I don't have a problem with horses here in the Ozarks. There are shared trails and dedicated hiking trails and no outfitters at all. We just don't have that kind of tourism here, so the only horses are privately owned and operated. The people that own and use their trail horses here are among the best of those you'd get to meet on a trail. You'd be hard pressed to find any trash they've left behind.

Personally, I prefer my little donkeys to horses, llamas, goats, or dogs. They're less than 36 inches at the shoulder, pack 50 lbs of gear, love people, follow you anywhere, and don't go schizo on you. They don't have much of an impact on the trail either, and I still get to walk.

The really old timers knew of these benefits the little burros provided when on the trail. Too bad they've been mostly forgotten here. If your outfitters switched to using them you all would benefit.

Bill