Am I missing something about riding lox?

I can control them fine, I know they can carry be even when overweight, and that's cool and all... But they die so fast. Trying to use them for any kind of distance travel at all seems pointless. I know they heal when fed... Very slowly. They just don't seem to be all the helpful. I wish we could armor them, and give them saddlebags. Or at least that they didn't heal so slowly.