Ple-Sen
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Riding will become a useless skill taking up a slot after 1 real battle (if you beg the hostess, 2)
For nameless NPCs, it definitely won't...
Nor for Yashchur with his breeding ground.
The concerns are understandable, yes. It depends on the availability of mounts, actually. But the lack of them could also play a nasty trick, so I wouldn't swear by it.