“Things are in the saddle,
And ride mankind.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ode, inscribed to W. H. Channing
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

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Ralph Waldo Emerson 727

American philosopher, essayist, and poet 1803–1882

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“The horseman serves the horse,
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Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet

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Variant: "If the World Made Sense, Men Would Ride Sidesaddle" was the title of a 1993 one-man comedy by Ed Navis, performed at Wings Theatre, New York.
Variant: If the world were a logical place, then men would ride side-saddle.

“Saddle the Hippogriffs, ye Muses nine,
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“Men are not ‘born entitled to equal right! It would be far nearer the truth to say, ‘that some were born with saddles on their backs, and others booted and spurred to ride them’—and the riding does them good.”

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“All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God.”

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) 3rd President of the United States of America

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Context: All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God. These are grounds of hope for others. For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.