So how do the different knee blocks affect your seat and riding? I’m in the market for a new saddle and don’t know what to look for. Large vs small, thick vs thin? I have a long femur and am currently riding in a 17". TIA! If it helps, I’m a beginner.
I’ve found that if the blocks are too big (too big here being relative based on your own build) that they’ll cause you to pitch forward and they’ll change your center of balance so that you can’t use your leg properly.
My own preference is for more minimal saddles. I find them more comfortable than the chunkier saddles. I also don’t like feeling so constrained. I end up working with challenging horses more often than not, and I don’t like the feeling of being locked into a saddle, especially if all hell breaks loose.
Try a couple of different saddles out if you can. Get a good feel for what it’s like to do your normal riding activities in them.
Thinking of them as knee blocks will mess you up from the start! 
I grew up in hunter and it was knee blocks/knee pads at the time. You’re thinking of thigh blocks, though, and even just thinking of them by a different name adjusts how you think of them. If your knee is pushing into it, it fits you wrong. If your thigh is parallel and not against it, it fits you better.
You need someone who understands what you need to work on in your riding and what direction your position needs to go to help you. When I was starting in dressage I could not get out of a chair seat, and in that chair seat I also had a hollow back or “duck butt.” I learned I needed a narrow twist saddle which would allow me to get my legs back more and scoot my seat more forward - I was sitting toward the back of the saddle, not the sweet spot of the seat. It took my instructor pointing out how my position would continue to improve to ensure I was looking at saddles which would allow this.
Because of the changes and growth which happen, I recommend a used saddle for a dressage beginner, which fits both rider and horse comfortably, but no need for top of the line and custom fit. The more advanced you are, the more a custom fit saddle can be designed to allow you to move and ride exactly as you currently do, but trying to predict the future is harder and typically means you go through several saddles at this point.
Many people will tell you to get a flat saddle with no block, but that’s not necessarily realistic. Get a saddle which is comfortable and doesn’t lock you in place which fits your horse very well.
Yeah, they’re thigh blocks on dressage saddles these days. If you are unsure and feel they are altering your position, less will be best. Don’t go for large blocks. People often use them as a crutch…like a seat belt. You want them to assist you, not lock/block you in. You want something that allows for your leg to fall naturally around the horse if you drop stirrups, and have no pressure from a thigh block on your leg at all. When you pick up the stirrups, it shouldn’t push your leg back or down in anyway either, but you might be more snuggly pressed up against it. Anything that pushes and alters your position of your leg will also alter how you sit in the saddle and your ability to correctly follow the horse’s motion. Actual knee blocks can still be found on older saddles, or ones that are modeled off the older style like some of the Stubbens. Also, be aware of the different types of seats and how they influence your position, which will alter where the thigh blocks hit you. It helps to sit in a lot of saddles with your coach to find the one that helps and does not hinder your riding by allowing you to be in the correct position for your body type.
Thigh blocks are a tool that can help you improve your position. A trainer or saddle fitter with good observational skills can help you get the best tool for your body, fitness, asymmetries, etc.
I now ride in a custom solo with short thigh blocks and things have become easier for me. Just try some out…
Thigh blocks are a tool that can help you improve your position. A trainer or saddle fitter with good observational skills can help you get the best tool for your body, fitness, asymmetries, etc.
I now ride in a custom solo with short thigh blocks and things have become easier for me. Just try some out…
I have a long femur…I need a sharp angle short thigh block.
Especially starting out as a beginner, and with a long femur, it may be helpful to get a saddle with velcro thigh blocks so that you can move and adjust them as your body gains strength and flexibility in the right places and your riding matures. They have been a godsend to me. Check out the Thorowgood dressage saddles; they have them and are very adjustable for both horse and rider. Kent and Masters is another one I think.
IMO there are definitely some saddles that make it easier to sit the trot and some that make it easier to post the trot. Starting out you’re going to want something that allows you to post freely, without doing weird things with your body.
I’m stepping into 2nd level now and am just now in the market for a deeper-seated saddle with more block to it.
