Withouten oother compaignye in youthe,—
But ther-of nedeth nat to speke as nowthe,—
And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
At Rome she hadde been and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Seint Jame, and at Coloigne,
She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.
Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
A foot mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe;
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
For she koude of that art the olde daunce.
And on her feet a pair of sharp spurs 
 This presents a contradiction in that  foot mantel  suggests she is riding side-saddle but wearing a pair of spurs suggests she is riding astride the horse. 
 In the Ellesmere manuscript she is shown riding astride: 
 
 Shows she doesn’t conform to the norms and is a strong woman.
The Wife of Baths Portrait