Bull Rushing and Mounted combat

[VeGaS1986]

So, while thinking up a mounted build I randomly came across this article

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050208a

Now the specific part of it im interested in help with is the following

---Bull Rush: Initiating a bull rush while mounted works just like making a melee attack. You and your mount function as a single creature when resolving the bull rush.

Use your mount's size and Strength modifier for the opposed Strength check you make to resolve the bull rush.---

Now what im wondering is this. For the low low price of my mounts action this turn (the function as a single creature, maybe im reading that wrong?) I can be a gnome with shocktrooper, knockback, improved bullrush and whatever else related to bull rushing, and use all those feats, while getting to use my, lets say for giggles, T-rexs size and strength?

Go!!!

[Gwendol]

Short answer: no.

In principle it is still your mount doing all the work, and so it is the mount that needs to qualify for the feats. The "functioning as a single creature" is a trap: it essentially robs the rider of his actions. Better skip that and just keep the mount and rider separate wrt actions.

[VeGaS1986]

What annoys me is that the mounts size and strength are specified as being used when its ME bull rushing...Wouldnt it have been easier to just say you can direct your mount to bull rush if the intend was to have it simply be that?

[Gwendol]

Yes, but that's mounted combat for you. It's a set of randomly pulled together ill-conceived rules...