Bridle path
Road type designation
Written by Chris Prosman Reviewed by Dirk van Zuijlen
Updated
- Sign code
- G9
- Category
- Road type designation
- Traffic signs
- Bridle path: for horse riders only.
G9 is the bridleway sign: a blue circle showing a white horse and rider. Horse riders use the bridleway. It is not a cycle path, and its code is G9, not G12. The code helps distinguish it from other blue path signs.
What to do at this sign
As a car driver, do not use a bridleway as an alternative carriageway. Where it crosses your road, assess priority signs and the other applicable rules. A horse rider is a rider under the traffic rules, a different legal position from a pedestrian.
Example on the road
A cycle path and bridleway run side by side. The horse symbol on G9 identifies the bridleway. The bicycle symbol on G11 identifies a different path. Looking at the blue colour alone is insufficient to select the correct path.
Other conditions to check
A bridleway sign identifies road position, but does not automatically grant priority at junctions. Give horses adequate room when passing and avoid unnecessarily startling them. Assess the actual crossing separately from the sign identifying the path.
How to recognise the sign
A circular blue sign with white arrows or a white symbol identifying the road users concerned.
Difference from G11 — Mandatory cycle path
G9 shows a horse rider and identifies a bridleway. G11 shows a bicycle and identifies a compulsory cycle path; G12 ends that cycle path.
G11 — Mandatory cycle pathLegal basis
Frequently asked questions
- Is the bridleway sign G12?
- No. The bridleway is G9; G12 means the end of a compulsory cycle path.
- Does G9 automatically give horse riders priority at a crossing?
- No. Priority follows the crossing arrangement and other traffic rules.
Explained in the course
Practise this sign for your theory exam
Bridle path belongs to the Road type designation category. In the CBR theory exam a traffic sign is almost never asked on its own: you are shown a situation and have to know what you may or must do in it. In the free sign trainer you practise the signs by category, with the explanation shown right after every answer.
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