Paladin Mount and Leadership

[Yogibear41]

If I make my Paladin mount my cohort does it gain the Bonus HD from my level as a paladin added to its maximum cohort level?

So say I am a level 12 Paladin, which would normally allow for a level 10 cohort, but by making my mount my cohort it gains a +2 LA, so it is a level 8 mount, that then gains 6 bonus HD making it have 14 HD total?

Or would it be stuck at level 8, even though if I hadn't made it my Cohort to begin with it would be 10 HD (assuming 4hd Heavy Warhorse as base animal)

If the Latter is the case, then whats the point?

[Coidzor]

If I make my Paladin mount my cohort does it gain the Bonus HD from my level as a paladin added to its maximum cohort level?

So say I am a level 12 Paladin, which would normally allow for a level 10 cohort, but by making my mount my cohort it gains a +2 LA, so it is a level 8 mount, that then gains 6 bonus HD making it have 14 HD total?

Or would it be stuck at level 8, even though if I hadn't made it my Cohort to begin with it would be 10 HD (assuming 4hd Heavy Warhorse as base animal)

If the Latter is the case, then whats the point?

It's generally a bad idea to have a Mount that is also a cohort. Much better off to have a separate mount and cohort and eat the leadership score penalty.

If your DM rules that bonus HD from Special Mount (or even Animal Companion in cases of devoted tracker/super mounting) don't count, then something like a martial adept is great because those HD that don't count against its ECL still boost its initiator level or can. May also be of use to those methods of gaining psionic power manifesting capability without taking levels in a manifesting class which rely upon a feat that ties manifester level to HD or HD/2(?).

[Yogibear41]

For this purpose I would say the mount would gain no class levels only more of the same Animal/magicalbeast/etc HD.