Page 6 of Eden's Dom

“Who here has never touched a horse?” Cain asked.

Everyone but her raised their hands.

His gaze zeroed in on her. “Eden, would you be able to demonstrate how to saddle a horse?”

Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, yeah, sure.”

“Come here,” he said.

She walked and stood a few feet from him. She giggled when one of the horses came up behind her, nuzzled her hair, and nudged her.

Cain smiled.

“I guess you don’t have to choose a horse. Raider here chose you.”

She scratched the horse’s neck. “That’s fine by me. Which saddle is his?”

Cain pointed to a saddle on the ground with the blanket on top.

Eden walked to it and gripped both before carrying them over to the horse. She saw the group’s rapt attention and maybe a bit of disgust from one of the women.

She set the saddle pad on top of the horse’s back and then had to throw the saddle up because the horse was big. She felt Cain come up behind her and grab the saddle.

“Sorry about that. I should have brought the steps over.”

Eden smiled over her shoulder. “It’s heck being short sometimes.”

He chuckled and turned back to the class. “Now, watch what she does.”

She was a bit nervous since she’d never been stared at. Cain described what she did, step by step.

One of the men burst out, “Should she be walking thatclose to the back of the horse? She’s going to be kicked.”

Eden looked at Cain and waited for him to answer, but instead, he raised a brow.

Eden turned to the man. “I put my hand on him as I moved behind him to tell him I was there. I’ve never gotten kicked by one. I’ve also never startled a horse enough for them to react.”

Cain nodded. “The horse can see to the sides and behind them a bit. Their line of sight is limited in the front because their eyes are wide apart and on the side of the face.”

Eden tightened the cinch on the horse and turned to see Cain with a bridle in his hands. She took the halter off and set it on the horse’s neck so she could grab the lead rope and control the animal until its bridle was on.

“Ewww, she stuck her fingers into its mouth,” one of the girls said.

“Yes. If the horse doesn’t automatically open when the bit is placed by its mouth, the person must stick a finger or two in to separate the teeth.”

“I won’t be able to do that,” she said and shivered in disgust.

Cain nodded. “That’s fine.”

Eden had the horse ready with the halter in her empty hand.

He reached for it and then tossed it to the side. “Would you show them how to mount a horse?”

“Oh, yes. I’ll need the step or a boost.”

Cain grinned. “I figured.”

He walked over, cupped his hands together, and bent down. She put her foot in it, and he lifted her. She settled onto the horse’s back with her feet in the stirrups.

---