After a long afternoon of trail riding at the Walthour-Moss Foundation in Southern Pines, North Carolina — complete with a wrong turn and a soaking thunderstorm — the last thing any rider wants is a truck that won’t start. That’s exactly what happened to one equestrian at the end of what had already been a challenging day. With a remote trailhead parking lot emptying out and two horses in tow, the situation called for quick thinking and a little help from some unexpected heroes.
A Community Comes Together
With the truck clearly beyond a simple jump-start, the rider’s husband arranged for a local mechanic to come take a look. Two hours from home and unsure what to do with the horses, things felt uncertain. Fortunately, a riding companion reached out to a local acquaintance she hadn’t spoken to in over seven years — and miraculously, the phone number still worked. The woman offered her farm without hesitation. Fellow riders who had stayed behind to help unloaded their own horses and used their trailer to haul the two horses to the farm to rest comfortably while the truck situation was sorted out.
USRider to the Rescue
Having never used USRider before, the rider made the call — and was immediately put at ease. USRider explained they could tow the truck, the trailer, or both, whatever was needed. The mechanic confirmed the truck wasn’t going anywhere on its own, and before he even had a chance to leave, the USRider tow truck arrived. The owner of Rockwell Towing was behind the wheel himself. He loaded the pickup onto the flatbed and hitched the horse trailer behind it, assuring the rider he could take them wherever they needed to go and stop wherever necessary.
Safe, Sound, and Home
The first stop was the farm to reload the horses — no small feat with a large, rumbling tow truck nearby. But both horses loaded without a fuss. From there, the driver hauled horses and rig another hour and a half to a riding companion’s barn, arriving close to 9:00 p.m. With the horses safely stalled, the final stop was a service center where the driver skillfully maneuvered the truck into a parking spot at the garage.
It was an exhausting end to a long day, but thanks to generous strangers, fellow riders, and the professionalism of USRider and Rockwell Towing, everyone — horses included — made it home safe and sound. For this rider, USRider coverage is now non-negotiable, and she makes a point of sharing that message with every horse person she meets.
