In order to create Caballo Brillante, Richard Montoya supervised 50 other people aged 5 to 80. The first step was to go to dumps that hadn't been used for 20 years. They gathered pieces of glass at these dumps. The second step was to smash the glass pieces. The third step was to apply these pieces to the pony and create a kaleidoscope mosaic.

The original Painted Pony was on a revolving platform with lights on it. As the pony revolved, the various pieces of glass glimmered. As the pony continued to revolve, it became a kaleidoscope. The reproduction doesn't have a revolving platform but is a beautiful mosaic.

Caballo Brillante was introduced in the very first group of Trail of Painted Ponies in Winter 2003. It was retired in January 2007. A very popular pony, the last one produced was numbered #5E/473 - which means 5,473 of these ponies were manufactured.

During "The Trail of Painted Ponies" this pony was in Sante Fe, NM. It sits on a numbered base. Artist: Richard Montoya & 50 others ages 5-81; Sponsor: Good Hands Gallery.