[pathfinder] Low-Level lancers

[Lord.Sorasen]

So, right now I'm looking at the idea of a gnome paladin with the shining knight and empyreal knight archetypes, with the idea of playing a lance wielder with a flying animal companion mount, preferably something like a boar, which can be taken indoors. Seems simple enough I figure.

But right now the unit is level 3, and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep an animal alive nearly long enough. At level 1 I bought a pony, but that came so close to dying that it became more expensive to healing potion alive (I know wand of cure light wounds is significantly more cost efficient, but the potions were given to the party for free) than it would be to just not have it... So I forked over the money for the sturdier riding dog... But it fell fairly quickly as well.

Good armor seems like a possible solution, but riding dogs and warponies aren't proficient, and it seems like the penalties are a bit stiff, especially the penalties to movement, which seems like half the point. Naturally this issue will be far less a deal when I have the special paladin mount, but I have 2 levels more before that's the case, and was hoping for a solution for the short term.

[Gavinfoxx]

Replace it with a flying mount that is more durable? Buy a griffon or something?

[DegenPaladin]

Bestiary I, page 307 under animal type: "Proficient with no armor unless trained for war".

That would indicate that combat trained mounts are proficient in all armor as is indicated below.

D20PFSRD (unofficial): http://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/handle-animal , Under the heading, Combat Training (DC 20): "An animal trained in this way counts as trained for war, and becomes proficient with all forms or armor."