By Meghan Connolly
It was love at first sight. I took my dogs to their bi-weekly chiropractic vet appointment during COVID-19, and just like many others at the time, I was feeling a little sad and isolated being at home, with only my dogs for interaction. But lucky for me, my vet also breeds horses. After one appointment, I asked if I could meet the newborn foals from that year. What could make me happier than seeing babies? Thankfully, she agreed.
We exited the clinic, walked down the walkway, and entered the barn. As soon as the door opened, I saw him, this big, beautiful gray horse, standing in the stall just across from the doorway. “Who is this?!” I asked as she continued walking to the foal barn.
“Oh, that’s Possum. I’m thinking about selling him at some point,” she responded. And just like that, we kept walking and went to see the babies.
I wasn’t on the barn side of the clinic much after that, but I asked about Possum on almost every trip with the dogs. We had only seen each other once, but I knew that if I were going to get a horse, it would be him. In early 2021, she told me he was for sale.
I hadn’t ridden horses since college, at least sixteen years earlier. Considering buying him was crazy, right? I asked to come meet him again, and spend some more time with him to see if I even still liked riding. I was older, had gained weight since college, and was much more cautious than I was back then.
After talking with one of my friends, I realized that if it didn’t work out, I could always sell him back to his owner. And just like that, I was hooked again. I bought Possum a couple of months later, in March 2021, owning no other horse equipment but a helmet and paddock boots. I kept him boarded at my vet’s property, which is mostly focused on barrel racing, under one condition – no matchy sets (I’ve already broken that rule!).
Our journey since then has been anything but linear. I did the one thing most trainers tell you to avoid – pairing a green horse with a green rider. He was so tall that I struggled to get on him initially, and I had to work to find my balance again. His stride was so much bigger than any other horse I had ridden before. The first few months made me really question my sanity, my decision to jump back into horses with both feet, and whether I could actually be successful in pursuing this hobby.
All I knew was that I loved this horse and wanted to do right by him; Possum was an absolute saint through all of it. I grew up riding hot horses and had my fair share of spooky bolts with them (including plenty of falls!). But Possum was by far the most bombproof horse I had ever ridden, even as a five-year-old. A bird flew into his face during one ride, and he only took half a step sideways before going on his way.
Possum was started by a reining trainer and had shown at local open shows in Western and Hunt Seat classes before I bought him, but he hadn’t done anything with dressage. His lines are primarily barrel racing, but somehow, his mom manages to produce giant babies pretty much every time. Because of his size, it was clear he wouldn’t be agile enough to run barrels. We didn’t start training dressage until about seven or eight months after I bought him, but we have worked with a couple of local trainers and found some success.
Our first show season together was in 2023. I had been out of the show scene for nearly two decades, and this was a new type of show for Possum, so I decided to start at Introductory Level and build from there. By the end of the season, we were competing at Training Level.
We had a blast all season. Possum loved going off-site to new barns, and we met tons of new people. He knew when it was time to work and when it was time to have some fun and be silly; in the arena, he was an absolute champ. It didn’t matter what was happening around us; he always took care of me. Because of his 17-hand stature, beautiful dapples, and silly name, Possum often stood out in the sea of bays and chestnuts.
Michigan is not a branding state, but his breeder chooses to brand for many reasons, so Possum has a mitten with “KSD” inside on his left hip. Between his size and the brand, we were asked at almost every show what type of warmblood he was. We got the same shocked reaction pretty much every time I said he was a barrel-bred Quarter Horse.
We ended up having a very successful show season, winning Champion at one schooling show series, Reserve Champion at another, and Champion through our local Group Member Organization (GMO), the Midwest Dressage Association.
Sadly, 2024 has not been as fruitful or successful for us. We’ve had to work through a few issues that have sidelined both of us for most of the year, but that’s horses. This year has been such a learning experience for me about adapting, working with what I have on a given day, and accepting that things don’t always work on the timeline I want.
Regardless of all of this, Possum is always happy to see me when I’m at the barn, and we’ve spent many months strengthening our bond on the ground. Thankfully, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel that will hopefully get me back in the saddle before the end of the year. I’ve already started setting some lofty goals for the two of us next season! One of the goals is to show at our first USDF-recognized show at my alma mater in April. It’s been a dream of mine since I bought Possum to take him to my old stomping grounds and show him. It feels like a full-circle moment.
One question that I am often asked is how Possum got his name. I kept the name that his breeder gave him when he was born. She tells the story best, but the gist of it is that a friend of hers had property where they had a large burn pile. Unbeknownst to them, a possum had taken up residence there. When the friends lit the burn pile, a flaming possum ran out and went straight to their hay barn. The whole barn ended up catching fire and burning down. It sounds like something straight out of a Farmers Insurance commercial. She decided her next gray baby was going to be named Possum after that. She intended to register him through the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) as KSD Flaming Possum, but since I was the one to register him, I went with another friend’s suggestion of KSD Playing Possum.
Having Possum for the last three years has been more fulfilling than I ever imagined. I felt like we were bonded the moment we locked eyes that first day, and our bond has only gotten stronger since then. While Quarter Horses are not usually considered a traditional dressage breed, I value his calm demeanor, smart brain, and athleticism.
I am also thankful to him for helping me find a new community of people, both inside and outside of dressage. This has been invaluable as someone who primarily works from home and keeps a small circle of friends to begin with. My vet/breeder/barn owner has become a close friend, and I’ve met reiners, barrel racers, and ranch riders who all bring different and great perspectives. I enjoy seeing and hearing how other people keep and train their horses across different disciplines. I’ve met some wonderful people I wouldn’t otherwise know through my local GMO and at horse shows, and they have been an amazing support system, especially through our ups and downs this year. If you haven’t already joined, go find a local GMO!
Growing up riding at a primarily Arabian barn, I was not exposed to many Quarter Horses, besides one or two that came in for training. Those horses did not leave me with a strong impression of the breed. I adored the horses at my first barn and never imagined having any breed other than an Arabian or Arabian cross.
But, after seeing the athleticism of not only Possum, but all the other horses at my current barn, I am completely sold on the Quarter Horse breed. Their ability to adapt to so many different styles of riding amazes me, and I would highly recommend a Quarter Horse to someone looking for their next partner. They may not take you to Grand Prix as easily as some breeds, but their adaptability makes them fun partners to try new things with, from trail riding, to jumping, to cutting and ranch work.
I’m not sure where our journey will take us, but I hope that we have a lot more years of learning together.
