Skyrim:Hofgrir Horse-Crusher

Hofgrir Horse-Crusher (RefID: 00019DFE)
Home City	Riften
Store	Riften Stables
Race	Nord	Gender	Male
Level	8	Class	Warrior
RefID	00019DFE	BaseID	00013351
Services
Horses	Grey; 1000 gold
Other Information
Health	131	Magicka	50
Stamina	74
Primary Skills	Heavy Armor, One-handed, Archery, Block, Two-handed
Class Details	CombatWarrior1H
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Unaggressive
Voice Type	MaleBrute
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionRift; Riften Stables Faction; TownRiftenFaction

Hofgrir Horse-Crusher at his stables near Riften

Hofgrir Horse-Crusher is a Nord warrior and the owner of Riften Stables, which he runs with his assistant Shadr. He gained his name following an incident in his youth, during which he got drunk and managed to break a young horse's back after trying to mount it. He hasn't ridden since.

Hofgrir's schedule sees him wander around Riften Stables. He will perform random tasks such as eating, sleeping, walking, waiting, and sitting however he sees fit due to a bug.

Hofgrir wears a set of merchant clothes and a pair of boots. He is equipped with a leveled dagger which can be up to elven quality. He carries a key to the stables, and a selection of common loot and gold.

Related Quests

• Bloody Nose: Defeat Hofgrir Horse-Crusher in a brawl.
• Caught Red Handed: Gather three marks of Dibella to help Svana Far-Shield against Haelga.
• Spread the Love: Distribute religious literature to the citizens of Riften.

Quest-Related Events

Bloody Nose

Hofgrir Horse-Crusher, crushed

Must be dangerous living outside the walls.

"Bah, I'm not afraid of anything out here. Walls are just a weakling's hiding spot. Now me, I'm no weakling. In fact, I bet I've got the strongest arms in all of Skyrim."

I bet you're wrong.

"Oh! Sounds like I've got a challenger. Tell you what. How about a friendly wager, just between us. I bet you my entire purse of septims I can beat you in a fistfight. You match the bet and we fight until one of us gives in."

Sure, I'll match your bet! (Brawl)

"All right, remember... this is a clean fight. No weapons, no tricks. And none of those fancy magic spells, either. Here we go!" (If you have the gold)

"Well come back when you earn some more so I can take it from you!" (If you don't have the gold)

How about another time?

"I don't blame you. If I were in your shoes, I'd chicken out too. Well, offer still stands if you ever want to have a go."

If you back out of the bet the first time, he may greet you by saying:

"Back, eh? Ready to brawl?"

After you win the brawl:

"I don't believe it. I guess you were right!"

I hope you aren't angry.

"Not at all. It's good to be put in your place once in a while. I guess I shouldn't boast so much... it gets expensive!"

If you lose the brawl:

"You up for another wager?"

How about a rematch?

"Sure, I don't mind taking some more of your gold. Just let me know when you're ready."

Let's fight! (Brawl)

"Here we go!"

On second thought, maybe we'll fight later.

"Suit yourself. I'm always here."

Caught Red Handed

Hofgrir Horse-Crusher is in possession of a Mark of Dibella that he acquired from Haelga. During the quest Caught Red Handed, Svana Far-Shield will ask that you obtain them to embarrass Haelga:

Haelga gave you a Mark of Dibella. I want it.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I don't even know what that is."

You can persuade him to give the mark to you, as long as you have a Speech skill level of more than 25:

Option	Dialogue				Reaction
Hand it over and no one has to know. (Persuade)	Passed: "I don't want a bad reputation in Riften, but Haelga's out of control. She wanted to try it in the stables so I said yes. If you want the mark that badly then go ahead and take it." Failed: "Look, you must have me confused with someone else."				Passed: Get the Mark of Dibella Failed: Nothing
Give it to me or else! (Intimidate)	Passed: "I don't want a bad reputation in Riften, but Haelga's out of control. She wanted to try it in the stables so I said yes. If you want the mark that badly then go ahead and take it." Failed: "You have a death wish or something?"				Passed: Get the Mark of Dibella Failed: Nothing
Never mind. My mistake.	"Next time think before you speak."				Nothing

Spread the Love

Here, brother. Blessings of Mara upon you.

"Had only Mara saved that poor animal..."

Dialogue

Hofgrir's greetings can be:

"Got horses that need shoeing, so make it quick."

"Too lazy to walk, eh? Well, you've found the right place."

"If it isn't the best brawler in Skyrim. Good to see you again!"

When spoken to directly he can be asked about himself and about his horses:

How did you come to be known as Horse-Crusher?

"Been stuck with the name for years. I've been ridin' horses since I was a lad... nothin' I liked more. But as I got bigger, so did my mounts. Then one day, I was drunker than I've ever been and mounted a poor colt. Broke his back in two. Haven't ridden since."

Can I buy a horse?

"Don't mind if you do. What's your price?"

Here's my offer... (1000 gold)

"Sold. She's all yours. She's already saddled up." (If you have 1000 gold)

"That would work, except you ain't got." (If you do not have 1000 gold)

If you instead change your mind after asking him about acquiring a horse:

On second thought, I'll walk.

"Should have known you'd be a cheap one."

Attempting to purchase a horse when he does not have one for sale:

"If I had one you could. They're all spoken for."

Notes

• If you brawl against him and win, you will get to ride his horses for free.
• Hofgrir's assistant, Shadr, will frequently speak well of him: "Hofgrir is a great teacher. I've learned so much about horses from him." He will also direct you to speak to Hofgrir regularly: "If it's horses you want, you'll want to speak to Hofgrir at the stables.", or if you started the quest Stabilized but have yet to talk to Sapphire: "If it's horses you want, you'll want to speak to Hofgrir. I'm afraid I'm in too much trouble to help you." Asking him about his work at the stables will have him talk about how Hofgrir Horse-Crusher is helping him: "Yes. Hofgrir took me in when I arrived in Riften about a year ago. He's been teaching me everything he knows. Horses are my whole life. Back in Hammerfell, I helped my family raise horses at our farm. I hope to open my own stables one day, but I think it's going to take a lot longer than I expected."

Bugs

• His schedule was supposed to be more concrete, having him work outside between 8am and 8pm and sleep for the remaining hours, but a misplaced package overrides those two.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.3.3, fixes this bug.
• If you accept to brawl him, but don't have the 200 gold to match him, the quest will break. Asking for a rematch makes him imply that you don't have enough gold to cover the bet regardless of what amount you are carrying.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 2.0.7, fixes this bug.
• The quest can also break even if you have enough gold, causing you to enter "brawling" mode (unarmed and fists up), but he just walks away. Attacking is considered a crime and will earn you a bounty. Asking for a rematch returns the same issue as above.
• When you enter a brawl with him before entering Riften for the first time, Hofgrir may pull out a weapon at the end of the fight and attack. If that happens, you may kill him without incurring any bounty.