[cantbebought]

Better then my guesses. I may mis-remember, it was either Civil War history or Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series were I read that about marching vs. rideing.

I think keeping everybody together was the real reason. Also Frodo wouldn't leave his friends in danger and only mounted when Glorfindel convinced him that they were less in danger if they weren't with him.

[Overtaxed]

I guess I didn't figure on the horse-fatigue factor. I just thought that Frodo would get there quicker. And he'd need someone to go with him after being wounded and all.

I believe the BR's would have followed Frodo and the ring and left the rest of them alone. But still...I was forgetting that they would be needed to deal with the Riders left on the wrong side of the Ford. [what do you need with a Ford when you've got a horse? Hehehehe]