Riding in saddles with big blocks?

[spurofthemoment]

It’s possible that I might like big blocks and I cannot lie. But what might this mean for my riding? Maybe I’m just looking for strangers on the internet to tell me “ride in what fits you and your horse, eff ‘trends and traditions!’”

I’ve been going through the saddle shopping woes. I‘be been riding in a Butet P seat with small front and rear blocks. I thought I wanted something similar - flat seat, “freedom of movement,” all of that. I’ve been demoing something similar, but I felt like with the particular saddle, I was sitting ON the saddle rather than IN the saddle. There was no clear balance point - I felt far from my horse’s back.

Today I sat in a medium deep saddle with large front and rear blocks - and I loved it. The balance was immediate. The front/knee block forced my upper thigh to stay in the proper place - I’ve got long femurs and I’m prone to chair seat. Granted, I’m going to spend more time with this particular saddle, but even with the deep seat, I felt like I had great contact with my horse’s back (like I do in my Butet).

Heck, I recently told someone here that seat depth does not equate to security. Am I wrong? Or did my 2005 Butet just fit my horse so poorly that it felt like I had a clear balance point/could sit pretty deep? Or maybe the similar demo saddle fit ME poorly that I didn’t sit right in it?

Most of all, I’m curious to hear: Will riding with pretty large blocks “ruin” my riding? Will riding in a deep seat keep me too close to my horse over fences/hinder his movement? Or are things designed for comfort and stability actually not all that bad as people make them out to be?

I’m a hunter rider, so I’m super susceptible to caring about the opinions of others - go easy on me.

Edit to add update:

UPDATE:

I took the front and real blocks off and I actually like the saddle more without the blocks. I think the rear block was getting in the way of my leg’s contact with my horse. Now I don’t need to turn my ankle to give a spur aid - I can keep my toe straight and apply leg or spur pressure.

All that said - now it’s the deep seat getting to me. I sat in my flat seat again and noticed how “little” there was in front of me (less pommel). I notice I have to swing my leg more carefully over to dismount. I worry now if I eff up my distances, I will pay the price of getting my pelvic region destroyed by my tack. But the seat WIDTH is phenomenal. I noticed pressure points in my flat seat saddle where the width of the seat did not accommodate my anatomy. Not the case in the couch deep seat (built to be wider in the seat).

Saddle fit is hard and I hate it. That’s it. That’s the thread.

[Scribbler]

You shouldn’t feel perched in any saddle. There’s no inherent reason an open seat saddle is going to put you further away from the horse, all other things being equal…I expect that saddle didn’t fit you or the horse or was overstuffed.

One thing that would give me pause about big thigh blocks is if you can’t shorten your stirrups because the block is in the way. I’ve never ridden in a really big block saddle, but my understanding is that the block isn’t supposed to actually be touching your leg so you can brace against it.

[SharonA1]

@spurofthemoment

ride in what fits you and your horse, eff ‘trends and traditions!

Happy to help! (The above is true, even if it actually is what we want to hear.)

[spurofthemoment]

This demo has removable blocks so I can thankfully try it without the blocks just to feel.

My bad habit is gripping with my thigh (or rather, just wrapping my entire leg around the horse and holding on with a death grip), and my leg just travels up and up. The block was a nice reminder to keep my thigh relaxed and down. The back block prevented my leg from sliding too far back.

I’m just a little shocked that I liked it in comparison to what I’ve been riding in. I liked the close contact feel and the support. My Butet only gives me the close contact feel.

[spurofthemoment]

Thank you!

[dmveventer]

I had a similar experience. Thought I wanted something flat without blocks, bought a medium-deep saddle with blocks (although I swapped out for the smaller block option). For me, it was mainly having a saddle that finally fit my proportions correctly so the blocks weren’t in my way like they had been on every saddle I’d ridden in before. The overall balance point of the saddle suits me really well and the blocks complement my leg position, and add a little extra security when I need it. Mine are also moveable so I was able to put them exactly where I want them which is amazing.

I don’t actually notice the blocks when I’m riding. If you feel like the blocks are forcing you into a certain position vs the overall balance of the saddle just putting you in the correct spot that’s not ideal, but you might just need a few more rides to get used to the feeling.

Which saddle is it, out of curiosity?

[spurofthemoment]

I was hoping to see you here!! We’ve had a few exchanges about Prestige, the particular (and fantastic!) rep, and saddle fit in general.

