Riding Skill Information

WOW CLASSIC

There are no riding skill ranks in WoW Classic. 

In WoW Classic you learn one single racial riding skill available at level 40 for 20 gold, and this allows you to ride your race-specific mounts. See the Racial Limitations section for more information. 

The speed of the mount depends on the mount itself, and not your riding skill:

• A blue quality mount runs at 60% speed.
• An epic quality mount runs at 100% speed

The cost of the mount depends on the quality of the mount:

• A blue quality mount costs 80 gold
• An epic quality mount costs 1000 gold

The cost of the mount can be reduced up to a 20% based on your character's reputation and PvP Rank:

• 10% discount if you are Honored with your city
• 10% discount if you are PvP Rank 11 or above

There are no level requirements to buy mounts, but you must be level 40 to ride a blue mount, and you must be level 60 to ride an epic mount. If you buy a mount you cannot ride, you cannot refund it back to the vendor.  

Racial Limitations

By default, you will learn your racial riding skill which allows you to ride your race-specific mounts. For example, if you are a Human, you learn Horse Riding, and you can only ride horses.

If you want to learn the racial riding skill of another race to ride their mounts, you must be Exalted with them. For example, if a Human wants to ride Sabers, they must reach Exalted with Darnassus.

Even if you are Exalted with a faction, the following limitations exist:

• Taurens cannot ride Undead Horses or Troll Raptors. Which means, Taurens cannot learn riding from the Undead trainer at Brill or the Troll trainer in Sen'jin village even if Exalted
• Only Gnomes and Dwarves can use Mechanostriders. Which means Humans and Elves cannot learn riding from the Gnome trainer in Kharanos even if Exalted

The following mounts which drop from various bosses are considered neutral and can be used by any race: Swift Zulian Tiger, Swift Razzashi Raptor, and Deathcharger's Reins.

Additional Information

Check the WoW Classic Mounts guide on Wowhead for more details. 

Wrath of the Lich King Classic

Unlike in Modern WoW, in Wrath of the Lich King Classic, your speed does not scale based on your riding skill rank. Like in WoW Classic, the speed of the mount in Wrath of the Lich King Classic still depends on the quality of the mount.

• A blue quality mount runs at 60% speed
• An epic quality mount runs at 100% speed

Higher riding skill ranks simply let you ride faster mounts, or flying mounts. For example, you cannot ride an epic mount unless you learn Journeyman first. 

Note: Blue quality flying mounts run at 60% speed. Epic quality flying mounts run at 100% speed.

Level Requirement

You can learn riding at character level 20. You can learn Expert riding and fly at level 60. Warlock and Paladin epic ground mounts require Expert riding and level 40.

Cost

Riding in Wrath of the Lich King Classic is a bit cheaper than in WoW Classic.

• In WoW Classic, the riding skill is 20 gold, but the cost of the epic mount is 1000 gold. 
• In Wrath Classic the Apprentice rank costs 35 gold, and the Journeyman rank costs 600 gold. However, an epic mount only costs 200 gold

The cost of each riding skill rank and mount can be reduced up to a 20% based on your character's reputation with the faction you are buying from:

• If you are Exalted, you pay only 480 gold for Journeyman instead of 600 gold, and you pay only 80 gold for a blue mount instead of 100 gold 
• Unlike in WoW Classic, your PVP rank does not give a discount 

Racial Limitations

Racial limitations that exist in WoW Classic have been removed but Exalted is still required to ride mounts of other races.

Cold Weather Flight

To learn Cold Weather Flying, you must be level 77 and know Expert Riding or Flight Form (Druids). Once you have reached the required level and riding skill you will visit the following trainers to learn Cold Weather Flying.

• Hira Snowdawn
• Roxi Ramrocket
• Pilot Vic

Reputation Discount

While learning Expert and Artisan Riding skills through the Cold Weather Flying trainers is possible, you can benefit from reputation discounts from Maigra Keenfeather in Valiance Keep (Alliance) or Wind Rider Sabamba in Warsong Hold (Horde) in Borean Tundra.

Also, depending on your reputation, there may be deeper discounts through Hargen Bronzewing at Honor Hold or Wind Rider Jahubo at Thrallmar in Hellfire Peninsula.