Introducing a horse to side-saddle with Royal Windsor ladies show horse winner Jayne Ross
Jayne Ross and her two-time Horse of the Year Show supreme-winning ride Broadshard Simplicity added another title to their collection at Royal Windsor Horse Show today (13 May).
The eight-year-old gelding, owned by Rosettes Direct and partnered by Jayne, won the BSHA ladies show horse (side-saddle) class.
Jayne said he has taken to side-saddle “like a duck to water”.
Windsor is the local show for the Maidenhead-based rider, who told H&H that the cancellation of Wednesday’s classes meant she went “all out” to recoup some of the successes she had hoped to have then.
“It was a lovely, lovely class – it was one of the best classes of this caliber we have seen in the last few years,” she said.
“The judge gave everything a beautiful ride and gave [the horses] all a really good chance to get down and settle and enjoy the class itself.”
How does Jayne introduce a horse to side-saddle?
- “They have to go well initially astride,” she said. “They have to be very light in your hand and responsive. The more up in front they are and the more of an uphill ride they are, the easier it is for them to start to understand what it is all about. Most horses take to side-saddle very well – there are very few that actually do not like it.”
- “The only thing sometimes they do not like is the balance strap, which is a little bit further back than the girth would normally be,” said Jayne. “Sometimes they are a bit surprised by that. But on the whole if you just pop it on and stick them on the lunge for two or three circuits, they soon get used to it.”
- “We sit on them astride on the side-saddle for a circuit or two – then just pop your leg over and away you go,” Jayne added. “Most of the time you will know straight away if they are going to take to it.”
Don’t miss the full Royal Windsor Horse Show report in the next issue of Horse & Hound, on sale 19 May
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.