I've raised, hunted and packed with lots of horses over the years including quarter horses, arabs, fox trotters and Tennessee Walkers. Eldeguello's advice was plumb on, but when you find that right horse, it is especially nice if it is in a walker or fox trotter.

Generaly, walkers and trotters can't compete with others in the performance arena, but in the western mountains, they can't be beat. Most are calm, pack well, stay out of trouble and have kind dispositions. When on the trail they are increadibly smooth and fast to get into country or camp. When off the trail, they are like any other horse. Having a horse step on your heels is not only a pain, but dangerous. You can easily teach any horse to stay off your heels and at the end of the lead. Like most things with horses, it is just a matter of knowing what you want and training for it.

Well I may as well wade into this quagmire,a good horse can come from any breed depending on its breeding and handling, but I agree with Ray there is generally nothing better than a well bred Quarter Horse,they are consistent and adaptable,and I like them with foundation breeding with the right TB bloodlines,and anyone that breeds horses for a smooth gait to save their back sides probably shouldnt be breeding horses,W/Regards

I am with Ray on this one during a year I ride a lot of different horses on the ranch where I work including my own and endurance is not a problem but I have noticed that the foundation bred QH,S that dont have a lot of TB dont generally have as much as the ones with a lot of TB up close in their pedigrees.The toughest horse we have is 1/2 paint&TB by My Leroy Brown,you can chase cows all day and haul him to Billings for team roping in the evening and he is still going strong and he might be the fastest horse I have ever ridden going short.w/regards

i dont know about for trail but they make great pig bait after you shoot about a dozen feral ones in the nt of aus

I have never had an indurance problem with a quarter horse and I have used the living crap out of them..they can't out walk some of the walking breeds, but some have a really nice walking lope that will eat up a mile....but I'm not trying to race when I am hunting in the mountains, and when I kill a deer, I can pull it up in my lap and ride to camp or to the house with it...When I need to doctor a cow I can rope her and doctor her...I can catch a pack string that has run off and I can top the worst of mountains without being on a trail or ride off down it a black hole for a elk and then climb back out...I can just about do whatever needs to get done.

I agree some breeds like the Paint or Pinto horses are just colored quarter horses and they are as good. I agree a good mustang if you can find a good one is tougher n hell...A good saddle mule is hard to beat unless you need to run something down and rope it...and he can pack more than a horse...

Again I will say a good horse is a good horse regardless of the breed if he can do the job I want, and a dink is a dink in any breed...