Grappling a mounted opponent...

Starting a Grapple
To start a grapple, you need to grab and hold your target. Starting a grapple requires a successful melee attack roll. If you get multiple attacks, you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times (at successively lower base attack bonuses).

Step 1: Attack of Opportunity. You provoke an attack of opportunity from the target you are trying to grapple. If the attack of opportunity deals damage, the grapple attempt fails. (Certain monsters do not provoke attacks of opportunity when they attempt to grapple, nor do characters with the Improved Grapple feat.) If the attack of opportunity misses or fails to deal damage, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Grab. You make a melee touch attack to grab the target. If you fail to hit the target, the grapple attempt fails. If you succeed, proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Hold. Make an opposed grapple check as a free action. If you succeed, you and your target are now grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.

If you lose, you fail to start the grapple. You automatically lose an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than you are.

In case of a tie, the combatant with the higher grapple check modifier wins. If this is a tie, roll again to break the tie.

Step 4: Maintain Grapple. To maintain the grapple for later rounds, you must move into the target’s space. (This movement is free and doesn’t count as part of your movement in the round.) Moving, as normal, provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents, but not from your target.
Here the mount attacks you

If you can’t move into your target’s space, you can’t maintain the grapple and must immediately let go of the target. To grapple again, you must begin at Step 1.


Here is the only hitch.

i would say you could pull yourself into the space the rider occupies but would require opposed ride checks each movement to stay on mount during grapple. in a saddle is -5 to ride checks.
 

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Arravis said:
If it doesn't "square" with the rules... how would it?
I don't have a particular side or outcome in mind, I just want to know what the rule is for grappling a mounted opponent.

As far as tripping, we knew of that, but we want to know what happens if you attempt a grapple, not a trip.
As written the rules make no special provisions for grappling a mounted foe. Thus to be in-line with the rules as written for the most part one should just ignore the fact that the foe is mounted since the rules do. If you wish to demount your foe you could use the Attack Your Opponent grapple option to trip them or maybe the Move grapple option (which moves you and all others engaged in the grapple with you which would not necessarily include the mount). The mount would gain an AoO when the character initiating the grapple entered its space (step 4) but would not gain the initial AoO (step 1). The mount can enter the grapple if it wishes but does not have to (see Joining a Grapple). I am not sure if the mount would not be able move the grappling characters with out entering the grapple and using the Move grapple option. The mounted character would still have to abide by all the normal mounted combat rules and would still gain the +1 bonus on melee attacks.
 

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