The third time is *not* the charm.

Horse #3 did not go much better than horse #1 and #2.  Like #1, it was shorter than I was told.  I didn't stick 3, because I could look at it and say with certainty it wasn't even the minimum requirement for M.  And like in the case of #2, the tack we used was ill-fitting, and as with both 1 and 2, the feet needed to be done yesterday.

 But, she was super sweet, very tolerant.  Highly uncomfortable gaits though, and I was never even able to get her to pick up her right lead.  That was the real deal breaker for me, because M doesn't need anything that she will have to fight for the leads on.  Another horse I didn't even bother to jump because it was already a total no on the flat.  On the bright side, unlike 1 & 2, she did steer and move off my leg wonderfully.  I can honestly say that with some weight and muscle, she would probably make a cute eventer or dressage critter.

I'm not looking for a project though.  I think people are misunderstanding what I'm looking for, honestly.  Everything I have seen has a quiet, sweet personality, but they need miles.  They're all super kid-safe, but not even close to show ready, and M is not capable of training anything to be show ready even through her lessons.  Every single one I've seen so far has a lot of potential, but they really had no idea what I was asking of them, let alone how to do it on their own with minimal rider input.

There is a silver lining to this cloud though.  I have a prospective horse to check out next week, and this one has lots of show miles, and comes from a reputable owner that I've known for years.  I'm really hoping that M and 4 will click.  If not, I have a couple of others to try from another friend of mine.  At least these next few are all from people I know are credible and are aware of what I'm really looking for in a horse for M.

On the Amber front, she's doing great.  Getting back into shape was the toughest on her the first couple of weeks I think.  The hind end is definitely getting stronger now, but I ordered her some DMG to throw in her feed to help with the muscle discomfort I'm sure she's experiencing.  She is much, much happier in comparison to last week.  She was particularly unamused with our lunging session last Saturday - apparently, she forgot that lunging was a thing.  If I didn't know her so well, her facial expression would have had me worried that she was going to charge me and stomp me into the sand.  She has been a trooper though.  Getting back into shape sucks, plain and simple.  I am feeling it myself, actually, now that I'm riding more again.  Tomorrow morning, I'm going to do some light jumping.  Last Thursday was our first "real" jumps since March.  She zoomed around like we never took a break, but despite the energy she showed, her lack of fitness was still apparent.

Hopefully the progression will continue, for both unicorn hunting and Amber's fitness.