Yup, we didn't get mounts until the 3rd expansion. One thing to remember is that mounts in this game arent simple move speed boost like other games, which is why they weren't in the game at launch - Anet was against the idea of mounts being just a means to go faster.
Also used to be that you didnt get your first mount until you started the POF story. Thats 6 story chapters into the game.