The thigh block is one of the defining aspects of the Ghost Treeless Saddle. Higher than a knee roll but lower than an aussie poley, the thigh block provides an amazingly secure ride through all kinds of horse antics without interfering with natural riding motion such as posting.
Ideally, the rider's thigh angle will match the angle of the block and be anywhere from passive contact to an inch away depending upon the desire of the rider for a seat where the saddle "hugs the bum" or gives room to move. There are 4 options when choosing a Ghost with regards to Block Angle.
No Block |
Angled Block (GP) |
Straight Block (dressage) |
Adjustable Block |
Florac, Puro |
Quevis, Puro Plus, |
Quilty, Puro Plus |
Italy (GP flap) |
Custom order |
Veneto, Torino |
Roma |
Lipica (dressage flap) |
Adjustable block |
|
|
Crusader, Heritage |
|
|
Flamenco |
In case you still need a little advice, please ask. Personally, since I ride young arabs, I really like a secure block and I ride with a fairly straight leg. So I prefer the Quilty, Roma, and Lipica. Those with a long thigh would do best with the Quevis, Veneto, Italy, or Florac. Most people can find a happy range with one of the adjustable block models, but I will mostly have the fixed block saddles in stock for demo purposes so it's still important to think about. Here's a quick YouTube video with a visual explanation. New! The Torino and Ferrara seem to work with people who are inbetween or even need either block angle because the block is more of a ramp than a hard stop and the block is inside a pocket and can be removed.
If you have a good side pic of you riding you can bring it up next to this image for comparison: