#bergen_county

"As tall as these horses are? I think I'd need hopscotch" Zane admits

She laughs. "Yeah. Troll-sized. Maybe Stormwake will do his trick so you could try...."

Stormwake snorts. It took Dagmar awhile to earn his trust and one amazing act of heroism. He's not sure the boys have earned it.. yet.

Adam does not press....

"I know, I know. But you know Star isn't ready. I'll hold the lead."

IF Dagmar insists, Stormwake will shrink slightly to a size suited a smaller rider.

He is rewarded with an apple!

"Fae steeds are smarter than regular horses, so you have to persuade them a bit more." She gently guides Stormwake to the mounting block. "Okay, Adam - time to get a feel for it."

Well, crunch

An eye at Adam. Even slightly smaller he's still a HORSE and big.

"Me?"

"Of course you."

"Unless you want Zane to have the first go?"

"Oh I'm good. I want to use Adam as a guinea pig first" Zane says

"Nah, no, s'cool." A grin. "Ok, so...... what now?"

"Okay... so hands here and here..." She guides the kinain's hands to the correct places. "Push up and swing your leg over..."

He does, confidant.

And is astride!

And Stormwake looks ready to take off... IF a certain troll has let go of the lead. She hasn't? Darn. he settles for jostling the boy

For once, his head is higher than Dagmar's! Who is holding the lead, yes."

"Hey now. Be good."

Adam is... well... proud if his horsemastery.

Stormwake gives Dagmar a look like what? He's asking for it.

"Don't knock him off, okay? It's his first time." She leads Stormwake in a docile loop around the paddock.

Adam beams.

And Adam n eeds to learn to balance right or even at a slow pace he might get his butt jarred by saddle

Zane says "Dagmar, am I in troulble if I yell 'Yee ha' real loud?"

Snort. "Honestly, Zane."

Zane grins.

"He's not that kind of horse. Stormwake is a warhorse."

And Stormwake is getting a bit testy. He's not used to just anyone on his back. Only his trust of Dagmar is keeping him from bucking Adam off just to establish his tandards. It's nto that he doesn't LIKE adam, he tends to be fussy with anyone. Blueberry was the training horse, not him.

"I've got this!"

Dagmar whispers reassurances to the horse.

One circle, and back to the block. "Okay, time to get down. See what I mean about how powerful he is?"

"She's amazing...." Adam figures out, not very gracefully, to get off the horse. "Wow. Sam, I get it. This is....wow."

At the 'she', comment,the stallion gives a hard PUSH with hsi head to the back of Adam

Lucky he didn't bite!

Adam staggers, pushed, and falls. "Woah!!"

And a HUFF...

Star, for her part, is making amused horse noises.

"...Stormwake is a stallion."

She offers him a hand up.

"You really need to call folks by their preferred gender, dude, it's just polite" Zane says a light smile.

"Uh. Dude. Sorry." And a little glare at Zane.

Zane holds up his hands in a 'hey just funning' motion

"It'll be fine, you're good."

"Good job. Now, it's polite to thank Stormwake..."

"Dude... thank you."

A head bob

"He likes to be scritched here." Demonstrates.