I know they can be added to a saddle. But that’s another $300-$350. I recently bought a Devoucoux Biarritz, from which some former owner had the knee and thigh blocks removed. Do any of y’all ride without blocks? Do you think they make a huge difference? I should mention that I am not going to the Olympics and in fact, am a very ordinary 3-foot hunter rider, so factor that into whether or not this is worth it. Anyone want to recommend a particular place to have this work done, if elect to do it? Thx.
Back in the early 1990’s, none of us rode in saddles with knee rolls and blocks 
I did children’s jumpers and prelim level eventing in my “flat saddle”.
Does it make a big difference? Hum… I don’t think so. You might develop a better leg
[QUOTE=222orchids;7713619]
I know they can be added to a saddle. But that’s another $300-$350. I recently bought a Devoucoux Biarritz, from which some former owner had the knee and thigh blocks removed. Do any of y’all ride without blocks? Do you think they make a huge difference? I should mention that I am not going to the Olympics and in fact, am a very ordinary 3-foot hunter rider, so factor that into whether or not this is worth it. Anyone want to recommend a particular place to have this work done, if elect to do it? Thx.[/QUOTE]
I have pulled all the blocks out of any of my saddles over the years. I like the deeper seat and padded flap of the modern saddles, but not the blocks. They’re easy enough to pull out.
As for putting them in, any competent leather worker should be able to do it. Take the saddle to your local saddle shop, they can have recommendations.
As to whether you want them in or not? Completely up to you. Try riding in it for awhile, and you’ll know whether you want them or not. A lot of time, it depends on how your horse carries himself (ie low in front = lovely time to have upper blocks in front of your leg!). They should serve a purpose, not just be there for show.
[QUOTE=Appsolute;7713631]
Back in the early 1990’s, none of us rode in saddles with knee rolls and blocks
I did children’s jumpers and prelim level eventing in my “flat saddle”.
Does it make a big difference? Hum… I don’t think so. You might develop a better leg ;)[/QUOTE]
We still have one around. 
I usually ride in one of two Tad Coffin A5G saddles. One has front & back blocks, the other none. I do not notice any difference.
I still have one of my “flat” saddles as well - but its too narrow for my TBx (fit my distance bred TB great though).
One other option for adding blocks to a saddle - have some velcro sew onto the under flaps - and then buy some of those removable / movable blocks and put them on.
http://www.adamshorsesupplies.com/Bates-Flexiblocs-Close-Contact-P2718.aspx
And that way you can take them off, move them around etc.
[QUOTE=Appsolute;7713631]
Back in the early 1990’s, none of us rode in saddles with knee rolls and blocks
I did children’s jumpers and prelim level eventing in my “flat saddle”.
Does it make a big difference? Hum… I don’t think so. You might develop a better leg ;)[/QUOTE]
I loved mine! I felt more secure in that saddle than anything else and I’d still be riding in it (eventing) if it fit my guy better.
Can you post a picture? I removed the rear blocks from my saddle but didn’t take the leather out that encased it–just cut a slit in the leather piece which is still stitched on and pulled the block out. So, I would think that it would be easy to add a block and then stitch it up. Not like it has to look pretty there under the flap. But if your saddle had some more in depth surgery done to it, then it might be a slightly bigger job.
I have yet to figure out how to put a picture in these threads. But the outline is there where the blocks used to be; the stitching is apparent. I too, grew up in a Crosby Prix des Nations, and had no knee rolls, no blocks, no nothing. But then again, my first car had no seat belts. Nostalgia is not always a good thing. I welcome and appreciate everyone’s input.
Gotta tell you, I didn’t think much of them when I switched out my Delgrange for an Antares…my DG had front and back blocks, the Antares only front…rode in the Antares for probably four years, and since I couldn’t get now-dressage mare to go over jumps higher than 2’9", I didn’t miss them much.
Now that I have horsey that is happy to go over jumps, I started to notice my leg slipping back significantly over the top of jumps. Thankfully - I had gotten the blocks to go with my Antares when I bought it, just never got them sewn in. I took them to a local tack store, and was able to get them installed for about $60. Made a HUGE difference!!! Especially over bigger jumps, or when he puts in a bigger effort, I find I am much more able to keep my leg close to the girth, without having to jack my stirrups up.
I can’t speak to the knee blocks, having never ridden without them - but I would have totally discounted the thigh blocks before this experience - now I am convinced they are a great aid in my riding form over jumps…
[QUOTE=Appsolute;7713631]
Back in the early 1990’s, none of us rode in saddles with knee rolls and blocks
I did children’s jumpers and prelim level eventing in my “flat saddle”.
Does it make a big difference? Hum… I don’t think so. You might develop a better leg ;)[/QUOTE]
I still ride in one like that:)
LetItBe
I wouldn’t equate a saddle with no blocks to a car without seatbelts I think most can agree that its not safe to not use a seat belt. But it is absolutely not necisary to have knee blocks to ride well, or safely.
I choose a saddle with knee blocks more recently - because my legs are not as strong as they should be, and I was hoping the saddle could be a bit of a crutch. If that is what you want - add the knee blocks! (although I don’t know if they changed my riding at all).
If you take a close look - you will see many top riders choose saddles that do not have big (or any) knee / thigh blocks:
http://www.horseandcountry.tv/sites/default/files/images/content/MSG_Hickstead__201214.JPG
http://www.proequest.com/_/content/unika16x20.jpg
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/olympics/london/4-15/equestrianx-16-9.jpg
To post pictures, host them online somewhere, facebook, photobucket etc, and then post the link.
