Brilliance

Brilliance. An intense brightness of light.
This is an odd name choice for a black horse.

Brillante - Brilliance in English - is my black Paso Fino mare. For 5 years, I've bonded with this perplexing animal with a mind like no other I've come across. She's earned a reputation wherever she goes as "the crazy horse", but she will never miss a beat (a quality all Pasos want!) and will take care of kids.
She's been excused from show arenas for stopping and refusing to move, even when *sniff* I had to kick her. She's been placed last because she tried to run over a judge (you'd think we'd get excused for that too, right?). She's reared, almost kicked me in the chest, bucked plenty of times, and I love her to death. Why? Because I finally understand her.

It was at the point where my trainer, Andre, had given up on her. She was just "not a show horse, but would make a good trail horse". Hardly. She hates being away from the barn, a result of being acutely barn-sour. So, after a clinic with famous Dominic, I learned that she's just a very anxious soul, and like a human, needs to be dealt with in the appropriate way.

This all happened before I started this blog by the way.

Dominic told me that I should spend at least a half hour making her walk around, for at least a few months, and make this routine until I can feel her relaxed under me. I was vigilant about this, and come the show season...well we got excused from a couple of classes, but not as many as I expected! She's been doing really well with everything I've asked of her because I've taken the time to try to understand her, not to just force her into doing what I want her to, because oh boy, will she fight back.

And yet, despite all of my efforts, people still refer to her as "the crazy horse" which isn't exactly fair. Especially since I took third place at the last show of the season.

And still, despite these efforts, my parents still want to hire a trainer, a TRAINER! A "professional predator", someone who won't take the time to understand her mind and just throw a harsher bit in her mouth, tie her head down, and put on the spurs.
I won't allow that to happen.

My goal with Brie, the entire reason I'm writing this blog, is to get a blue ribbon, a first place, in a class of at least 10 horses. Only then will she show her true brilliance.