Riding two abreast - your views

alsxx

alsxx

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Interested to hear people's views on this....

Just had a convo with the OH who said he was driving along today on quite a busy road (national speed limit, and one of the main links between two towns so constant traffic of all kinds) and came round a bend doing 40mph and met two horses being ridden two abreast. He slowed down to go past them, but said they were giving him some funny hand/arm signals (from what he described, meaningless signals, unless being rude!), which he said p*ssed him off a bit, as he had slowed down for them, and apart from this there was no obvious thanking.

Obviously I wasn't there so cant really comment, but to be fair to him he is quite understanding of us riders and always does his bit to slow down and be considerate.

However I often find when I meet people out two abreast, that most of the time they dont move into single file, even when going round bends, and there have been quite a few occiasons I can think of when I have been stuck behind horseriders for ages, despite them passing layby's etc to pull into and let the traffic past. And don't even get me started on when people don't thank you for driving past slowly and wide. This really annoys me, partly because 1) I think if it annoys me, then what does everyone think who doesn't ride...no wonder so many drivers are inconsiderate...and 2) when I ride out I make a conscious effort to thank people, and will pull in where possible to let people past. Most of the time I ride by myself, but if I do go out with other people, we only ride two abreast down very quiet lanes and bridleways, and always always go single file for any car we meet. Its not exactly difficult, and surely safer!?

The highway code states horseriders can ride two abreast if accompanying a young or inexperienced horse or rider. I bet 9 out of 10 people I meet that doesn't apply to - most of them seem to be deep in conversation more than anything else and oblivious...Also, the way I see it, if you ride double around a bend, surely the odds of the outside horse being 'hit' by a car are far greater than if they went single file around the bend...
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So interested to know what the other people do/think....
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I personally think people should ride single file.

Some of the roads round my area are quite narrow but you still come across the odd pair riding 2 abreast, and you can get so close sometimes when trying to pass. Too close for comfort really.
 
I don't mind people riding two abrest on the basis that either they go into single file if a car approaches, or pull in and let cars overtake as soon as possible
 
i only ever ride two abreast with my friends when we're in the woods, and even when we come across people, dogs or other horses we pull over in single file, because some people get a bit nervous round unfamiliar horses! whenever we ride on the roads we wear hi viz so we're lit up like an xmas tree, and always ride single file, no matter how quiet and always give clear signals and thank the drivers! it annoys me when some riders are so unaware of the dangers on a road!! xx
 
I'd be interested to hear who says you should ride as a vehicle? I'm not saying its right or wrong, just curious.

I do think its a hard one, and I'm not at all saying it shouldn't be done, but I think a lot of people seem to lack manners and common sense when riding two abreast which IMO make it a lot more dangerous.
 
We ride single file on most roads, a couple of very quiet lanes and bridle paths we ride 2 abreast, when we ride through our towns high street we pull in if there is a que behind us
 
I used to ride two abreast with my youngster on the near side to shield him from traffic when he first used to go out on the roads. Also, I couldn't always take a hand off the reins to thank traffic.
 
I can't even remember now who said it
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I think it depends on the situation but I think its safer to ride single file...
Then again...
If you ride as a vehicle, cars have to overtake you properly, as they would another car, but if you ride single file, they can be tempted to just carry on past, getting dangerously close to you?
But on blind bends you could get hit riding two abreast?
Oh ive confused myself!
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I don't see a problem riding 2 abreast, but you should definitely drop back to single file to let vehicles pass.

The problem with selfish riding is that it frustrates the already 'less understanding' drivers and will cause them to do something silly in their impatience.

This applies to cyclist and motorcyclists too, and unfortunately if the slower road users (who are also the more vulnerable) do not show consideration to car/lorry/bus drivers they do tend to come off worst - not even necessarily them, but someone else later just because the driver has 'suffered' from previous inconsideration.

Hope that makes sense.

The comment about riding 'as if a vehicle' was put to me when I was learning to ride a motorbike, but that makes sense because you have the speed of a vehicle but do need to dissuade other road users from coming up alongside you when there really is insuffcient room. I would not recommend doing this on a horse.
 
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I used to ride two abreast with my youngster on the near side to shield him from traffic when he first used to go out on the roads. Also, I couldn't always take a hand off the reins to thank traffic.

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But I'm sure you still gave a nod of your head, thank cars verbally....or the person you were with on the more experienced horse would have done the thanking....seriously I go past some people and you don't even get a smile from them....
 
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If you ride as a vehicle, cars have to overtake you properly, as they would another car, but if you ride single file, they can be tempted to just carry on past, getting dangerously close to you?

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we cross posted - this does actually make some sense...

but I think it could 'provoke' some drivers into impatient acts.

