That doesn't make sense. It being a "generic skill" would mean you could ride the horse as long as you had 150 riding skill. Before patch 1.12 you only needed to buy the 20g riding training for the level 40 mount, if you had this pre-1.12, you got 150 riding skill.
No; the non-epic mount riding skill is "75" (apprentice riding), so you actually have to pay 720g to upgrade to the 150 skill, unless you already had the epic mount riding ability pre-patch. It's generic because before patch, it was an ability specific to the kind of mount; if you were a human, you learned horse riding, etc. If you got someone of another race to buy you a BoE (only the non-epics were BoE) mount, you still couldn't ride it, because you had Horse Riding, and not Tiger Riding (and in order to learn the skill, you had to be exalted with the faction). But now, riding skill is not mount-type specific. You just have to be exalted with a faction to BUY their mount (or that race), and post-patch, ALL mounts are BoP.
I think it's retarded that they switched the costs, though (the mount used to be 720g and the skill 80g) because if you bought your riding skill before the patch for some strange reason, you got off buying your epic mount for it a LOT easier. Insofar, though, I have yet to meet anyone that was able to take advantage of this. The only thing I've seen it change for anyone is the fact I can ride my pony now.
The rank 11 mounts I think are alot better. Its bullshit that they switched the riding skill cost and the mount cost. Becuase once you hit Rank 11 the mount is only 90g. Plus their black. So sexy rogue armor "which my druid is wearing =P" looks pretty nice.
Grats Kaleeko "Server transfer maelstrom please"
Actually, right now I'm really tempted to transfer somewhere else... but can't be Maelstorm. Maelstorm = PvPRP ; Kargath = PvE. Fucking Blizzard.