I had this thought last night after our party killed a half starved and recently unchained hippogryph (at least I THINK it was a hippogryph.) After toying with the idea of finding hippo eggs (nope) it occurred to me that mounts, especially the special ones, are mostly hand waved away when not in use (my personal experience going back to the early 80s)
Paladin's warhorse? Leave it at the dungeon entrance and he'll be there when you get back.
Flying mount? Let it graze or hunt until your return.
Regular horses? Occasionally missing upon the party's return, but for the most part their presence (or lack there of) is hand waved.
In many ways, mounts are like strict encumbrance rules - off screen and not thought of until they impact the adventure.
What's your experience with mounts? Integral elements or mostly off stage and an afterthought?
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