Oh, I don't know.....
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If you ride as a vehicle, cars have to overtake you properly, as they would another car, but if you ride single file, they can be tempted to just carry on past, getting dangerously close to you?

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smile.gif
we cross posted - this does actually make some sense...

but I think it could 'provoke' some drivers into impatient acts.

Oh, I don't know.....

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Yeah thats true... it so depends on the drivers reaction
 
I prefer riding two abreast, then pulling over - as a person who rides narrow bendy roads, I'd rather a car could see me (in hi viz, obvs) at a distance than not until it was on top of me and at the last minute.
And of course I always thank or indeed warn if another car is coming.

Also YO, who owned the horses, encouraged us to ride as a group, she said the other way made the horses into single-file plods who wouldn't take their own initiative without a leader.
 
The question is how do you deal with young horses -if you don't ride two abreast? Single file even for a few minutes could be more dangerous than two abreast.

Do you ride and lead? I do - a lot. When I lived in Scotland and here in France.

How do you teach children road sense? I used to have youngsters out with me and always 'protected them'.

I see no difference between learner drivers and young horses/riders you only learn by being on the road with an 'instructor'.

I do agree that you should move off the road if there is a queue behind - although in my experience cyclists don't do that!!! There is no legal requirement to so do - it is an example of horse riders feeling obliged to give way to the impatience of the modern motorist - sadly.
 
The highway code says...

"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"

So i think it is OK to ride two abreast but not on bends or busy roads?
 
I think all 'vulnerable' road users (horse riders, cyclists and motorcyclists) should ride 'defensively' - what I mean is always expect the motorist to be inconsiderate/ignorant/impatient blah blah blah

So, do whatever you have to in order to keep yourself safe. Never do something just because you 'are in the right' - you are the one 'in the line of fire'.

At the end of the day - it's your horse, your legs, your injury - even if you were in the right.
 
We ride 2 a breast if the road conditions allow. But always go single file to let traffic past. And never purposely hold up the traffic. Whenever i see the mounted police they are riding 2 a breast.
 
I have always ridden two abrest when I can, pulling over when we hear cars coming.

If I'm on my own, I ride down the middle of the road.

Why?

Because the majority of roadusers drive as if horses should be on the verge. By riding down the middle of the road and holding up traffic, I forced them to go at my pace and I forced them to pass wide (once they cross the white line they might as well go for it properly).

As Holly said, I am the one putting myself in the line of fire. But I find when you go out of your way to block roads, they have no choice but to stop.

Only vehicle I won't argue with is a lorry. They stop for no man!
 
I often ride two abreast when the roads are quiet and then drop into single file or pull in for cars. Treat others how you expect to be treated :-) Always say thank you or smile. It drives me nuts when drivers don't say thank you when I give way in the car so riding should be no different IMO! However, if drivers do not slow down - and sadly we get this happening quiet often, I will deliberately (but perhaps wrongly) not move into single file until they do slow!
 
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I do agree that you should move off the road if there is a queue behind - although in my experience cyclists don't do that!!!

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Not sure I would expect them to.

You can drive past a cyclist at 30-40 miles per hour without 'spooking' them, and you get a clearer view of the road from behind them.

So you don't have to wait so long to pass and therefore you are unlikely to have a serious queue behind them.
 
I try not to ride two abreast but if I'm in company on a youngster there's no chance I'm riding in single file after a near miss with a impatient STUPID driver and a green pony. I do always pull over as soon as possible though for every car who comes behind us.

Also I cannot take my hands of the reins with the mare I'm riding at the moment. I always nod a thank you but 99% of the time people are going too fast or not looking for it so no doubt I've been called rude by a lot of drivers.
 
Haper_gal, I think that is a really ignorant view you have there. That would p*ss me off no end....and I understand to a certain extent where you are coming from, however the next car driver probably wont and so next time he/she meets a horse they wont give two hoots and that could well cause an accident. So no its not just putting yourself in the line of fire, its also putting other horse riders in the line of fire, by giving them a bad name.

In my experience, the more considerate I am towards drivers, the more considerate they are back. Yes I meet some idiots, so I get out of the way and move myself and my horse away from the situation wherever possible. I always thank cars that even look like they are slowing down, even if I would like them to go a bit slower, and I always do it when they are approaching me so they can see it....and I find it makes people think and ease off a little bit more.
 
Have always ridden single file, pulled in when possible and thanked drivers.

Makes me mad when I'm driving and riders don't do all of these things. (Always slow right down and pass slow/wide of course.)
 
At least one of us if not all of us are riding and leading when we hack so we can't go single file but we can ride much closer to the lead horse then if someone was riding it.
We still get people shouting at us to ride single file, not sure how they expect us to do that.
 
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