in the 16th Century.

In 1875, the first safety skirt was introduced and later evolved into the open-sided apron.

By the early 20th Century,  it became socially acceptable for women to ride astride while wearing split skirts, and eventually breeches - at that time, the sidesaddle fell out of general use for several decades, but it's use has been revived as a historical style of riding.

Given how they're dressed, the photo would date from that later time frame, and given the number of them, there's a chance that they're rodeo girls of the era.

There are several books on that topic and the riders alone that make for interesting reading.

Scouts Out!

[Guns Garrett]

I modern movies, women who ride in "period pieces" usually actually ride conventionally (astride) but the prop dept puts a "fake leg" on the near side (left) and closeup filming is done from that side as well.  Riding sidesaddle is a skill that takes a long time to master, especially at any gait greater than a walk. I think I saw an outtake from "Tombstone" that showed the fake leg bouncing around during Wyatt and Josies "race", and another from the wrong angle showing Josie having three legs....  Dana Delany ("Josie") commented about that in an interview.

I look for such bloopers now whenever I watch a movie featuring women riding sidesaddle...

[Guns Garrett]

As soon as I saw that photo, I song popped into my head and won't go away:


I know, nearly 40 years too late, but the same spirit...actually when the song came out (1935), it was closer that THAT time than to our present.