It has been my experience that numbering the rider is not as efficient.
The reuseable pennies are good, but expensive and if you've ever put on a
NATRC ride you'll know that checking those things in and out is really a
hassle. If a rider needs a jacket, that covers the number so you can't see
it anyway (of course so do rump rugs). The paper numbers for riders, tend
not to last the whole day on a wooded trail.
I've been to rides where they did not number the horse or rider. The
problem you run into here is that people forget what their number is. When
they come to the timer they have to fumble around for the rider card to
figure out who they are. This causes problems for the folks in line behind
them. If a person loses their rider card, then ride management has to dig
out the entry list and figure out what their number is. On the smaller
rides, of say 30 riders or less, not numbering the horses is not really a
problem, because you know everyone's name and you don't have to use numbers
at all. But, the more attending the more you need a numbering system.
Another reason to number the horse is that if a riderless horse is found,
you can figure out who it belongs to and then you'll know who to go looking
for.
Linda & Buhni, Fort Collins, CO.