 The sidesaddle did not become practical for everyday riding until the 16th-century development of the pommel horn that allowed a woman to hook her leg around the saddle and hence use the reins to control her own horse.Even then, sidesaddle riding remained a precarious activity until the invention of the second, "leaping horn" in the 19th century.It was not unknown for women to ride war horses, and take their part in warfare.