Ridecamp: [RC] Wintec Endurance questions

I'm a desparate newbie of sorts, and hope I can get some help. Feel free to 
respond privately.

I'm a horseless rider with no lack of mounts to choose from. :) After having 
my face smashed up in a wreck with an Arab mule- possibly due to the owner's 
poor fitting tack- I'm considering getting my own rig (for the record, a 
crupper + being able to adjust the girth back + a good girth to begin with 
might have spared this lesson). Since I'm in the saddle for up to 8 hours at 
a crack, I'm hoping some of your experiences can enlighten me.

At 150# on the scale in the morning I think I'm too heavy to consider a 
treeless saddle, and the flexible panel systems have such mixed reviews in 
practice... I'm thinking perhaps the Wintec endurance w/ CAIR and changable 
gullet is a reasonable solution (but I'm still open to persuasion).

For folks with experience with this saddle:

1. PLEASE keep the comments on CAIR coming... obviously it's only been out a 
short time, so I'm interested in seeing out it works out on the trail over 
time.
2. Do you have to tear the head of the saddle apart to change the gullet 
still, or is it easily accessbile velcro/ screws? I tried emailing Wintec 
about this and they made it sound like the velcro, but their website says 
you have to tear open the seam.
3. How is people's experience with the adjustible Y girthing system? Any 
tricks to know about here?
4. How do you like the leg block system? Tricks?
5. It sounds like the old Wintec trees spread pretty badly with time and 
hard use... still happening?
6. Some folks have said they hate webbers, others love them, but I haven't 
heard why- any takers?
7. Are there any pads that just haven't worked or have worked outstandingly 
well?

THANK YOU, to all who can help me here....

Megan


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