Mounted Build That’s Effective on Foot?

[Palanan]

I need some build ideas for a mounted officer who can also stand his ground when unhorsed. This would be for third level, most likely human, with no spellcasting and no ToB.

For story and character reasons, I’d rather avoid paladin, but apart from that I’m open to suggestions. Official content from Paizo and WotC is fine, plus Dragon material.

[Rebel7284]

I mean, any fighter/barbarian can grab a lance and jump on a horse. Put ranks into ride/handle animal and grab the Wild Cohort feat if you want more support for making sure you have an animal around. If pounce works on a mounted charge too, make your you have at least one level of spiritual lion totem barbarian from complete champion.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Obligatory handbook link.

What about Magic of Incarnum? The Share Soulmeld feat lets you share all your active melds, letting you them up to match you. You'll have to pick up an animal companion or special mount somewhere, though. Incarnate 5/Beastmaster 1 (with Natural Bond)/Ironsoul Forgemaster 10 would make a pretty decent combatant on- or off your horse.

In any case, the easiest way to dabble in mounted combat is to be an archer; as long as you don't do more than a single move you don't even need Mounted Archery, and you can get away with just taking Wild Cohort. Beyond that, Spirited Charge takes some amount of investment to pick up, but being able to charge and full attack is perhaps harder. Three levels of Wild Plains Outrider will let you move-and-full-attack, and isn't too much of an investment.

[Eladrinblade]

Why does it need to be effective on foot? Because it's going to be indoors often? Be small, ride a medium mount, or otherwise have some way of shrinking your mount. Anyway, "mounted build" is often going to be like 3 feats and 2 skills, so it's not a gigantic investment.