Best in Show

Turns out, perfection would be terribly boring.

Every horse has that thing.

Actually, if we're being realistic, most of them have several.

The look they give you when you've clearly disappointed them. The patch of mud they find four minutes after you've finished grooming. The expensive supplement they loved yesterday and now regard as attempted poisoning.

The fly mask that never stays where you left it.

The treat pocket they can locate with forensic accuracy.

The completely unnecessary drama because something that has been in exactly the same place for three weeks is, apparently, different today.

We call them quirks.

But somewhere along the way, something rather lovely happens.

The things that once drove you mad become the things that make them, them.

You know that face. The favourite scratching spot. The sound of their footsteps. The weight of their head against you. 

Without realizing it, you learn an entire language nobody ever teaches you.

And that's the funny thing about loving a horse.

Eventually, you don't just love the beautiful parts.

You love the ridiculous bits too.

Because perfection might be impressive.

But the quirks?

They're the bits that make a horse unforgettable.

And amongst a thousand horses, you'd still know yours.

Best in Show. Every single time.