It’s the Michel Robert CPS. I don’t love that the blocks on the demo are velcro (even though you can’t see it, it’s ugly to me), but I’m worried if I order it with fixed blocks, the blocks won’t be in the right place. After all, I’m getting a wool flocked saddle to be a more custom fit for my horse - why not also have that adjustability for myself?

I went from demoing a Renaissance F2 to the Michel Robert. It’s so funny to me how I feel more connected in a deeper seat saddle when it’s the “flat seat” and “freedom of movement” that are touted as the end all, be all for proper seat contact.

[dmveventer]

Yeah that sounds very familiar

I thought I was going to like the Renaissance saddle (and I did, it was in the running) but wound up really liking the Xperience. In addition to fitting me really well the thing is also just really really comfortable, the padded seat was what sold it over a similar model (the Passion). I also hesitated about the velcro blocks but honestly love the adjustability now. If I want to take them off completely, if they need to move a few millimeters to get the perfect fit, if for some reason I wanted to put the bigger blocks back on, I can do all those things.

Saddles are so individual, I don’t think there are any black and white rules about what “should” achieve the best outcome. Buy whatever allows you and your horse to move most effectively. You won’t ruin your riding with blocks or a more comfortable seat or whatever as long as it fits correctly, and if you’re going to spend this much money on something you may as well enjoy it!

ETA: I almost turned the saddle down completely because the large blocks that were on there at first didn’t suit me at all. I demo-ed it for over a week with no blocks at all and thought I’d leave it that way, but when I got the smaller option I actually felt better with those on there, even though like I said I really don’t notice the blocks when I ride. Go with what feels right regardless of what you think you “should” do.

[spurofthemoment]

A barn friend just got the Xperience! I sat on it when I hopped on her horse, and I was going to try it on my horse - but the Michel Robert was so nice fitting that it wasn’t worth it. I think I also go for a wider twist - I didn’t like a saddle I sat in before the Michel Robert because it was almost too narrow/I didn’t feel like I could grip it with my upper inner thigh. Saddle fit is definitely personal and it’s so insane what we find we like versus what we’re told to like/what we’re told is the “gold standard.”

Funny thing was, when I first rode in some saddles with the rep, she didn’t have the Michel Robert for me to sit in, which is why I set my sights on Renaissance. The first ride in the Renaissance, too, felt good. But I went back and forth from it to my Butet and realized that it wasn’t a fit.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

It’s honestly a revelation when you ride in a saddle that actually fits your proportions. Blocks or no blocks.

For my first years riding, I rode in lesson saddles, and while I know it’s not realistic to have saddles that fit a wide range of riders and the horse, it’s amazing what a crappy rider I felt like, and how insecure I was in some of these very old, slippery pancake-like saddles that didn’t fit my admittedly weird proportions as a rider (short, short calves but long femurs, long torso, short arms). When I finally rode a horse whose owner had similar proportions to myself, not only was it easier to ride better, but because I felt more secure in the saddle, I had more confidence.

[Scribbler]

@spurofthemoment

This demo has removable blocks so I can thankfully try it without the blocks just to feel.

My bad habit is gripping with my thigh (or rather, just wrapping my entire leg around the horse and holding on with a death grip), and my leg just travels up and up. The block was a nice reminder to keep my thigh relaxed and down. The back block prevented my leg from sliding too far back.

I’m just a little shocked that I liked it in comparison to what I’ve been riding in. I liked the close contact feel and the support. My Butet only gives me the close contact feel.

These are significant position flaws that won’t be entirely solved by a new saddle, and will cause you ongoing problems with balance, feel and aids. That said, these position problems can also be exacerbated or even caused by riding in very wrong (for you) saddles. I’d suggest once you get a saddle you like to sign up for some longe line seat lessons (I’m assuming we are talking about dressage because of the blocks, but same same if it’s jump seat). You need to have balance with your leg relaxed, otherwise you will always be toppling.

I feel like some entry level H/J kiddie lessons allow or encourage gripping with the whole leg but it needs to be unlearned if the kids want to progress.

You might also want to see a body worker about any glitches you have in your pelvis or hips or lower back. Very often persistent position errors are caused by your body just not being able to hold the desired posture. This is especially true of adult returning riders!

