We do try to have people follow along. But in the event of an accident, it can be hours before rescue workers arrive, she said. It's the horses, not the riders, that normally need someone to watch over them, since horses often have difficulty knowing when to quit or slow down. The ride is monitored so people don't over-use their horses. You get caught up in a ride, and with 150 horses, they get very excited.
Some horses don' t monitor themselves well.
They get caught up in the excitement, and before you know it, they're in trouble. Some of the horses in Saturday's ride pooped out. A rider in the 50-mile event, Patty DeMott of Dayton, Ohio, relaxed in a lounge chair at McCoy's Ford while her horse lifted up a right hind leg, showing discomfort. It's something in his hip, from arthritis. They passed me, but I don't want to go home with a dead horse.