Animal Companions and Animal Companions.

[Akinra]

Assume a character has an Animal Companion.

Subsequent to the acquisition of the Animal Companion, the character acquires the Bonded Mount.

Bonded Mount:

Bonded Mount (Su): You gain the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal mount. The creature must be one that you are capable of riding and is suitable as a mount. A Medium oracle can select a camel or a horse. A Small oracle can select a pony or wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if she is at least 4th level. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using your oracle level as your effective druid level. Bonded mounts have an Intelligence score of at least 6.

Question 1: Do the levels between these two classes officially stack? I could not find a specific reference apart from a statement in the PFS FAQ regarding a Paladin's mount.

Question 2: Assuming the levels do stack, upon the Animal Companion becoming a suitable mount (e.g. one size category larger than the character) does the intelligence of the Animal increase to 6 in accordance with the Bonded Mount ability?

Question 3: Does the Animal Companion's intelligence rise to 6 immediately regardless of suitability as a mount?

Question 4: Does the Animal Companion's Intelligence remain as it is, and never rise to level 6 despite choosing the Bonded Mount revelation?

[Akinra]

Hmm, meant to title Animal Companions and Bonded Mounts. Oops.

[Pupsocket]

By the actual RAW, they stack, no problem.

By terrible ruling from the devs, they only stack if the creature could have been selected for both abilities.

[Akinra]

do you happen to have a link from the debs? I find the one on Cavaliers, but nothing in general.

[Akinra]

hmm...

[Archaeik]

from your post I assume you already found the FAQ on cavaliers?

The ruling on cavaliers implies that if you gain another feature granting an animal companion, you check if your current companion is on both lists.
If it is, the levels stack and the AC gains any additional abilities granted by the new class feature.
If they don't, you gain a separate AC using the rules of the new class feature.

In general, the ruling implies in order for your levels to stack regarding animal companions, you use the most restrictive list of available companions, instead of the least restrictive. (which is somewhat counterintuitive as the majority of class features operate in the opposite direction.)

The only real issue with this particular ruling has to do with the Horse Master allowing cavaliers to get a full level mount and also an (potentially full level) AC.

I'd be surprised if the cavalier ruling isn't sufficient clarification about Paladin and Oracle mounts as well for PFS. (since they have restricted lists too)

[blahpers]

I'm okay with the Horse Master situation. It's the Animal Ally situation and the favored class bonus situation that bug me a little. Only a little, though; I'm willing to let a player have a ridiculously beefy animal companion if the rules allow it.