Hi and welcome,

I do agree that a Tenn. Walker or a Missouri fox trotter would be a good choice. They are easy on the back and GREAT on the trails. What your friend means by not saddle trained is, that you don't want a horse that has been through show training these horses have that high stepping or racking gait. They normally also have numerous leg and foot problems due to the way they are trained and shod. When looking for these types of horses you want ones that have never been through this type of training, you want a good trail horse or a horse that has been trained for field trials. These horses are quiet and great out on the trails, they have been around dogs and other animals. They are also good with cattle ours that we had years ago helped herd cattle all the time and even had one that could run barrels believe it or not. I do recommend finding a horse vet that you trust and are comfortable with and that knows gaited horses (if that is what you go with, and I would)when you do find a few horses that you like then I would have some type of Pre Purchase done on them. Your vet will let you know wether or not you need xrays. Also I would look for a horse that is mid age (in its prime) these horses are normally well seasoned and are great for beginners anything between the age of 10-15 years is a good place to start. I would recommend staying away from anything under 6 years old, they are still children if you know what I mean. Good luck and happy horse hunting.