Good Trail Rides Near Gatlinburg, TN?

Hey, I'm wondering if there are any slaughter-free trail rides near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. My mother is was wanting to ride at a nearby trail ride-Smokey Mountain Trails or something I think-but I don't want to pay someone who will probably sell their horses to the slaughter in a few years. I don't know much about the trail business but I know enough about how people treat work horses to know they are probably all sent to auction or to the slaughter house, the previous probably leading to the later, after a few years of hard work.

If there is a ride that absolutely does not put their horse in an auction or slaughter position, please tell me!

All the paid outfitters in that area have the same type horses. They are broke, head to tail, anyone can ride horses. What makes you think they all go to slaughter? And if that is the case, if they didnt, who would buy all those ole worn out horses? I would like to know where you are getting your info from that they all send their.horses to slaughter.
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Does it matter who would buy them? Slaughtering is wrong in so many ways and EXTREMELY inhumane.

I'm getting it from things I have read. I know that ranch horses are typically sent to auction or slaughter once they have an injury or get old, it makes sense that most work horses suffer the same fate.

Can I get a particular link to somewhere on the internet that states this?
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It's not on the Internet, I have learned this from my book "80 Dollar Champion" which tells a lot about how farm horses are treated and from personal experience with an old ranch horse that passed through my barn. His owners had meet him on vacation and he had a small injury which would have sent him to slaughter had they not fallen in love and bought him. One of the best geldings I've meet too, he let us clean a bullet wound without even pinning his ears!
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We all die eventually. It's a fact of life. Are you looking for a place to trail ride or are you wanting to start an argument about slaughter.

Put your money where your mouth is, go on your trail ride and tell the owner you will be glad to take all his horses in and care for them when they get too old to ride. I am sure they will take you up on the offer.

I don't see how you can make an asumption about all ranch and trail string horses based on a book about a plow pony and one horse someone you know bought. Go live life a little, and then come back and we will talk.
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Wow. I didn't know people could get more douche-like than my last forum!

I do not want to start an argument on slaughter, I want to kill someone at the very word and I'm on vacation, I want a place to trail ride that does not slaughter horses. Apparently everyone on here don't read enough to realize what I'm asking. Ooh how I detest the horse world.

For your last statement, I plan to do just that when I am out of college and have a job.
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Face it, its a part of life. Good luck with your dreams though.
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I live close to Gatlinburg, about 20 mins to be exact. So, I've been on a lot of nose to tail trail rides up there. If you actually go talk to most trail outfitters you'd know that they keep their horses as long as possible since a good trail horse is hard to find. Most seasons run from March to November and then the horses have the winter off. If the horses for whatever reason aren't suitable for packing tourists around anymore usually they are sold to private buyers.

Call Twin Valley Ranch in Walland, TN. I have personally been out there more than once and the owner's horses are very well-maintained and are not sold off to slaughter. The owner actually has waiting lists for her horses once they are too old to continue work. She's also had some horses she's kept for their entire life, one of them is 32 years old and is in beautiful condition. The scenery the rides are set in are gorgeous and the ranch is only about 15-20mins from Gatlinburg. I can't say enough nice things about Twin Valley Ranch!
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