I don’t ride in a Custom because they don’t fit me. But, if you notice your saddle blocks at any time other than a rodeo ride, your saddle does not fit you. Period.
(I suppose the ridiculous exception is the hypothetical person who is such a terrible rider that her $150k warmblood’s jarring trot leaves bruises on the front of her thighs. How many us actually know this person? In my years at HITS, I’ve seen two (2). Personally, I know none.)
I’d add that it’s fine to practise bareback if you have a safe horse with a comfortable back and easy gaits. But it’s not a realistic solution if you want to school a hot young horse with big gaits at anything beyond a jog trot. Also riding bareback is great for balance but doesn’t build posting strength and can contribute to chair seat. Finally I have a horse that’s safe enough, super comfy, and has easy gaits. I can ride her bareback. But I choose not to because I am too old to risk falling in the remote chance we have an incident.
I envy those who can ride their horses bareback. I used to have horses I could ride bareback, but I’ve never ridden my current horse bareback and I likely never will. For the same reason he cannot be ridden on a loopy loose rein without contact. Because if he spooks, good luck staying on. I am not that brave or crazy. I shall just have to accept the fact that I will probably always be a garbage rider for being dependent on my thigh blocks. 
I just have two who feel as if they will break something in my anatomy as they are too bony!
My youngest is SUPER comfy bareback. She was even started bareback. I just have trouble getting up to begin with!
And from someone who has been wedged in the wrong saddles… I simply can’t imagine someone being truly locked in AND being comfortable. It’s an awful feeling. My blocks are the right blocks because they’re not in the way, and if I hit them it’s a reminder to get out of the chair seat I’m in.
General comment. Here is a post by a Stubben rep addressing thigh block and center of gravity. I have no idea if they are 100 per cent correct but am throwing it into the mix!
https://www.facebook.com/1446802992011806/posts/7917936348231739/
After reading that Facebook post, I’m calling BS.
Mostly wider blocks are more solidly attached to the saddle than thinner blocks. They are more stable and can stick out farther from the saddle than a thinner block could.
Where the block puts you in relation to the balance point/center of gravity will depend on the flap design and the rider’s conformation. The same block on a more forward flap will have a different effect than on a straighter flap. The same block AND flap will have a different effect on a person with a skinny thigh vs a person with a thicker thigh. Fitting a saddle to a rider is all very personal, as much as fitting the saddle to the horse.
I read it too, and it’s obviously got an agenda behind it.
The older style banana curve is not always the best option for some of the more modern bred warmbloods. The flatter cantle CAN be a better option for weight distribution so long as the end of the weight bearing surface does not extend past the last supporting rib.
The black saddle’s diagram is conveniently not on a horse, so I don’t buy the “location” of the COG on the diagram is an apples to apples comparison.
You’d have to put the same rider in the black saddle for a legitimate comparison.
The photo of the dad and kid doesn’t work as a comparison because dad is a biped not a quadruped like a horse.
The black saddle has a more forward flap so sure, adding the same larger block to the brown saddle would shove the leg and rider back, but the saddles are built differently. Put a more forward flap on the brown saddle and then make the comparison.
Not to say that a saddle with a very minimal block is not a perfectly reasonable option for many horses/riders, but it is not a one size fits all scenario.
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