I ride in a Tad Coffin A5G with no knee/thigh blocks. I honestly prefer it to other saddles, it’s got such a nice close contact feel to it.
I’ve ridden in saddles with both knee and thigh blocks and they feel very restrictive to me, however when I was younger, I did like saddles to have them.
I have a trainer who will ONLY ride in a pancake-flat saddle with no knee/thigh roll, no padding, no calf block, exactly like that pictured with Tiffany Foster. The saddle is about as utilitarian as it gets - minus the nice, sticky leather.
Said trainer competes at the highest of levels and seems to have no issue sticking over massive 1.60m oxers etc.
While I was waiting for my own saddle to be made, I rode and showed in my trainer’s saddles and was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t notice all that much difference. Now I am not going to the Olympics tomorrow or anything, but we are not jumping the smallest of the sticks either. My own saddle has a knee pad and very small thigh block and I prefer it that way, but if a great deal walked along without one…? If the balance on the saddle is right, I don’t really find the absence of padding/blocks to be much of an issue. I also grew up in a Crosby PDN and prefer the flat seat and lack of restriction. I think it’s all about personal feel and comfort level.
Flame suit on I ride in plain flap, flat seat, no knee roll, no thigh roll saddles as a rule. I do not want anything holding me in place and getting in my way. It is my opinion that all these blocks and things that artificially create “good position” in a rider are acutally making riders less capable. I have a seat and leg that are quiet and effective without blocks. But, I also grew up with a trainer that had us doing tons of lunge line work, no stirrup work and bareback lessons. We jumped bareback with no reins but this was when you rode for a year on the flat before you even got to see the tiniest raised pole. None of this training to accommodate the student’s need for immediate gratification and pushing them up to 2’3" when they’re not ready and don’t have the basics of equitation yet. We rode for the safety of the riders and comfort of the horse - not for ribbons or prestige.
[QUOTE=Snowflake;7714921]
Flame suit on I ride in plain flap, flat seat, no knee roll, no thigh roll saddles as a rule. I do not want anything holding me in place and getting in my way. It is my opinion that all these blocks and things that artificially create “good position” in a rider are acutally making riders less capable. I have a seat and leg that are quiet and effective without blocks. But, I also grew up with a trainer that had us doing tons of lunge line work, no stirrup work and bareback lessons. We jumped bareback with no reins but this was when you rode for a year on the flat before you even got to see the tiniest raised pole. None of this training to accommodate the student’s need for immediate gratification and pushing them up to 2’3" when they’re not ready and don’t have the basics of equitation yet. We rode for the safety of the riders and comfort of the horse - not for ribbons or prestige.[/QUOTE]
It’s quite a stretch to go from “I prefer/don’t prefer knee blocks” to “Knee blocks are the devil and are only there because kids these days just don’t work as hard as we did back in my day when we went uphill to school both ways, barefoot, in the snow and LIKED IT!”
[QUOTE=Across Sicily;7715056]
It’s quite a stretch to go from “I prefer/don’t prefer knee blocks” to “Knee blocks are the devil and are only there because kids these days just don’t work as hard as we did back in my day when we went uphill to school both ways, barefoot, in the snow and LIKED IT!”[/QUOTE]
As a teenager, I hear this a lot and want to dispute some things a little.
Yeah you worked hard as a teenager, but a lot of us did too, we’re just lucky to have tools that make it a lot easier. Nothing wrong with taking advantage of tools available.
I ride in an antares with front and back blocks, and it puts me in a good position. The actually muscle memory from that position is what makes me strong enough to be okay in a saddle with neither front or back blocks. OP, I say take it on trial, and if you like it, good. If you find you’re loose in the tack, then it’s okay to try and find something with blocks or put blocks on it.
I bought a County last year and got Velcro knee blocks so I could have the option to remove of them. I rode with them for maybe 5 minutes in the first ride While my saddles (past my very first flat as a pancake saddle) have had padded flaps, none have had blocks. I’ve ridden through prelim eventing in those saddles. I used to have great position, even on xc. (Not sure what has happened!).
All that being said, it should not cost $300 to put them back on! That’s a very simple process.
[QUOTE=Across Sicily;7715056]
It’s quite a stretch to go from “I prefer/don’t prefer knee blocks” to “Knee blocks are the devil and are only there because kids these days just don’t work as hard as we did back in my day when we went uphill to school both ways, barefoot, in the snow and LIKED IT!”[/QUOTE]
I’m so glad you wrote this - I was biting my tongue…I was trying to post honestly about the advantages my thigh blocks gave me in staying with my horse over the jumps, but I should have figured the usual hard-core “anything that might help you is actually a crutch so you don’t have to learn to ride” perspective would jump on it…I’m so tired of that line over and over.
Some of us don’t have the physical advantages that others do, and need to use different solutions to help us achieve some of the same results…I don’t have the longest legs at all, so it’s hard to wrap them around my horse and still be able to reach forward enough to give her enough of a release over bigger oxers, so it’s nice to have the blocks there as added security. Does that mean I’m a crappy rider??? I’d like to think not, and knee and thigh blocks were created for a reason - some people must find them a useful tool on their saddles, or they wouldn’t exist…
I like my blocks, but I would hardly call them a crutch. There is no substitute for a tight leg, and they sure don’t help a person keep their heels down, not jump ahead, get left behind, etc.
I like the Velcro suggestion!
