Riften Stables sits just outside the walls of Riften, the usual first stop for anyone arriving on foot and planning to leave on four legs. It is a small, working stable rather than a destination in its own right, but if you are tired of walking everywhere it is the place in the area to sort out a mount.
What you’ll find
- A horse for sale – the stable offers a dapple-grey.
- Hofgrir Horse-Crusher – one of the stable’s residents, and a man you can challenge to a brawl.
- Shadr – who owes money to Sapphire and would very much like that problem to go away.
- Sigaar – the third person you will meet around the stables.
Free rides
There are two ways to borrow the stable’s horses without paying full price. Sort out Shadr’s debt with Sapphire, or beat Hofgrir in a brawl, and the stable’s horses become free for you to ride. The catch: they are not really yours. Once you climb off, the horse heads back home to the stables, so think of it as a loan rather than a gift. Still, it is a cheap way to cover the road out of town before you commit to buying an animal of your own.
Tips
Pick your route to free rides based on your mood: helping Shadr is the friendlier option, while the brawl is quicker if your fists are in good shape. Keep it a fist fight, though – drawing a real weapon in the middle of a brawl is a fast way to turn a friendly scrap into trouble.
Some players report that horses occasionally follow them along when fast travelling, or that two horses appear stacked on top of each other after arriving here. It looks silly but is harmless; leave the area and come back if it bothers you.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Merryfair Farm, Nightingale Hall, Goldenglow Estate, Fort Greenwall, Snow-Shod Farm.
Location data (hold, map position, editor ID) read from the Skyrim game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.