She giggled a little as Connor, fidgeting around on the the lawn and overpowered her tiny frame.  Connor was big boy, powerful and muscular but with a sweet and slightly goofy ‘gelding’ attitude.  At first glance you may have mistakenly believed that Megan, in a delicate lace sleeved dress, was not much of a horse girl but that could not be further from the truth!

Megan grew up riding her parent’s Arabian mares with her twin sister, spending every moment they could around their horses.  Pony Club, cross country schooling, hunters, dressage, Country English Pleasure, halter, riding around bareback and cantering through the pastures – Megan is a true all rounder hen it comes to riding and showing. She has competed at Arabian Shows, Pony Club rallies, USDF shows, GHJA shows, GDCTA shows, etc. She had ridden on the Berry College Equestrian Team and competed at Nationals in Western Horsemanship. 

Megan says that Connor (CBS Good to Go+), has been “Literally the most challenging and rewarding experience I have ever had with a horse.  My mother purchased him as an extremely unhappy horse, a far cry from the successful, talented and gorgeous hunter horse with a wonderful upbringing and pedigree that we knew him as years prior”

Unfortunately by the time he came to Megan’s mother’s boutique breeding farm in Milton, GA. Connor bit, cow kicked, spooked, spun, bolted, and reared under saddle. Between Megan’s connection with him, her mother’s 40 years of experience at her and their vet’s expertise they figured out that his bad behavior stemmed from pain. Megan could not even groom him due to his attempts to bite and kick. For several long months, love and patience was all she could give him; they had treated him for everything they could think of.  

“I feel like he was just a few sales away from the auction house or seriously injuring someone. I would say the majority of horses in this situation would have been euthanized or ended up in a very bad place because most people would not have taken out the time to treat and care for his needs.  We understood that he was communicating this way because it’s literally his ONLY way of communicating his pain or memory of the pain.” Megan recalls.  

After two grueling years of careful re-habilitation, re-schooling, listening to what Connor was telling them and learning how to make things right for this gorgeous, willing boy, Connor made Megan’s dreams come true in the hunter ring. In 2017, Conor and Megan came home with multiple National Top Tens, a Regional Championship title GHJA Award.

Despite having three National Titles in Dressage and multiple National Top Tens in Dressage, Hunters, Equitation, plus a USDF Bronze Medal; Megan is quick to credit her supportive family for her success in the showing world.  “While a lot of people on the outside just see these pretty horse photos. They don’t realize the time it takes to be successful with horses –  It takes time, energy, missing meals, late nights or early mornings, no social life, a supportive team/family, and a dash of good luck. At shows, the chores are all done by mom, Kathy, my sister and I – cleaning stalls, bathing, feeding, cleaning tack, hand walking, etc. People think I get to ride SO much but had a time in my life I didn’t ride for almost two years.  Though during that time I was actually incredibly blessed and got to build a house AND get married to my incredible husband, Bradley, who is an absolute SAINT for putting up with my horse obsession. He is incredibly helpful, hands on, and supportive…the same goes for my mother, Kathy, and my sister, Jessica. I think many people would give up horses at this point, but the time with horses is MY therapy and MY sport…even if that means I’m just going to the barn to groom or feed or do basic ground work.”

Now, Connor enjoys his new life at JAG Arabians with the rest of his Arabian and Half-Arabian pals.  The bond that Connor and Megan have is unmistakable.  “He’s one of the most inquisitive and curious horses I have met. We have SO much fun on the ground. He will lunge with no lunge line. He will chase me around the arena if I run. He truly has a blast with me now and I’m glad he enjoys time with “humans” again! He is such fun to ride with a big canter stride (about 13-14 feet) and the hunter and dressage judges love him!”

So what’s next for Connor, who clearly still has so much more to give?  “He is 19 this year, but if time, budget and the stars align and allow, I would like to show him at an A/AA USHJA show, a USDF show and/or one rated USEA event as bucket list item(s) to complete my showing with him.” Says Megan.

“If ever a horse beat all odds, I would say Connor is the one!  I could write a book about everything this poor horse had to overcome and all the money, time (and tears) that my mother, Kathy, and I put into this horse to get him to where he is today – healthy and happy.” 

‘The Against All Odds Project”  is a passion project that sets out to tell the fascinating stories of equestrians and equines who have overcome difficulties or setbacks such as injury, illness, loss, tragedy and neglect and have overcome the challenges that life threw at them.  Celebrating their unique bonds and determination to succeed, against all odds… If you have a story to tell about you and/or your horse overcoming the odds, we would love to hear from you!  Click here to complete the online application form.