[3.5/PF] Mounted Combat and Handle Animal

[Kryx]

I've previously assumed that one can command a mount to attack with a simple ride check. After reading Handle Animal While Mounted (http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2q0e5?Handle-Animal-While-Mounted) I'm thinking a handle animal may be required.
Here is another thread from 2005, lulz: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?116127-Mounted-Combat-Handle-Animal-to-attack-or-not

Related rules:

Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. You move at its speed, but the mount uses its action to move.

You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving. Likewise, you can take move actions normally.


Fight with a Combat-Trained Mount: If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action.

Fight with Warhorse: If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action.
On re-reading this it seems the ride check only allows you to make an attack. It does not allow you to direct your mount to attack.


Fight Along with Your Mount: Make a DC 10 Ride check as a free action. If you succeed, you can direct your mount to attack a foe and you also can attack as well. See the section on attacking while mounted for details. If you fail this check, or don't bother to make it, either you or your mount can attack this turn, but not both of you.
Again brings up the directing your mount, but worded in that it allows you to direct your mount.



What is the best RAW/RAI ruling on directing your war trained mount to attack?
To clarify I'm interested in a PF ruling, but I think this applies to 3.5 as well.

[Slipperychicken]

Handle Animal is only needed to train the mount for war. Ride is used to make the mount attack while you ride it, and that takes a DC 10 Ride check, which you make as a free action. If you want the mount to attack while you aren't riding it, then you need to make a Handle Animal check for that.

[Kryx]

Ride is used to make the mount attack while you ride it, and that takes a DC 10 Ride check, which you make as a free action.
This is the general assumption, but if you actually read ride it does not specify what you just said:


Fight with a Combat-Trained Mount: If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action.

It says what happens if your war-trained mount is directed by you. It does not say you can direct your war trained mount. Which leaves us with 2 conclusions: It's implying handle animal or it assumes there is some other rule that covers this.

[Yanisa]

I say don't worry to much, handle animal is a free action when it comes to animal companions. And if the creature is a default animal then after level 6 it's attacks will have a minimal impact at best. Before that you often don't have more then one attack to justify a full round, so you can easily take a move to let your mount attack and a standard to attack with your own weapon. (+Free action to move your mount) Which seems closest to RAW.

Edit: Lunch over. Removed some redundant lines, nothing to see here.

Yeah I don't see anything indicating that commanding a mount to attack is anything else but a handle animal check. And a handle animal check on a non-companion is a move action. If your mount attacks then you can also attack, without any extra action cost. I wonder why they specified it though, there might be some RAI hinting that making your mount attack is a free action, but I don't see it back in RAW.