I only gave my players rolls to perceive the traps. I don't really think a horse is rational enough to avoid a trap.
Regardless, my players, all level two at the time, had no trouble making their perception checks. Normally, I only allow a perception roll to find a trap if a character is actively looking, or if the character gets an automatic roll for being within ten feet of the trap. Here, however, I gave all the players automatic rolls to notice the traps before they stepped into them. Overall, it was somewhat disappointing. I think I missed the chance to make it interesting somehow.
My players are pretty much just taking ten on Survival checks. They haven't actually had to dip into their rations yet.
I <3 the bear trap filled glade. My PCs weren't mounted, but it still involved a lot of magical healing as they were the ones getting crippled. After the first couple of chomps, they decided to walk single file with the lead cleric beating the ground with a large stick so I let them add a bonus to their perception checks.
If your PCs can't hunt/forage for food in the woods, they could always eat the crippled horses. Or it may be a good time for an elk or boar "random" encounter.
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So, my main question here, Is do the mounts get their own perception check to see them, or is it the PC's only to find the traps?
Though I know some GMs dismiss mounts (and most animals) as mere window dressing, all creatures, regardless of their intelligence or training, are entitled to roll perception checks; that's why they each have a perception score. How they react to whatever it is they've noticed depends on their intelligence, training and racial proclivities.
I don't really think a horse is rational enough to avoid a trap.
It's not a matter of the horse recognizing it as a trap and choosing to avoid it. You have to think like a horse. Horses are, at heart, herd animals who share the responsibility of remaining vigilant against predators. Consequently they're exceptionally perceptive and rather skittish around things they don't recognize; usually preferring to flee rather than risk sticking around. They're also very careful about their footing since, if they injure a leg, they're almost certain to die. That's because horses can't support their weight on three legs for long and, if forced to remain lying on the ground for more than a few hours, they'll end up suffocating under the weight of their own prone torsos. Hence the old expression: "No hoof, no horse."
Horses tend to keep an eye on the ground ahead of them for things that might bite them (like snakes) or trip them up (like logs, rocks or burrow holes). If it spots something out of place in the grass ahead, like a half-concealed contraption, it might react in various ways depending on its personality. A stubborn horse might simply stop a few paces away and simply refuse to move. A skittish horse might neigh nervously and trot away. A particularly panicky horse might rear and throw its surprised rider. A nonchalant horse might simply step around the obstacle without making a fuss. A daring or curious horse might approach the object cautiously to investigate it with its snout. Ever aware of their herd-mates, the rest of the horses in a group might heed the spooked horses' warning and react similarly even if they failed their own perception checks; that's how herd animals operate.
A good horseman is mindful of his mount's personality and behavior since horses are often able to perceive things that they're riders don't. If a PC's mount has perceived something due to a successful perception check, I allow the PC a perception check to notice his mount's reaction. A successful handle animal check might further reveal what it is that's caught the horse's attention. I think it realistic and it helps to flesh out the mount; making it more than a one dimensional mode of conveyance.