I love riding mounts they are fast and cool, however i thought that ki wasnt giving enough specialties to our mounts. The new advanced pets changed the game in a good way, with new features, better stats, and an overall better game. Mounts should have an expansion as well, with talents, race derbys, and cool hybrids. Their will be obstacles in the derby that can be countered by a specific mount. For example if you have the Great rhino mount you can break brick walls that are in your way. I also thought of an idea of school mounts so you can hatch more unique hybrids. The pet snacks will be the same, but you can give your mounts a beverage as a new way of leveling up your mounts. Your mount can come with a card, and help your stats just like pets. Plus your mounts will age if you keep training them. Hopefully Ki can consider this idea and we can have advanced mounts :D.
I may be wrong, but I believe KingsIsle's original intent was only to allow mounts to provide a speed boost to your character (and maybe some admiring glances from your friends). I like your idea of a "Mount Derby", but I just can't see KI giving mounts any special abilities. They have already done that with pets, and there is no reason for Mounts to overstep their original purpose in the game.
However, who am I to speak about KingsIsle's intent? They could be preparing a similar update this very moment....
If KingsIsle was willing, a 20-30% additional speed boost to a mount for 4000 crowns would be ideal, It could be a one time code added to any existing mount, that can only be used with one wizard and not transferred to any other wizard, unless an additional 1000-2000 crowns were used. This could be a good money maker for KI for impatient wizards who want to whip through the worlds.
If KingsIsle was willing, a 20-30% additional speed boost to a mount for 4000 crowns would be ideal, It could be a one time code added to any existing mount, that can only be used with one wizard and not transferred to any other wizard, unless an additional 1000-2000 crowns were used. This could be a good money maker for KI for impatient wizards who want to whip through the worlds.
Interesting idea, but it would be hard to control the speeedy mount.