Meet ISSO Instructor Louise Beach
Article and Photos by: Dr. Pat Blaire
Lou’s first experience on a horse was in 1956 when her mother told her NOT to ride the neighbor’s Shetland Pony. The gelding’s reputation of putting children in the hospital didn’t scare her, and Lou’s first ride at 11 years old cemented her love of horses for the rest of her life. Today at 76 years young, she is still actively training, riding and showing horses in English, Western and Side Saddle disciplines.
Along with her dedication to Western traditions, her love of showing brought Lou to her first English lesson in 1969. Her mastery of hunt seat and saddle seat skills resulted in additional blues in the show ring.
The first time Lou saw a side saddle was in 1970 when a friend rode an antique saddle in an Arabian show in Tacoma Washington. Side saddles being scarce and out of fashion in that era put a definite halt to Lou’s ambition to ride aside. But 25 years later she found an imported copy of a Western side saddle and began her education in all aspects of riding aside.
Teaching herself with books and information from fellow members of the World Sidesaddle Federation, Lou became accomplished in both riding and training horses for Western Side Saddle. She began collecting Western side saddles and in 2003 co-founded the side saddle drill team, Northwest Aside Group (N.A.G.s). Using her saddles for education and demonstrations, NAGs gave clinics, demos and performances in expos and parades in Washington and Oregon.
Combining her passion for breeding and showing Missouri Fox Trotters with her new passion for riding aside, Lou trained and rode her prize MFT Tom to win the 2003 Oregon State Side Saddle Championship.
In 2004 Louise was certified as an instructor with the World Sidesaddle Federation which merged with the International Side Saddle Organization in 2005. Lou trained riding aside in clinics throughout Oregon and Washington.
Living in Pendleton Oregon, it was only natural for Lou to be involved in the Pendleton Roundup, one of the top ten rodeos in the world. For seven years she was a side saddle rider in the rodeo’s Happy Canyon Pageant, a reenactment of the pioneer experience in early Oregon.
Over the years she has been an active member with the rodeo committees and volunteers. Riding in parades and the rodeo opening ceremonies, loaning her horses to the princess courts and acting as mentor and escort during the Roundup Pageants and contests, her support of The Roundup is an example of her dedication to western traditions.
Along with her Missouri Fox Trotters Lou has an affection for the American Quarter Horse. This naturally led her to working cow horse training which is an essential rancher’s skill in Eastern Oregon.
Learning reining while riding aside just seemed natural after learning to work cattle astride
After 65 years of riding Lou has no plans to slow down. She still rides in her custom side saddle, a wedding gift from her beloved Harry, that is a copy of an antique J.S. Calles saddle in her collection. Her latest project is training her new horse, Deusen’s Gone Solo, to side saddle.
Lou has already been doing well with him astride and she is looking forward to when he becomes her aside mount in the show ring.
During show season it’s hard to find the Beaches at home. They spend their weekends traveling the show circuit with Lou’s Deusen’s Gone Solo and Harry’s mare, Betty White. But give Lou a shout out if you want a Western Side Saddle lesson from a Western cowgirl. Louise Beach is the real deal.
We would like to thank Louise for taking the time to be interviewed and a big thanks to Pat for coming up with this topic suggestion and writing this article (along with many others over the years).
It would be hard to publish this magazine without the continued support of our members.
***PLEASE CONSIDER SUBMITTING AN ARTICLE YOURSELF, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU***
Meet ISSO Instructor Anne Snipes Moss
Read below some questions posed by Tammie Conway to the Coatesville, PA resident and life long ISSO Member.
How long have you ridden aside?
I have ridden aside for over 20 years. My first side saddle clinic was at an ISSO weekend with Roger Philpot, he got me hooked and motivated to really learn to ride aside. I just wanted to hunt, but he convinced me to show Helium. I am glad he pointed my nose in the right direction.
What first interested you in side saddle?
I saw a western side saddle and vintage habit for sale for $50 at a Pony Club tack sale in 1980 and talked my mom into buying them for me. I had an instant dream of hunting aside. It took me a couple decades to make that dream a reality but ended up hunting aside in that beautiful tweed habit. Dreams do come true.
What disciplines do you like to ride?
I mainly ride dressage and am excited to have a new mare named Kasinaa to take up the levels. I also do a lot of hacking locally and will introduce Kasinaa to hunting this fall, so will be jumping once a week to keep her tuned up.
What is your favorite thing to do aside? Hunting is my favorite, I enjoyed six years of sport with my old horse Helium, he was a perfect ladies horse out hunting and we had a ball together. Second to hunting is dressage and exhibitions and parades.
Anne and her new mare Kasinaa at the quarantine facility!
Photo Above of Anne Showing Dressage. PC Susan Stickle
Photo Above of Anne and Heidi Opdyke after a demo at Camp Leaping Horn one year. PC Paws and Rewind
Please tell us a little about your aside partner(s).
I don’t have a side saddle horse at the moment but am hoping to introduce Kasinaa to it once we have a solid partnership astride.
What do you find most challenging aside?
Getting myself fit enough and maintaining posture and alignment. I find riding tempi changes quite difficult. Jumping is not easy for me and I give myself a lot of time to get fit and strong enough to keep my form in the air.
What is your proudest moment aside?
Earning USDF Bronze and Silver Medals with Helium riding aside, also training Goodness Grace to Grand Prix aside. There was so much work and so much joy involved with getting to that level. I am very proud of Helium and Grace, they were wonderful partners with super work ethics and willingness.
What advice would you give to someone first starting out side saddle?
Ride a lot. Take lessons a lot- it doesn’t matter if the instructor rides aside, the basics are the same. Become a better rider and partner for your horse and give your horse the best education you can. Being confident aside and having harmony with the horse takes a great deal of time and training but the effort pays off in spades.
Photo Above of John and Anne in a Gettysburg Parade PC Beth Adams
What do you still want to accomplish aside that you have not done yet?
I have two more scores to get for the USDF Gold Medal. So, two scores of 60% at Grand Prix. Grace came close and did three schooling shows aside at Grand Prix but went lame and we never got to try the test in a recognized show. It is up to Kasinaa so stay tuned.
What do you like to do when not riding?
I am President of Dressage at Devon, and on the USDF Historical Recognition Committee which gives me the chance to give back to the sport. I also garden and do some historical reenacting and enjoy campfire cooking. I am a USEF Dressage “R”, Western Dressage “R” and Sport Horse “r” judge, so that keeps me busy judging and traveling. John and I try to do a yoga class several days a week which helps keep me limberish.
Photos Above of Anne teaching at Camp Leaping Horn last year. Photo Credit Ashley Hill
Thank you Anne for agreeing to answer all of these questions and for presenting earlier this year at ISSO's Virtual Clinic on the topic of Western Dressage! We really appreciate all you have done over the years and
continue to do to support this organization by donating of your time and resources.
If you would like to write a side saddle related article for the
next Aside World please email AsideWorld@sidesaddle.com