"You're not gonna hurt him." Soft. "He's tough. So -- you're doin' good, staying on one side where he can see you. Horses got a blind spot right in front of them, so you always wanna come at 'em from the side, not straight at the front or back. And see what his ears are doing?"

Danforth's twitched an ear in her direction, upright and alert.

"That means he's paying attention, but he's not scared. So you can keep patting his mane if you want."