The Australian Stock Saddle
and the Saddlers that made them
Sourced from: [Glen Innes Examiner and General Advertiser 28 June 1887]
WHY THE SIDE-SADDLE SHOULD BE ABANDONED.
The use of side-saddles is said to have commenced in England about the year 1388, in the reign of Richard II. Before, and up to that time, ladies were accustomed to ride on horseback in the same position as men. A rider on the side-saddle is obliged to advance the left shoulder in order to "sit square" and this turning round of the head and shoulders to the right, while the legs remain on the left side of the saddle, brings the body into a spiral or twisted form. Spinal complaints, arising probably from various causes, are very common among women, and to remain for a long time in the position alluded to, may tend to increase the number of cases which occur. Severe injuries sometimes issue from a rider being thrown above the crutch, or pommel, and then coming down on the upper part of it, and occasionally from the pommel being forced up the chest of the rider, if the horse fell on his near or left side. An accident of the latter sort happened in Paris in April, 1882, to a professional circus rider, Mme. Emile Loisset. A new horse which she had been trying in the circus having refused to leap an artificial fence, or barrier, turned around to regain the stable, but finding the door closed, reared and fell, causing the pommel of the saddle to enter the chest of the rider. It is stated that doctors were soon in attendance, but only to pronounce Mme. Loisset's case hopeless. The unfortunate young lady expired after some thirty hours' terrible suffering. The skirts of the habits are often caught on the crutch or pommel, if riders are thrown, and the latter are liable to be dragged along the ground. There are always many riders also, who are inexperienced or unskilful, and who lean the greater part of their weight on the stirrup, thus pressing down the saddles on one side, and causing sore hacks to the horses. There is a large number of horsewomen who are convinced that some advantage would result from the use of side saddles being discontinued, although they hesitate to carry it into practice, in consequence of the dislike that it may be supposed, many of them have to the idea of appearing on horseback in a style which would be regarded as a novel one in the present day. A dress rather resembling that worn by ladies and gymnasiums might be the most suitable. Some practice at a riding-school should also be done through before venturing on the road. - London Queen
[Illustrations in the Australasian Melbourne 22 December 1888]
Sourced from: [Ovens and Murray Advertiser Beechworth 31 March 1888]
A FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN HORSEWOMAN. .
The Sydney "Town and Country Journal" of the 17th inst. has the following: — We present to our reader this week a portrait of Mrs Ambrose, of Bundalong, Ovens River, mounted on her famous grey hunter Nimrod. This lady, who has made herself famous by her daring achievements in the saddle, was born in the Ovens River district. She early learnt to adapt herself to a life in the saddle, scouring the ranges and plains after cattle, over logs and through scrubs, or dashing along the level country enjoying the exhilaration caused by rapid locomotion on horseback. In these circumstances it is not surprising that she soon became a daring and expert horsewoman. During the past few years she has been a frequent and prominent rider of ladies' hunters, over hurdles and fences, at numerous agricultural shows. Her first recorded achievement was at Corowa on August 4, 1886, when she won the ladies' hunting contest in a keenly contested field. On the 25th of the same month she, on her beautiful grey mare Innisfail, won the first prize for lady hunters at the Melbourne agricultural show, a feat which she repeated in the following year. She has competed with the most renowned and daring Australian equestriennes; and where she has not defeated them she has very frequently divided first honours with them. During the past two years, either on Innisfail or on her equally famous grey horse Nimrod, she has competed in more events and carried off more first honours, than any other lady in the colonies. To enter into a record of all these here would be tedious. Suffice it to say that she has won thirty-two first prizes, besides seconds, and has divided first honours many times besides. Nimrod is also a frequent prizewinner in gentlemen's hunting contests, and as a level-paced hack her bay horse Gratis is also renowned as a hunter. Mrs Ambrose is a fearless rider. There is no half-heartedness in the manner in which she puts her animals to an obstacle, be it a 3ft 6in hurdle, or a stiff 5ft post and rails fence.
Securely seated on her grey, she goes over with great spirit at a rattling pace, apparently as much at home, and as unconcerned, as if seated in a rocking-chair. During her career, she has never met with an accident. To her honour, her record as an industrious, frugal, farmer's wife, is as good as it is in the saddle. At very few of the shows she attends as a rider of hunters is she not also an exhibitor of butter, cheese/ bacon, and cattle, and with these she is also very frequently successful.
Sourced from: [Sun Sydney, 3 April 1914]
GIRLS RECORD RIDE Melbourne to Sydney, Miss Grace Waugh arrives.
A little girl in khaki, wearing a boy's felt hat, and riding astride a 14 hands grey pony, was cheered all the way along George-street to the post office this morning. It was an unusual demonstration, but even if the public did not know that it was Grace Waugh, who had ridden all the way from Melbourne, they would have judged from her clothes and the pony's sweat-covered coat that she was concluding a long journey, and would still have been interested in her. The intrepid little girl went to the Post-office because it was the concluding point of the long ride she had undertaken. When the journey ended, and with the knowledge that she had arrived well within schedule time, Miss Waugh rode to Wirth's Circus, at Prince Alfred Park, where she will join the company and give riding exhibitions. The long ride was undertaken, she explained, because, firstly, she wanted to do something unusual; and secondly, she wanted to eclipse the record of an American girl who two years ago, crossed 500 miles of prairie in 12 days. She occupied exactly 11 days on her long canter, and she is pardonably proud of her achievement. Though Miss Waugh had thought a long time of the journey, it was hurriedly arranged at last— practically in a day. She had not studied any maps. She had no knowledge of the road, because she had never been out of Melbourne before. But despite that she cantered away from the Melbourne Post-office last Monday week with just enough money to give her hotel accommodation on the way, and no more luggage than a road book and a few pieces of clothing. The road book was her best friend; and if she had had to travel another 500 miles it would have been worn out. Miss Waugh calculated the distance nicely. She reckoned upon an average of between 49 and 52 miles, and she kept close to those figures, although between Goulburn and Mittagong she covered 54 miles in one day. The journey was not free from incident, although it was not marred by accident. Between Billabong and Mundarlo, for instance, the little horsewoman was told that a bridge had been washed away from a creek, and the thought of it affected her so much that when she started to climb the several miles of Tarcutta hill she felt very lonely, very dejected, and very homesick, and she cried. Half-way up the hill she met a man, who tried to cheer her up. But that made her feel that she wanted to be home even more, and she cried on until she reached the top of the hill. The creek was a little further on, and when she drew up to it she was in that frame of mind which would have stopped at nothing. She therefore put her pony at it, and he swam through it splendidly, while she tucked her knees up on to the saddle, keeping clear of the water. The incident did Miss Waugh the world of good, and she was not "blue" afterwards.
Grace was only 16 when she undertook the ride and she rode the pony without a bridle the whole way from Melbourne to Sydney in record time beating a 19 yo American girl's title.
Her adventures continue:
Sourced from: [Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser, 21 October 1915]
LADY RIDER'S RECORD JUMP
A new Australian record was established for a high jump by a horse ridden by a lady, at the Bendigo show last week. Miss Grace Waugh cleared 6ft. 7in. on Snowflake, who is owned by Mr. J. G. Robins, of Rochester. The previous record was held by Mrs. Stace, who jumped 6ft. 6in. on Emu Plains at the last Sydney Royal Show.