What I want to know is how a person, especially a woman with a long skirt, got into and out of the buggy (let alone, gracefully). I don't seen an easy way.

Buck Parker on 9th August 2022 @ 7:25am

Great to see an old photo where the subjects are smiling and looking like they are having fun. Especially after climbing into a wagon and onto a horse while still trying to be prim, proper, and ladylike.

L.E. on 9th August 2022 @ 10:47am

Bucky, I think the answer is the best way they could. The problem of mounting a wagon affects both women and men as wagons came in all shapes and sizes.

The lady on the horse is using a side saddle. The side saddle was used for thousands of years was a way to protect the purity of women. In different parts of the world side saddles were non-existent. But the side saddle could be dangerous and did not always allow women to manage their steads effectively. In the late 1800's women began to change the social norms and the use of side saddles began to decline. The appearance of the automobile effectivity eliminated the use of side saddles very rapidly. Side saddles are still used today in certain specific formal circumstances.

I think I see a metal stirrup behind the left front wheel of the buckboard wagon. I think a woman or man could easily use this as a step, using the left leg or right leg depending upon which side was used to mount the wagon, pushing up and siding into the seat. One could simply use the front axle as a step up using the same technique but could be more troublesome depending on the axle location.

In old cowboy movies there was always some helpful male hanging around to assist the lady when exiting the wagon.

Work or farm wagons were not built for comfort but for a specific task to transport goods and were built higher to haul heavier payloads. They were not easily mounted and I suspect that a lot women probably did not ride in this type of wagon very often.

LMH on 9th August 2022 @ 12:28pm

How do you train a horse to carry a woman with that kind of sideways weight distribution? If the horse doesn't like it, it's an easy off for the rider. Or maybe it's a matter of training the woman. Anyone ever talked with a woman who rode a horse that way?

nels on 9th August 2022 @ 2:20pm

OJ Kreps-Hecomovitch from White Salmon would ride her side saddle in the parades.

L.E. on 9th August 2022 @ 3:19pm

This is my favorite side saddle image in the collection: http://historichoodriver.com/index.php?showimage=381

ArthurB on 9th August 2022 @ 4:06pm

It boggles my mind on how one could even stay on a horse when riding side saddle in a long skirt like that, especially if the ride was bumpy. On the other hand, the dismount looks like it would be easy - just slide off.

kmb on 10th August 2022 @ 6:27am