HOUSE RULES : Mounted Combat

Homebrew  vs  5th Ed. Rules 

All characters are assumed to be able to ride domesticated mounts.
However, adverse conditions require a skill check under Handle Animal.

MOUNT or DISMOUNT  =  Half Movement cost to Rider

RIDING a MOUNT  =  Half Movement cost to Rider

Example... a Fighter runs 15' (half move) to the stable, climbs into the saddle (half move). He has no time left now to spur the animal to move, but he can still fight from the saddle if anyone approaches him.

Example... a Fighter rides up to a gate (half move), then dismounts (half move). The act of riding and then getting out of the saddle leaves him without further movement and unable to move through the gate.

*While mounted, a Rider moves with the Mount (subject to the Mount's Move distance)

*An Athletics / Acrobatics / Handle Animal check can be used to Dismount without cost
     A failed check means falling Prone.

*Most mounts (horses, griffons, bears) are less agile while carrying a rider.
     Every full 90-degree turn costs an additional 5ft of movement.


COMBAT

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If their turns allow for it, a Rider and Mount may fight as one, merging their turns to intersperse movement and attacks -- but they use the LOWER of their Initiative results.

A controlled Mount gets one action per turn, chosen from the following actions: DASH or DODGE

~DODGE:  The Mount moves evasively, making it difficult for enemies to strike Rider or Mount. Attacks made against the pair are at Disadvantage.

~DASH (charge):  The Mount's Movement is doubled. Due to the increased speed, a Rider with multiple attacks may only make 1 attack per target, per pass (meaning they may use additional attacks against multiple targets they ride by).

While charging, hits scored by the Rider deal an extra +d6 damage and force a STR save vs knocked Prone. BUT... if the Rider is struck while passing on a charge, this effect is reversed. Handle Animal may be used in place of the STR save to avoid being knocked from the saddle.

*Dodge effects may stack with the Advantage to-hit from the Mounted Combatant Feat

*Specialized mounts may substitute a TRAMPLE attack instead.

MOUNTS WITH ATTACKS

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Most ordinary mounts are not trained to attack, much less while carrying a rider.
However, some creatures are specially trained (or naturally inclined) to do this.

Example:
A trained warhorse can use its Action while being controlled to make a Trample attack instead of  Dash or Dodge 

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old RAW version:

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Any character can ride / control a Mount that is domesticated / trained.
Mounting or Dismounting an animal uses one half of your Movement.
On your Turn, you can order your Mount to do one of only three actions:

1. Dodge
2. Disengage
3. Dash

Controlling a mount is a free option on your turn, so you retain your Move action. However, remember that the Mount's actions do not affect the rider. If the mount Disengages or Dodges, the rider does not benefit from that action.

While using a controlled mount, it acts on the same Initiative as the rider.  However, each has their own turn which must happen one after the other. 

This means a rider cannot intersperse their attacks with the mount's movement unless they use a Ready action - in which case, they forego their Action and only get to attack once as a Reaction. 

So a fighter on foot can break up his movement -  advance, deliver all his attacks, and then move away from the target. Counter-intuitively, this means a fighter on horseback CANNOT do a ride-by, and instead can only use a Reaction. 

This approach seems to impose some counter-intuitive limitations...  defeating the point of using a horse to begin with, and maybe leaving you even less effective than on foot.