Armor proficentcy for animals

[Lou Diamond]

I have a question for the DEVS. Why do animals Mounts and Animal Companions have to take light armor Proficiency and medium armor proficiency to get heavy armor proficiency? Its not like mounts and companions go to the armorer and train up with different types of armor as they gain wealth like their owners/companions do. Their owners buy them the type of armor they choose to and then train the mount/companion to wear the armor. I think that mounts companions should have to buy the armor proficiency for they type of armor that they are trained to wear.

Could I get some feed back on this idea from the DEVS and other people in this forum?

[Mortalis]

Well, just speaking from a fluff point here (especially for animals), I would argue that proficiency in armour is less about the skill to utilize it, and more about the endurance to wear it comfortably. Also the ability to perform your regular tasks whilst wearing said armour.

In that respect, I don't believe your animal should magically be able to go from not wearing any armour ever to wearing full plate barding and not suffer non-proficiency penalties. It would be a matter of training by degrees of effort and difficulty, as represented by the different levels of armour training.

While I hate random platitudes, you have to learn to walk before you can run.

EDIT: FTR, I do see what you're saying and why you would think that, even if it does come across as a little inconsiderate to the animal's suffering. :p

[Dragonchess Player]

Because feats work the same for creatures as well as PCs/NPCs, unless specific exceptions are detailed...

PRD wrote:

Armor Proficiency, Heavy (Combat)

You are skilled at wearing heavy armor.
Prerequisites: Light Armor Proficiency, Medium Armor Proficiency.
Benefit: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Normal: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Special: Fighters and paladins automatically have Heavy Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. They need not select it.

Armor Proficiency, Light (Combat)
You are skilled at wearing light armor.
Benefit: When you wear a type of armor with which you are proficient, the armor check penalty for that armor applies only to Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks.
Normal: A character who is wearing armor with which he is not proficient applies its armor check penalty to attack rolls and to all skill checks that involve moving.
Special: All characters except monks, sorcerers, and wizards automatically have Light Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. They need not select it.

Armor Proficiency, Medium (Combat)
You are skilled at wearing medium armor.
Prerequisite: Light Armor Proficiency.
Benefit: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Normal: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Special: Barbarians, clerics, druids, fighters, paladins, and rangers automatically have Medium Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. They need not select it.

Mounts, animal companions, familiars, monsters without class levels, etc. Unless they gain armor proficiency from creature type or class levels, they have to use feats. To take the feats, they have to meet the prerequisites.

[Mortalis]

Despite this being the rules board, I don't think the OP was after RAW so much as flavour reasoning. I don't disagree with you though, it is plain as day.