I play on Florendyl as a half-elf Druid.
You have to be level 10 to ride a mount, I believe. Well, you have to be level 10 to get the mount quest. You can just buy one, but it costs 10 silver, and I think you might have to be level 10 anyway. That's level 10 in either adventuring or crafting.
When you get to level 10, if you have 40 skill in diplomacy, there is an easy quest to get a free horse (that isn't very good, but free!). If you follow the Tanvu diplomacy quest lines, they will feed you to the horse quest automatically -- you don't have to go looking for it.
If you want to just buy one, go to the wood elf town, which is about 20-30 minute run from Tanvu (I can't even begin to spell it... CB for short... Ca'el Brael or something, but I know I spelled it wrong). Or, better, just go down to the Tanvu docks, and you will find a "Master of the Rift" who will teleport you to the docks for free (I think because, if you get on the ship that comes by every so often, there is a chance it will drop you along the way
![Razz :-P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
)... The horse dealer is very close to the docks on the CB side (maybe 200 meters?) just go North from where it drops you off, until you find a road, and you will see an NPC with a horse. He sells horses.
As far as crafting... if there is a short cut, I don't know it.
Look at whatever it requires that you have to complete a work order -- it will put them "on the table" automatically. If you ever see less than 25 of that item, stop then, and go and buy like 100 more. That's my tactic to avoid running out. Also, work orders give much more experience than just crafting your own stuff (and pay okay, too).