When you ride side-saddle, both legs hang down on the same side of the horse, instead of one leg on each side. Most riding today is the other way, which holds you on more firmly. Side-saddle was long how many women rode, because a long skirt got in the way, and people thought sitting with a leg each side did not look proper. There is a special saddle for it, with a kind of hook for the upper leg, so you do not simply slide off. You still see it in shows and on special days, more as a picture of the past than as everyday riding. People also sit side-saddle on a wall or on the back of a bike — same idea, both feet dangling one way. The word can name the seat itself (a side-saddle) or the way you sit.