[QUOTE=paulaedwina;6577931]
Is there a difference between bareback pads and treeless saddles on your horse? I ask because I always thought that treeless was hard on your horse’s back, but I’ve been riding bareback (pad) for weeks now on a regular basis. Do they sit the same way on your horse?
Will I hurt my horse by riding regularly bareback? He seems alot more relaxed and happy to go. He used to jig away from the saddle when tacking up (I’m thinking because NONE of the saddles I rode him in fit his short curvy back -sorry Fella. We get none of that now, not even when I was trying different saddles on him these last couple of days.
If it is the case that the pad and a treeless would fit/wear the same way and riding that way consistently is not hurting my horse, then I should probably revisit treeless.
Paula[/QUOTE]
I’ll bite.
Is there a difference between treeless and riding bareback?: yes
Will you hurt your horse by riding bareback?: Maybe, maybe not.
I think it’s useful to keep in mind that dispersing pressure is only one quality of many a saddle will have. No one likes a heavy backpack with spaghetti straps - dispersing pressure is generally more comfortable. But if a had to choose between spaghetti straps over my shoulders and a wide, cushioning strap going around my neck, I’d choose the narrower straps any day 
In a similarly weird example, imagine a treed saddle which was designed to spread the pressure directly along the horse’s spine, and lift pressure off the sides and rib cage. The pressure of your seat bones would be dispersed, but not in a way that is helpful. Obviously, that’s an extreme example, but hopefully you can see that a saddle needs to do a lot more than just disperse pressure.
I may be wrong here, but this is my understanding. I’m interested in understanding better!:
A treed saddle can have nasty pressure points if it’s ill fitting. Also, part of it’s stability comes from it’s ability to firmly straddle the horse’s spine, especially the wither. So you may be able to mount from the ground, turn and lean without the saddle budging, but it’s because it’s bracing (putting pressure) against the horse’s spine. A Western saddle may redistribute pressure all across the horse’s back and less against the spine, but sometimes a Western saddle that doesn’t fit great - but may seem to- will really dig into the wither and shoulder even more.
Take your thumb and push it into your thigh. Now place a magazine (preferably Vanity Fair) on your leg and push again. Lastly, take a hardback book and push your thumb on it against your leg. That’s 3 ways of experiencing the same pressure.
Not everyone’s seat bones protrude in the same what or at the same angle. A balanced rider on a fleshy, well muscled, aligned horse is unlikely to bother the horse’s back much riding bareback.
A bareback pad offers some minor cushioning (weight dispersal) but does not balance the weight or the rider. A good saddle will do all of those things. A treeless saddle will not have pressure points that hurt as much in the areas or times the fit is less perfect. This is true with curvy-backed horses, or anytime the shape of the horse’s back changes while moving. It will also not tolerate an unbalanced load well, for better or worse (mostly for better IMO, since if one is always relying on the saddle to stay balanced, the back is being strained). But the actual pressure of the seat bone through the saddle, especially while sitting deeply or heavily, will always be greater than with a treed saddle. There’s just a lot more to saddle fit and sore backs than that.
ETA: I think I’m using the term “balanced rider” in two ways. To clarify, I think a good saddle will distribute weight in a balanced manner and encourage a balanced and aligned position by the rider. This is a different meaning from describing a rider who is, for example, lopsided, but their saddle stays centered on the horse’s back.
