I also saw this post on IG, and the first thing that stood out to me was that almost all of the photos show lengthening/extended trot. So it seems like there is a reason to bring the shoulders back in extended trot. Seems like it would help you not block with the pelvis. But my first question was, what do these riders look like riding piaffe or canter or anything else? I admit I was too lazy to look because I think I already knew the answer ;). It’s like that awful post going around comparing stride lengths on famous TBs as judged by photos taken from the same part of the stride.
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That pic of the famous TBs is so off…they aren’t all at the same phase of the stride.
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I think it’s important to note that the account from which this is drawn isn’t an educational account, but someone offering a product/service. The account description reads as follows:
“Saddle fitting should always place the health and comfort of the horse over the ego and convenience of the rider.”
Team [#noblocksnoproblems]
https://www.instagram.com/saddlefitting.us/
So this isn’t an educational account, but someone offering a specific service underlined by a very specific philosophy, and obviously the photos weren’t chosen for accuracy, but more like someone selling vegan shakes posting two photos of celebrities, “look how vegan celebrity X is in better shape than non-vegan celebrity Y in these completely randomly chosen photos I selected to prove my point and promote my product.”
I think the discussion this has sparked is interesting, however, and looping back to one of the OP’s comments and even another thread–I’m very short, and sometimes I really get frustrated how it seems like the assumption of so many people who make products for dressage riders (boots as well as saddles) is that riders are tall. So I’ve definitely been in the position where I’ve had to ride in a saddle of a horse that fit the horse’s rider, fit the horse, but did not fit me because of blocks, but the blocks weren’t designed for me.
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I totally agree with looking at the purpose and credentials of the account, web page, etc. However in practice the lines between advertisement, education, and eccentric self taught ideas are very porous. Many real company websites have solid basic information on things under their expertise, like how to kill ants, how to whiten stains, your rights under law, etc.
Many “educational” sites that are not selling a product are still bsc and wrong on many levels.
Several saddle consignment stores have had excellent guides to basic saddle fitting. Better than the semi custom sales sites because the consignment stores aren’t trying to foist a single brand on you plus informed empowered customers are the best buyers for consignment saddles.
And even when someone is an expert on one aspect of horses, they are not necessarily correct if they step into a different area.
All this to say that we need to filter and cross check everything we see online. And indeed everywhere. If every website including the manufacturer says it’s safe to soak white cotton shirts in Oxyclean overnight it’s worth a try (worked wonderfully). If one Tiktok video says do this with your cashmere sweaters, you’ve found a troll.
If one person online has some homebrewed theory about chair seat that goes against every single other thing you’ve been told, especially by your own coach, then it’s a reasonable assumption that either they are wrong, or they have explained their idea so badly that it says the opposite of what they meant.
Your own coach should be the final arbiter of your riding position and if you don’t trust their advice, get a better coach.
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Having tried to ride in the saddles Haddad rides in I can tell you it did not work for me. I think when someone promotes one style THEY are missing a point. We are all built differently. Look at the sizes of the riders, the length of legs, the big thighs etc. I am always open to improving myself but would also ask what level this saddle fitter rides and if it’s a he or a she.
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I’ve followed this account for a few years and really enjoy it. I agree this person is a saddle fitter and not a coach but as someone who has focused on my own position with the help of PTs it’s been enlightening to know that my struggle with blocks may not be 100% on me…
I do think they are saying that the idea of a straight line from head, shoulders, hip to heel isn’t ideal. That you should ride with a neutral pelvis, straight upperbody but legs at the girth which some would describe as a chair seat.
What really sold it for me was the bareback videos - what person riding bareback has their legs under them? For me, if i try I tip forward and yes that is partially a limitation of my confirmation and having tight hips/hamstrings and a slight anterior pelvic tilt which I’m working to correct but again had me thinking maybe its not all me.
AND they posted a video demonstrating the ever famous line ‘if you got rid of the horse while riding you’d want to land on your feet, perfectly balanced’. They jumped from a block and tried to land ‘perfectly balanced’ with their feet underneath their hips and struggled, tried again with their legs in front and landed in a perfect squatting position.
AND visuals on a yoga ball trying to ‘wrap’ your leg around a ball at the widest point is almost impossible vs having your legs slightly in front your leg naturally drapes and you have more consistent contact.
Of course I also agree a good rider should maintain a neutral pelvis and move their legs for cues, and back for collection/forward for extension and photos are deceiving.
I have a very long femur and come from H/J land - a chair seat is the last thing I could be accused of. However, I’m always fighting straight blocks and they seem to accentuate my slight anterior pelvic tilt making it difficult for me to sit neutral and hold in my core because my thighs/femur needs more room than most dressage saddles with large/straight blocks allow.
I currently dont own a horse and therefore don’t own a saddle and simply ride in what the horse goes in which of course is less than ideal but being new to dressage this persons account made me realize that I’m not necessarily ‘wrong’ if I’m more effective and accurate by riding with my legs slightly forward from that perfect line.
Perhaps some people with looser hips and different confirmation can achieve that and maybe it is ideal but for me focusing on that was only hurting my riding. I now ride in a really open saddle with pencil blocks and it has improved so much, allowing me to focus on my seat and core and move my legs to cue as needed. of course I’m still working on PT to improve my flexibility, etc. as well.
All this to say - of course don’t ever take one account as the be all end all, and I also get the impression they like stubbens but they never call out ANY brand for or against. I just think its interesting and could be really helpful for some people who like me thought, if i could only get my leg under me I’d improve my riding…
I honestly havent even mentioned the account to my trainer/coach because I’m not sure they would agree when looking at it in a few minutes but I have also not gotten told to put my legs underneath me unless I’m asking for collected trot/canter since I stopped riding in a saddle with straight blocks.
