Four-Footed Engines

After the wars ended, and before the Dwarves started bringing dragons into the world in any numbers, transportation was limited on the surface of Underhill. Feet, the occasional leftover float, and the even rarer horses that had escaped the effects of the gene-bombs, were about all that was available. Renov's dogs were still in use, here and there. While they were already largely adapted to life on the planet, they were not big enough for any but the children to ride.

At first this did not matter so much. Most of those left were of the Neutral faction. A few of the Constitutional and Psyche who had escaped the wars before being pressed into service on one side or the other. The rest of the Changed had been kicked out of the system, or left for Old Earth

Eventually, a few intrepid souls managed to catch and tame some wildlife on the surface. Large ungulates, called space-moose by the original colonists because of the large spade-shaped antlers, where among the first. The Dwarves caught and raised some nimble mountain climbers. When it was discovered that they beasts could be caught to carry a saddle and a rider, they were turned to transportation and hauling as well.

In time, a number of the altered creatures were found, tamed, and tested for usefulness. A herd of altered horses was found early on, and the Dwarves bred them for specific traits partly out of a sort of racial nostalgia, partly because the elders remembered the usefulness of the horses. And partly because even then there were rumbling from some of their number that they should not live entirely below ground forever. (Unicorns, etc some occurred naturally or were bred or both)