Why do we have to "ride" off into the sunset? Couldn't we stroll off, or saunter off, or catch a train off, or walk at a brisk pace off, or skip merrily off, or playfully roll downhill off, or steal a car and gun the motor off, or hitchhike off, or Uber off, or be wheeled while strapped to a dolly off, or... you get the idea.

That is true.....

sounds like you're riding off into a mine field

@Lillyfield41 -- You're talking about cinema tropes here. Underdog defeats enormous odds, wins girl and rides off into the sunset. Stranger enters, defeats enormous odds, wins girl but isn't interested and rides off into the sunset. The list goes on ... riding off into the sunset. This is not a literary trope that works well at all, though it has been done to death as well. It is an effective cinematic (visual) trope that's infinitely more stupid than the literary one, but it presents an easy way to get out of a film before it runs over budget or exceeds reasonable run times. Most commonly employed in westerns, but it has shown up in a few thrillers and historical fiction flicks.

Cowboys who ride off into the sunset quickly run out of daylight and have to camp within sight of the town/girl/job offer they just left. Might just as well have hung around for sunrise instead of overloading their asses with pointless drama....

Why seemingly ends have only beginnings but no ends?