I also do see a lot of legitimate chair seats that would probably NOT benefit from the account at all so perhaps I am in the minority…
EDITED to add - the account was started to discuss saddle fit and I that is where this person is a professional and I’d be surprised to here anyone disagree with their posts on saddle fit. This other realm of theory and rider alignment seems to be their own personal observation and curiosity. I really dont take it that they are saying this way or the highway just that why has it changed so much in 20 years and is it for the better.
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My coach has worked on my chair seat without ever saying legs should be straight down. The look of legs varies with the horses barrel too. My coach is also a fan of pancake flat 1980s Passiers 
way too flat for me, I have a modest knee roll. My point is that many riders out there shy away from big blocks. Also if the block is forcing your leg into position it’s all wrong for you.
Your leg doesn’t need to be straight to avoid chair seat. You just need your heel under your hip joint. Also it helps if you are sitting up and not on your butt.
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Thats awesome your coach has been able to help you. I agree the blocks just aren’t for me but they are EVERYWHERE. One of the few saddles I’ve wanted to try is a custom with those angled blocks but again so many saddles have blocks. Of course I’d love to buy a saddle for myself that fit perfectly but not in the cards ATM but that doesnt mean I dont want to continue to learn and improve.
I’ve also heard countless clinicians (some very big names) and instructors talk about the alignment of head, shoulders, hips and heels. For me, this account was a breath of fresh air.
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I think the saying of “head, shoulders, hips, and heels” that a lot of coaches/clinicians use may (and I am not a coach or clinician so take it with a grain of salt) be more because it’s a good visual for us AA to help us stop sitting on our butts (instead of seat bones) and sit up! I don’t know if anyone actually expects us to hold that position, no matter the anatomy. Maybe I just haven’t ridden with anyone.
I just got a new (to me) saddle and my coach told me it puts me in a much better position. I am still not “in line,” but I am not leaning back and it puts my pelvis in a more neutral position than my old one - so saddle fit to the rider has a lot to do with it. My legs then do whatever is needed of them.
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boy, i sure do. It’s automatic.
My heels and legs will change, but my resting leg just lines up this way naturally. (in saddles, not bareback)
At a certain point, given physical fitness and flexibility, i think anyone would be able to find they too would fall into this muscle-memory.
i can’t imagine having a saddle with blocks. I’m saddle hunting now, and so far, i can’t even consider one. I sit upon and feel them there against my leg and go: NOPE~! …but, if i could get past the initial yuckiness and ever did find a nice flat saddle that fit me and my mare, but that had blocks, i’d get a scalpel and just cut the darn things right off.
Jumping from something and having the horse magically vanish are two different things. I’d bet money that the leg in front person would land on their butt.
I’m neither agreeing nor disagreeing with any leg placement, just pointing out that that demonstration didn’t actually demonstrate what it purported to demonstrate.
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I agree that demonstration didn’t demonstrate anything. You can see in your mind eye that if in a chair seat with your feet on the horses shoulders you would fall backwards if the horse magically disappeared.
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and…if i were actually sitting in a chair and that chair magically disappeared, i would be on my rear too. But, what does that prove? That someone is out of balance when sitting in a chair also? I’m not getting thething here…
That your weight isn’t centered down your spine into your seat bones. Your chair won’t care but your horse probably does.
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i disagree with the premise.
Legs are pretty much incidental to balance.
edit: Here, this is what i mean
They weigh a ton, so while you’re not on your own two feet, they matter.
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legs are not THAT heavy. They say they’re up to 40% of body weight. I’m thinking mine are less than that. I’m going with 35ish pounds each.
That is a lot. We think about the horse’s neck and head acting as a balancing rod for the body, but it is a smaller proportion of body weight as compared to two legs vs. a human torso, arms and head.
IMO, the whole “blocks or no blocks” question is a red herring. Flap shape and block (if used) shape and design are more important. I have two saddles with thigh blocks that do not extend to my knee. One has smaller angled blocks and I hardly know they’re there. The other has bigger blocks with less angle, and I know they’re there, but I can still post and don’t find them restrictive due to their length and the more forward flap design (I have long femurs!). I have ridden in a saddle of the same seat size bit straighter flaps and longer blocks extending past my knees, and can see how that configuration can cause a lot of problems. However, for less flexible and fit amateurs, I think it just tends to shove them up onto the cantle because they can’t keep the thigh that draped and long, so the knee pushes against the block and they end up crammed against the cantle.
FWIW, I ride my larger young horse in the saddle with bigger blocks, and my smaller horse with the smaller block saddle, and have more issues with my leg swinging back on the smaller horse. I don’t think it’s a function of the saddle at all, but more of a mismatch between my length of leg and the horse’s barrel size. I end up reaching back looking for contact with the wider part of her barrel.
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Sort of, yes. The floor supports your legs. That doesn’t mean that sitting in a chair is wrong, but you’re not balanced in a chair the way you are on a horse.
Also, I don’t think bareback equates to riding in a saddle. With a saddle and stirrups, when you sit in what is traditionally thought of as a chair seat, your leg weight pressing forward affects the angle of your pelvis (posterior tilt) which causes the actual chair seat. Bareback you cannot brace your feet against anything so the weight of your leg still hangs and cannot affect the angle of your pelvis or shove you too far back in the saddle/on the horse’s back.
Does that help explain?
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