How to Put Bucking Rolls on an English Saddle

Bucking rolls are padded supplements, usually stuffed with something soft like hair, that are added to the front of the saddle seat to the swells to help a rider stay seated on a bucking horse. Originally, buck rolls were designed by rodeo riders to place on Western saddles so that cowboys were not injured by their pommels when their horses bucked. Buck rolls that are attached to an English saddle are called thigh rolls or thigh blocks. Thigh rolls are usually slightly smaller than Western buck rolls and attach at the knee roll.

Things You'll Need

  • English saddle
  • Thigh rolls
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Instructions

    • 1

      Look in tack stores for thigh blocks. Make sure that you are buying English thigh blocks and not Western buck rolls for your saddle. Western buck rolls will not fit on an English saddle. Thigh blocks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some are small and diamond-shaped and offer little extra protection, whereas others may raise you up to 2 inches off of your saddle. Choose the shape and size that is appropriate to your needs.

    • 2

      Examine your saddle and determine its manufacturer. The easiest way to fit thigh blocks on to your saddle will be to purchase the thigh blocks your saddle manufacturer is selling. If you are able to purchase your thigh blocks from the same manufacturer, you will be more likely to find ones that fit. You will also be more likely to find thigh blocks that match your saddle's exact color.

    • 3

      Determine whether your saddle is outfitted for Velcro or screw-in thigh blocks. Some manufacturers, such as Wintec, make their saddles with removable Velcro thigh blocks. If your saddle has Velcro removable knee rolls or thigh blocks, you can remove the old unsatisfactory ones by just peeling them off. These Velcro thigh blocks can be placed directly on the spot you removed your old thigh blocks from.

    • 4

      Find the hardware on your saddle for screwing in new thigh blocks, if your saddle is outfitted for screw-in blocks. If this is the case, you should be able to find a place to screw something in on either side of your saddle at the front of the knee rolls. Your new screw-in thigh blocks should have a screw protruding out of the back of each one. You can just screw these right in to your saddle. Make sure that when you have finished, they are right side up. You can determine this by looking at the picture on the box they came in.

    • 5

      Hire a competent leather worker to alter your saddle so that you can attach screw-in thigh blocks if your saddle is not outfitted for them. Under no circumstances should you attempt this alteration yourself, unless you are an experienced leather worker. To find someone who can perform this alteration for you, ask for references at your favorite tack store. Once you find a leather worker who can perform this addition, explain exactly what it is you expect from your thigh blocks. He can help you to choose the right blocks and fit them correctly into your saddle.