Stacey Rusic
Training
I have no idea where the crazy notion of wanting to ride side saddle came from as I had never seen anyone ride aside before (and certainly hadn’t seen Downtown Abbey yet!!) but it was something I had always wanted to try.
Through the powers of social media, I was lucky enough to connect with a lady who was local to me at the time. She ran a leather working business and had restored a side saddle which didn’t fit her horse. She came out to fit the saddle to mine and gave me a ‘side saddle 101 crash course.’ I ended up buying the saddle from her and now 8 years on from that day, 10 or so side saddles now and counting, you could say I caught the bug!
I have shown and won up to National and Royal level side saddle and given just about every other discipline a go while riding aside from show jumping to dressage and hunting. I run ‘Same Side Equestrian’, a business dedicated to all things side saddle from lessons and clinics, side saddle hire and sales and have a very keen interest in teaching the discipline within pony club through my specialised side saddle pony club rallies. I have been lucky enough to introduce 100s of horses and riders to this amazing discipline over the years with so many more exciting things for the sport to come. I am thrilled to be able to educate the wider equestrian community about side saddle through a platform such as Equitana.
Visit Stacey Rusic at the following sessions
Details
Thursday November 11th
12:00 pm to 12:45 pm
Schockemohle Sports Demonstration Arena
Side Saddle through the ages & into modern day
We’ll look at the origins of side saddle and the physical adaption of the saddle through the centuries to what we know it as today and why it adapted the way it did.
Parts of the side and their function, fitting a horse and rider for a side saddle correctly and how it differs to that of an astride saddle. Correct rider turnout/dress through the ages and into the modern day. Where you can/can’t ride side within Australia and how certain association rules (like whip length) may affect you. Choosing a horse to ride side saddle.
Details
Saturday November 13th
11:45 am to 12:30 pm
DEG Australia Demonstration Arena
The Art of riding Side Saddle
In this session we’ll be covering all the basics of various ways of mounting, correct rider position at halt and through all paces on both reins (walk, trot, canter gallop, possibly a jump?).
The correct use of a cane/whip in place of the leg and rider weight aids to achieve the same outcomes as when riding aside. How to dismount.