Your description of being in chair seat and then gripping with your entire leg and your leg sliding back makes me think you might have very tight hips. When the leg slides back, very often the torso tips forward which can cause riders to pop out of the tack. That’s because the hips are tight and can’t open up enough to hang below the body.

Much riding instruction consists of being told “heel down” which isn’t wrong per se, but the heel is never the source of the position error (,unless you had an actual fused ankle or something). I had to unlearn jamming my feet forward into chair seat to get heels down (survival skill in Western trail riding!) and my barn friend had to give up on toes in/heels down as a primary goal because her hips won’t let her do this without her leg sliding back.

[spurofthemoment]

Embarrassing admissions: I’ve been doing the low adult amateurs for a few years, rode in college before that, and have been riding fairly consistently since I was 8 (I’m late 20s now).

I am a hunter rider, but I feel like I’ve thrown correctness out the window lately - I would like to be redirected to proper riding for the sake of my young horse. I’ve been looking up hip mobility exercises for out of the saddle fitness, too.

[Scribbler]

@spurofthemoment

Embarrassing admissions: I’ve been doing the low adult amateurs for a few years, rode in college before that, and have been riding fairly consistently since I was 8 (I’m late 20s now).

I am a hunter rider, but I feel like I’ve thrown correctness out the window lately - I would like to be redirected to proper riding for the sake of my young horse. I’ve been looking up hip mobility exercises for out of the saddle fitness, too.

Stuff creeps up on us adults. And when your position falls apart it’s often because you are either getting stiff joints or trying to accomplish something the wrong way. It definitely bears investigation because if it’s physical need will power or a coach shouting at you won’t fix it.

[equinelibrium]

I don’t have much to add on the blocks, but I can comment a bit on wanting a deeper seat. Several years ago I was searching for my first dressage saddle after years of riding jumpers. Like you, I assumed that I’d prefer a flat seat instead of being “strapped in” to a deep seated dressage saddle with huge blocks. What I discovered is that flat seated saddles don’t fit my horse as well as deeper seated models. She has a very curvy back so any saddle with a flatter seat bridged. The first saddle I got was definitely flatter but it never felt quite right for either of us (I simply thought this was how dressage saddles were supposed to feel). The first time I rode in my current saddle I knew within seconds that it was the one for us. I think it’s described as a “semi deep” seat. I don’t feel locked in at all, but there is a very clear spot for me to sit. I can still get into two point to gallop on the trail without any issue, so I don’t feel that it’s artificially holding me in place.

In a flatter seat (same size) I didn’t get that same feeling and probably slid around a lot more. Not because my position was bad or I wasn’t strong enough, but because the saddle wasn’t sitting correctly on my horse’s back.

All that to say, seat depth is not just a rider preference thing. The horse’s conformation can also impact what type of seat works for whoever is riding them.

[Chall]

I found security when I learned how to ride bareback in all gaits ( the gallops around the ring were unplanned).

After getting comfortable bareback I realized saddles weren’t the source of security or confidence.

I suspect if I ever rode western with a horn I might change my mind.

Deep dressage saddles make me nervous because I can’t easily clear the cantle should I decide an emergency dismount is needed. Same thing with blocks.

But that’s just me. Maybe I could be more open to try things my mind has dismissed.

[Rackonteur]

Maybe me too. This thread is giving me food for thought.

@equinelibrium, will you please post what saddle you have?

[equinelibrium]

Yes, I have a Black Country Eden. I loff it

[RedHorses]

When I was looking for a saddle for my fourth horse options were extremely limited by his conformation. I was looking for a dressage saddle, and deep seats with big blocks were the thing at the time. I told my fitter that I wanted a shallow seat and minimal to no blocks, but if the saddle fit my horse, and I didn’t notice the deep seat/blocks when riding then I could live with them.

That’s what I ended up with. A deeper seat, and larger blocks (by no means super deep, or very large), and a smaller seat size than expected. I don’t notice the deep seat or blocks under normal circumstances - meaning they don’t restrict my movement/position in the saddle. I actually really like the saddle, and find it very comfortable for longer rides.

My third horse’s jump saddle had blocks front and back. I cut (the stitching) the rear blocks off because they bit me behind my knees and I didn’t want to ride with the super short stirrup required to keep my leg off the blocks all the time.

[Rackonteur]

Thank you.

[Rackonteur]

Margaret Cabell Self started all her students off riding bareback, before adding saddles. Riding bareback gave them a secure seat, independent of stirrups.