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Can 2 adults realistically ride 1 horse?

3K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  WhattaTroublemaker 
#1 ·
I'm writing a novel that includes some horse-riding and I would appreciate your help and advice in making it accurate please.
I have written a scene where a man with a horse wants to let the young lady ride his horse. He was going to walk but then got on the saddle behind her. The horse only walks and it's only maybe 10 minutes. I'm hoping you can confirm this is reasonable & believable. The saddle would be more like an old English riding saddle, not western style, so no large pommel.
Would this be extremely uncomfortable? (it doesn't need to be very comfortable)
Would this be very bad for the horse? (smaller than average adults but smaller than average horse!)

Follow up question: if those 2 (fit) people had an hours walk and 1 horse, would they ride double, walking the horse (I can't imagine trotting working!) or would 1 person walk, the other ride & perhaps take turns. Would the latter be just as quick and preferable to being squashed in a saddle together?

My scene (summarized) below if you're interested:

He gave a hand into the saddle. She was naturally agile but a little hampered by her long skirts and her slight nervousness. “Just hold on to the front of the saddle and relax.” He moved around to the other side. Holding her ankle, he directed her muddy boot into the stirrup. “Don’t squeeze him with your legs or he’ll think you’re asking to go faster.” He looped the dangling reins out of the way and walked ahead, instructing his horse to follow.
“Aren’t you riding with me?”
He shook his head. “I can walk.” At her dismayed expression he added, “There’s hardly room for two.”
She slid forward up the gently sloping pommel and looked at the room remaining on the saddle behind her. “I don’t feel safe without you m’lord, so if there’s not enough room for you, please let me down.”
It would be nice to be out of the mud, he thought. “You want me to sit behind you?”
She nodded, her big, hazel eyes pleading with him.
He mounted behind her, trying to sit on the back slope of the saddle, but soon slid down against her. “Am I squashing you? Do you want to dismount?”
“No.”
He held the reins either side of her and nudged Abelard to a walk...
 
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#2 ·
I've ridden several horses double. I guess the amount of time I would do so would depend on the situation and the horse. If it was an emergency I probably wouldn't worry too much about the horse unless he seemed like he couldn't do it. Now, if someone were fine and could walk but were feeling lazy I would ride double if the horse were big enough and in decent shape not having done too much work already (and gentle lol). If the horse were really young or tiny or already had done a lot of work I would feel bad for the horse and not do it.
 
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#3 ·
It depends on the build of the horse. Even if it's a small horse, it it has a strongly built back and short loin they can take more weight safely.

Any time that I've ridden double it's either been bareback, or the second rode behind the saddle, not squished into it with the other. Maybe some with more insight into that can clarify.

If it was a long walk, a single ride would be best. For your period, it would be likely that the man would allow the lady to ride and would walk beside the horse. If you are traveling a distance, a horse is very important, so the characters should want to preserve its strength and energy.
 
#5 ·
If it is an English saddle, he probably would tell her to grab some mane rather than the front of the saddle. And I suspect he'd ride BEHIND the saddle rather than squished into it - unless his goal was to be squished into the lady!

Random Internet picture, not me or anyone I know:
Thanks everyone!
"grab some mane" - thanks for that detail!
as to riding behind the saddle - 3 things: 1) both characters are much leaner than those in the image. (2) I had read that sitting behind the saddle was particularly uncomfortable for the horse & that while he might be more squished in the saddle it would be more comfortable for his horse (3) he doesn't hate the idea of snuggling up to the lady.
 
#8 ·
Yes, always behind the seat, and also I ride western not English, so our saddles are even bigger. Lol. Even with my kids one is behind the saddle since about four. Little tiny kids could ride on the swells with an adult. I don't think it'd be possible to put two adults in one seat.
 
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#10 · (Edited)
I've got an 18" Australian-style saddle (with an American horn). Australian saddles are measured the same as English, and 18" is a pretty good sized English saddle. I'm 5'8" and 160 lbs, so not a big guy. But I'll be darned if I know where I'd fit a woman riding with me in the saddle...(and this one is me, and not a random Internet picture).

It would certainly be VERY...familiar! :clap:



Even western, with a saddle that is a little too big for me, it would require us to like each other an awful lot!



 
#12 ·
The only time I've seen 2 people sit in the same saddle was when it was a large saddle and it was 2 little kids. I've always ridden double with one person in the saddle and one behind it.

Being that I read A LOT, I've read scenarios where a man will hold a woman across his lap while on a horse. The man would be astride and the woman would be sitting with both feet on one side like she was riding sidesaddle.
 
#14 ·
I used to ride a big gelding with my little sister in the same saddle, I was 7 and she was 5.

And I read a lot too, and I also have read where the man holds the lady.
 
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#15 ·
Follow up question: if those 2 (fit) people had an hours walk and 1 horse, would they ride double, walking the horse (I can't imagine trotting working!) or would 1 person walk, the other ride & perhaps take turns. Would the latter be just as quick and preferable to being squashed in a saddle together?
In my opinion, yes. I'm reasonably fit, but no marathon runner, and can easily keep up with a trotting horse. (And often do get off and walk/trot for 10-15 minutes on long rides, just to stretch out leg muscles.) So for the quickest way to get to the destination would be one riding, one walking. Perhaps the walking person would be holding the reins, if the rider is inexperienced.
 
#27 ·
Looks like I'm late to the party. I agree there would be no room for 2 adults on any saddle. Historically, I don't think most folks would worry too much about the horses comfort for a short distance or time.

From your excerpt, it appears the lady is unaccustomed to riding. If the fellow intends to take control of the horse once in the saddle, there are a few different options. He could get behind the saddle and reach around her to take control of the reins. That's the most likely if time is a factor. He could have her slide back behind the saddle and get on by swinging his off leg over the horses neck.

Another historical option is that the lady rides pillion. That is with both legs on the same side without the support of a sidesaddle. That would likely be the first choice of a lady with some social standing. But there is plenty of artwork depicting working women riding pillion. That would make it a bit easier for her to slide back without her petticoats causing a big hassle. It would also make it easier for the man to mount as normal, getting behind her on the saddle and her readjusting to sit on his leg.

There is also historical precedence for the dismounted person to stay afoot. Tennessee riflemen rushing to get into position for the Battle of Kings Mountain, North Carolina were a mix of mounted and dismounted troops. For the final push, the mounted men moved forward at a trot. The dismounted men jogged alongside holding to a stirrup.

Hope that helps some.
 
#28 ·
Thanks Cordillera Cowboy.

I've seen a couple ride double as I described (woman in front, man behind with his arms around her & him being the one directing the horse) on a couple of TV shows in the past, and then again on Outlander just last night. They never show enough to see if they are both in saddle or what, but they are very close, whereas if he was sitting behind the saddle, I would imagine the end of the saddle would put a natural gap between them. But I had wondered if this is one of those 'magic of TV' things where the impossible becomes possible.

The point of my scene is for the couple to be very close, but after several minutes he gets down because he finds it too intimate. (It was only going to be a 10 min ride home anyway.) I want it to be intimate; what I don't want is for it to be so uncomfortable - like with half his butt hanging off the end - that they wouldn't last 5 minutes (even for the sake of being intimate).

In my scenario there is fairly big saddle-bags on this horse behind the saddle. Before they get on he stows their weekly groceries in those bags and ties a sack of fruit on top, so I would think the only remaining space to sit behind would be right on the rump of the horse, which I don't imagine would be a viable option at all.

So if I may rephrase my question: would riding double in a saddle for 5 to 10 minutes be painfully uncomfortable for a couple that both really want an excuse to be virtually wearing each other?
 
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