To tree or not to tree, that is the question!

The most knowledgable person I know and she is on this forum Padrona. You do not normal mount from the ground because they slip.
You must spend alot of money on the best pad but that pad offers no support to spreading out the load that you butt puts on the horse's back.
Pick up a treeless saddle and bend it front to back. It has no support whatever. Trees were invented to act as a foundation of support, all good houses, cars, everything starts with a good foundation and builds from there. You guys are taking a step backwards.
PSI is ultra important. It is what allows the horse to carry weight, put even 3 psi on a horses back and you are going to sore him.
Example. Put a 100 rock on your shoulder and carry it for any length of time?? Now take a 100 sack of feathers and try carrying if for the same length of time.
It is about stability, support and spreading the load.

I was just looking for the pictures of me and Rio with a treeless saddle, I tried one and one of the best. At my age and postion in life money is no longer an object and I would buy nothing but the best as long as I was convinced it is the way to go. I gave a very good treeless saddle a go and hated it. I couldn't mount from the ground and I hated the feel and that was with a top of the line pad. The recommended pad.
I mount every time from the ground and don't beleive it will stretch stirrup leaders and throw the back of the horse out. I still have spirng in my legs and have no problems just popping up on a horse.

I hope Pandrona sees this and posts her opinions and likes and dislikes. She rides in one, loves it and again she is the most knowledgable person when it comes to treeless.

The 2007 Tevis Cup winner won that endurance race in a treeless saddle; a Freeform with a Haf pad.
FreeFormUSA: Freeform Treeless Saddle with Haf saddle pad wins Tevis Cup

Many other endurance riders successfully complete and even win races with different treeless saddles. A lot of real-world testing goes in to their production and development (the quality brands).

No, they don't work for every horse or every rider. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for anything in the horse world. I am simply sharing something that works for me, and many others.

Some information if you care to enlighten yourself.
Horse Connection - Treeless Saddles and More - FAQ

I am not a treeless fanatic. I do own and ride in more than a few other treed saddles. My favorite to ride in, and the saddles my horses seem to go best in (including their custom fitted treed saddles), are my treeless saddles.

My daughter runs barrels in a BM Sports Saddle. There are no issues with slipping even in this speed event. Her mare needs no chiro work and is in great condition. She does use the saddleright pad with the treeless and that my play a roll in how the saddle fits and distributes the weight. So far we have no complaints, but I would not buy any other brand than an original BM. We have tried other cheaper ones and they truely are NOT as well made.