Also note that a mounted character can travel at twice the top travel speed for an hour. It doesn’t specify anything about what creature they’re mounted on. And with the right feats they could be helpful. Imagine a tank with a Mounted Combatant feat riding the squishy wizard and absorbing all the attacks against them.
Lesser Restoration is a level 2 spell that tons of classes can cast and has no material components. Getting cured of the horrible blood plague isn’t that difficult.