The tldr version is: I don't need them.
I've played this game since beta, my buddy let me make a character on his account to play while he was at school and I loved it so much i eventually bought my own game to play at the same time as him. We both ran around and (at the time) 100% the map together. No other MMO made exploring feel this good, and it was all done without mounts, which in other games just served to clutter the world and trivialize the journey (in my opinion).
So when PoF came along and flat out made it not possible to progress without the mounts, I resented that.
And before anyone gets upset that I want them to take mounts away, it's the natural progression of an MMO to grow and add ways to traverse quicker. I just want the option to explore the world on foot. Even if it ends up being exasperating and frustrating.