The union with Valve and Steam Workshop scares me a little. Personally, I don't want Bethesda anywhere near Valve. Valve is a bad influence. For example, Valve had promised the same level of support and item generation for Left 4 Dead that Team Fortress 2 enjoys (and enjoys still). A year after L4D came out, the level of support they promised had all been put into Left 4 Dead 2, which was of course "too much" content to be free and was, in fact, a sequel. Even after that, Valve still failed to provide Team Fortress 2. The point is that Valve slacked off and, in order to make more money, divided the L4D community in half. Bethesda are slacking as well in some areas (horses, taking away attributes, automated Radiant quests, taking out spellcrafting, etc.) and it is a little scary. Stop hanging out with Valve, Bethesda! Sorry, I had to get this out. I picture Bethesda and Valve like I picture an upstanding citizen and a lowlife, respectively.

I don`t disagree. It worries me too.

Anyone stating the horses are pointless, try getting overencumbered with lots of lovely loot you refuse to part with once in a while. Even the damned cart guy won't transport you if you are over the weight limit (can't even describe how pissed off I was after the looooooong slow walk to get to the nearest bus stop only to be refused carraige to Whiterun) but a trusty steed can.

Horses are a good option for non-fast travel players and looters alike.
For me, either allowing a follower to get on the back or have their own horse would be high up the list.
Combat on horses would be decent too, as well as seing more NPCs travelling on them randomly and not just some headless horseman.

OPs ideas +

Horses do not engage combat and hostiles wont engage it unless it isn't anyone else around. I hate how they meddle in combat and subsequently get killed.

I would like the ability to interact with the world while on horseback. Just simple things like harvesting alchemical ingredients and talking to npcs you pass.

Even if they don't implement horse-combat, a quicker dismount would be useful. If a creature is attacking I'm going to leap off the horse's back not dismount slowly at my leisure.

It would also be good if the horses were less aggressive. I arrived at this fort, dismounted, and my horse bolted ahead through the gate triggering a bunch of fire-traps and then getting slaughtered by a volley of mage-fire. By the time I caught up with the damned thing it was nothing more than a smoking-pile of dead meat.

Carts refuse you if you`re too heavy? No! That don`t make sense.

I can`t use horses unless 1st person is returned. It totally screws my game from from 1st to 3rd. And then I have to relearn the whole control system. NO.

Might be ok for you guys who always play in 3rd, but not for me.

I'm on my third horse.1st killed by a sabrecat, 2nd by a bear, so the option to be able to fight whilst mounted appeals greatly.
I do like that I can walk, trot and canter, but I would like to be able to dismount and walk and know that he is either going to follow me, or I can whistle (as in Red Dead) so he is there when I want to ride again.
I'd like to be able to pick colours as well - so far I've only been able to buy a bay, but I could have stolen some really nicely coloured ones....
I feel sorry for my companion having to run behind be loaded down with all the gack I'm making him carry, couldn't I at least be able to buy him a donkey to ride....

Having myself ride a horse and a companion having to walk is pretty silly.

Horses seriously need an upgrade. With the respite perk, my heavy armor-wearing character can run across Skyrim FASTER than a horse, because I only have to stop for a few seconds once my stamina's gone to recharge it. Plus, I don't have to dismount to attack or anything.

Horses need to be faster, and not attack everything as soon as you dismount. I'd be happy with just this. Why bother having a horse at all if you can run faster than they can? This is one of my only gripes with the game.

I would prefer if they fixed the dimensions that are off, and then smooth out the animation so I'm not riding Bullseye from Toy Story.
The horses' sprint speed should be their run speed.
They should be neutral to humanoids.
They should be able to carry items (to a capacity)
Them seeing you shouldn't make you noticed when sneaking. Although the 'eye' should be above the heads of npc's, mobs.
Companions should get on them too.
Forced 3rd person simply shouldn't exist (that goes for being a werewolf too).

Legend of Zelda has had mounted combat since the days of the N64...

Some of my recommendations are based on what others have said, but I have a few more:

1) Store items in the horse's saddlebags.
2) Mounted Combat: Initiating a decapitation animation from horseback would be awesome.
3) Faster horses! More endurance.
4) Horses should knock down dudes when they sprint into them.
5) NPC's on horses (Feels like the early days of SW:G not seeing travelers riding horses).
6) Horse Armor - just looks cool.

Jake

Just bought the game 2 days ago, very dissapointed in horses due to lack of 1st person and abilitey to walk backwards. Bumping this thread hopefully will get the attention of a dev or a moder.

I have an idea. How about NO HORSES in the game? Since everyone seems to agree that horses are not great, why not just do away with them? At least in Oblivion, you could ride your horse in first person (which I prefer) and Shadowmere was ....

No! Just fix them

Would be awesome if they could carry things including my companion lol (always running away or getting stuck on a rock)

First person perspective when riding, with separate controls as Oblivion was.

Much of what the OP said plus:

* Multiple gaits - add trot to canter and gallop. Also rein back as mentioned by kabtq9s.
* Multiple models - The Heavy breed of Skyrim horse as well as a lighter horse like in Oblivion. (Destriers and Palfreys).
* Option to prevent them from engaging in combat on your behalf. Plus AI tweaks.
* More mounted NPCs in game.
* Being able to Smith and Enchant armor for them.
* Mount for your follower.

Black Horses and Shadowmere in Oblivion had a value of 33 Speed, which for creatures is the equivalent of an NPC/Player having 99 Speed attribute. The reason why a player could run faster than even Shadowmere or a Black Horse though, was because the Horses had a terrible Athletics skill, which greatly contributes to movement speed. After setting Shadowmere's Athletics to 100 with the console, he can easily move faster than a player.