 The back ranks would follow, drawing their bows and firing ahead as they rode.This combination of missile fire with shock action put their opponents at a grave disadvantage - If they closed ranks to better resist the charging lances, they would make themselves more vulnerable to the bows' fire, if they spread out to avoid the arrows the lancers would have a much easier job of breaking their thinned ranks.Many times the arrow fire and start of a charge were enough to cause the enemy to run without the need to close or melee.