Woman astride on horseback

.

I'm still in the midst of a research trip in France (and will have lots to report!), but I just came across this illustration on the Net and wanted to post it here:

I don't believe I've seen such a clear image of a woman in a gown riding a horse astride. It was published in 1874, but supposedly based on a 14th century manuscript. (Is this possible?) It's not Baroque by any means, but it illustrates how a woman in a gown might manage ... bunched up!

.

Hats and long hair: for men only?

I'm going to be posting quite a bit on 17th century horsemanship. Eventually, I will collect all the bits and pieces together for a page (left side-bar).

What interests me about this painting from 1652 is that the woman is riding side-saddle, but in fancy dress. Her hair is long and loose, in the masculine style, and she’s wearing a hat. From what I understand, hats were considered masculine wear; women wore hats riding, because riding was a masculine activity.