hi am looking for help and advice i have had to stop riding my clydesdale due to my back proplems getting worse i have had 2 failed ops for pro lapsed discs,i have a lovely girl ridding and looking my baby,i have heard that side saddle is great for people with back probs,i am in north ayrshire ,my baby is 18.2hds

Isn't there a side saddle society ?

http://www.sidesaddleassociation.co.uk/ found it, if you get in touch with them I'm sure they'd be able to put you on the right track.

Side saddle riding always looks to elegant

Not sure how easy it would be to find a side saddle to fit and 18.2.

I'd be very very surprised if Sidesaddle is any better for your back - it means you only have the support of one leg as far as shock absorption goes, rather than two when riding astride, and if you don't get your position absolutely spot on, it will cause twisting and uneven strain down your back.

It IS better for people who find riding astride hurts their hips/pelvis though.

I would suggest you book yourself a half hour lesson with someone who teaches sidesaddle, and see how you get on, but - even if it does suit, firstly not all horses will take to sidesaddle, and secondly, finding a sidesaddle and getting it to fit your horse is going to be something of a nightmare.

If you really can't ride any more, have you thought about taking up driving, which is something your horse ought be able to do!

i use to work with driving heavy horses ,i would love to drive apollo but its very expensive to get harness etc ,their is girl that does side saddle wih her clyd ,apollo takes 18in xwide gp saddle

i have pain down my left leg ,back and pelivs and deing to ride apollo but its so sore

Mmm, for a well fitting side saddle you are looking, at that size, at over £1k - you probably can pick them up cheaper but then the costs of having it adjusted, repaired etc will take you back up to that sort of price bracket. An ill fitting side saddle will cripple you and your horse faster than you can blink.

Driving harness - you can pick up that cheap, particularly if you look for the webbing makes (zilco, tedex etc) - though it won't be cheap to kit out a Clyde, at least with harness you CAN identify for yourself, areas that are damaged or need replacing, and adjust the fit yourself pretty cheaply by replacing  various single parts. You won't do that with a sidesaddle and a second hand one could LOOK fine but be a death trap.

also with harness you can get webbinbg harness made up a lot cheaper, which at lesat would be a small price to start off with til you discover if hes suited to it (and you!)