This helps so much. I started out in jumpers. I have somewhat of the opposite seat in that I need to shift onto my back pockets more. I’m currently taking lessons with a very experienced trainer. My current saddle fits my pony, but my knees are over the thigh blocks as I have a long femur. It’s a relatively flat saddle, which I don’t mind. I’ve tried 3 other saddles so far with no luck. Do you prefer the thick or thin thigh blocks, not that I’m calling them by the right name - LOL?
Thanks, right now I have an older Stubben. Your information helped a lot. I almost feel ready to give up and just continue riding in my old saddle. I don’t plan to show and my horse (and I) is getting older.
Thanks, I like the idea of the velcro thigh blocks! Initially the saddle fitter gave me one of these to try and the twist was too wide!
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I have a long femur…I need a sharp angle short thigh block.[/QUOTE]
By sharp angle, do you mean with the top of the thigh block pointing toward the cantle? tia!
google Heather Blitz…I have the same thigh block that she has…she’s taller and more famous but we both enjoy the same thigh block:D
I spent most of my life hating thigh blocks, mostly because it always felt like they got in my way and/or made me feel like I was unpleasantly locked in a specific position. Then, I finally got a saddle with perfectly sized, shaped and positioned blocks for my legs. It has made a world of difference! The blocks are not in my way if I don’t need them, but there to help if/when I do.
Try going to a tack store with the largest selection you can find, and sit in as many saddles as you possibly can. This should give you an idea of what shape is best for you…but only an idea. You’ll really have to ride in several to get a real feel of where they put you and your leg. It may be a pain, but it’s worth it to find something that you can comfortably enjoy every day - whether you are competing or not.
“…knees are over the thigh blocks…” Part of your problem is that the saddle you are riding in is “flatter.” You need a deeper seat. Also, clearly this saddle does not fit you because if your knees are over the thigh block you are in a chair seat with much too short of stirrups. Thigh blocks should be the least of your concerns. Get a different saddle!
Thanks for the recommendation of googling Heather Blitz. Definitely gives more meaning to the words “thigh block.” The saddle fitter gave me another saddle to try and only my knees were touching the block! So much for that one.
I’m in the process of working with a saddle fitter for a new saddle, hence the thigh block questions. My shoulders/hips/ankles line up. I’m definitely NOT in a chair seat and lengthening my leg (via hip flexor) is an on-going process.
I’m 5’9" with really long thighs, and love my Custom Stephan with short canted thigh blocks! I never realized how long thigh/knee blocks were working against me until sitting in a Custom saddle. It has truly made the difference in my riding. Good luck finding what works for you.
There are saddles with interchngeable blocks that velcro on. Change size or remove at will.
I have a Custom Icon Flight with a short block.
Previous saddles I tried on this horse put my knee over the block, because the block was too long (not because of my position or the shape of the seat). With the short block, my thigh has a place to drop and drape, and there is room for my knee to stay mobile, tucked below the end of the block. I tried the same saddle with the normal block, and felt like I was wedged into the saddle.
My other saddles are Windsor Elites and BlueLines, and I prefer the Elite for the same reason. It is a more open seat, and the block does not lock me in to place.
It may just depend on whether you have a long femur. I am only 5’6", but my femur (hip to knee) is long.
As your hip angle opens over time, the right saddle will feel even more comfortable, and provide support without being restrictive.
As for your position, you will find your seat bones by tucking your butt, and think “sit on your pockets”. As you gain core strength, you will find it is your lower abs and deep abs that keep you sitting on your seat bones, NOT your lower back muscles. Think “shorten your front” to bring your pelvis into position. If you concentrate too much on your lower back muscles to sit, you will actually lock up your hip, which makes it more difficult to follow the horse’s movement. It can be helpful to drop stirrups at the walk as you begin, to check how you are sitting and what muscles are firing to stabilize your position. This also allows that hip angle to open. Give yourself time, because you will be installing new muscle memory.
And have fun! The right saddle can make a huge difference in your position and how you use your body effectively. It is SO worth the search.
