Knee blocks. Help or hindrance (jumping)??

suzysparkle

suzysparkle

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I've just got a new saddle and I'm really happy with it, but, it's so different to what I'm used to. I have been using a saddle company event saddle which has huge knee blocks. So much so that my knees were always jammed into them. This never made my lower leg feel very secure.

New one has the flap underneath cut straighter than the one on top to allow for shoulder movement. I can already tell that Horse really feels the benefit. Now, for me, it means that there is basically no knee roll other than a small one very high up. So, my knee has nothing to jam into. It is really forward cut so can put stirrups up nice and short. So far, lower leg feels much more secure but it just feels so very wierd having nothing in front of me. I haven't jumped in it yet. Have phoned saddler who has urged me to persevere for a couple of weeks which is good advice as I might get used to it and end up prefering it. If I don't I can send it back and have bigger ones added (which of course I'll need to pay for).

So, my question is, what are peoples thoughts on knee rolls? Saddle does have a big thigh roll which I can tell will really help keeping lower leg forward.
 
I think it is personal preference really. I have quite long things I find it very hard to fit into a saddle with big blocks.
Mine is really foward cut and completely flat seated with a small block at the front above my knee and a small thigh block. I really like not being "jammed in":

http://www.fteltd.co.uk/wow/flap-xc.htm
 
Another with long thighs that prefers my saddle without knee blocks - I have a Barnsby Milton which is very flat with very little in the way of blocks, and feel super secure in it. OH's Stubben jumping saddle is more blocked and I feel a little perched - I have longer thighs than OH, even though he is taller!
 
Agree with the above. I have short thighs! But love my single flap saddles and struggle with big blocks now, as they encourage you to grip into them and actually make you less secure!! You will get used to it, and your balance will improve :)
 
I have ridiculously long legs, which as my instructor says, is not necessarily an unwanted thing in most teen girls, but it's a pain with saddles. My blocks pushed my lower legs into totally the wrong position, as well as making me insecure, so we took them off. I now jump without anything there, but still feel a hell of a lot more secure!
 
Thanks! I think the thing is it's not monoflap but the flap underneath is cut straight (VSD) so the flap on top kind of compresses in the way in front of it. It just feels very odd!! I also think it's not going to be one for riding in anything other than jumping length. I was flicking through an H&H today and was really looking at people's jumping position in different saddles. Funnily those with the big blocks in front looked like they had a less secure lower leg.

I had been looking at an Albion K2 but the knee blocks looked big on it as well. I know that I've been relying on the knee block too much but it was kind of impossible not to. I will persevere and hopefully save myself the altering money!
 
I have the Albion K2 and hate it because of the huge knee blocks, which mean I can't get my stirrups short enough, and makes my lower leg insecure. I am also a shortie (only 5'2"), but I much prefer small knee and thigh blocks. I have a black country Venici monoflap jump saddle which I really like, and my Albion is going to be replaced with a Prestige (which is currently being made).
 
I had a Saddle Co event for a couple of years and although I felt secure in it - the knee rolls were huge - I got to the point where I knew it was actually hindering my position on the flat and over bigger fences, which in turn was affecting my horses progress. The thing was I loved that saddle because I did feel secure in it, I used it for going hunting for the first time, xc for the first time, hacking my then young horses, it was great and I umm-ed and aah-ed over selling it for ages. I eventually did and got an Albion Legend which was the complete opposite, flat seat, no knee rolls, the first time I rode in it I could have cried as it felt so different, but I stuck with it and after a couple of weeks I jumped in it for the first time, that was when I really felt the benefits of it and realised that I was more secure because my position was better. I've progressed on from the Albion to Stubbens. I have 3 horses and 3 Stubbens Siegfrieds, one with knee rolls and the other two without, and my riding is better than its ever been. Loosing my seatbelt (as we used to call the kneeblocks!) was the best thing I have did.

I have pics to prove the difference it has made. If you want to see what I mean let me know! :)
 
you will get used to it :)

old saddle had normal knee rolls... when trying new saddle it just had small above the thigh blocks felt very odd and just not right! change these for normal knee rolls and felt much more 'normal' bought the small blocks too and it only took a couple of goes for me to much prefer them for jumping as much easier to get my stirrups short. So I use the small ones for jumping and the normal knee rolls for dressage now :)
 
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