Sam is coming along beautifully.  We started him under saddle at about 2.5 yrs and at 3 yrs he is going quietly at the walk, trot and canter, indoors and out.  He really is the best horse I've ever owned and I just adore him!  Everyone at our barn loves him too -- he is famously sweet and inquisitive.  This past weekend we took him to the Missoula Equestrian Center with some of his buddies who were schooling there in preparation for a show.  It was his first trip off the farm since he arrived 2 years ago, and he was so good.  He has up until now not been a huge fan of water, and has given the water element in the x-c course at our barn a fairly wide berth.  But on that day, he took confidence from his paddock mate and decided he would try to wade into the water element.  Once he got in, he was absolutely thrilled with himself and with the water, which he proceeded to splash and play in.  I thought, hmm, I think he is thinking of rolling!  But I didn't think he would since he hadn't been that comfortable with water.  Well, I was wrong.  Like with other things, once his quick brain figured out that it was not a threat, he was done with being frightened of it...so, he laid down.  I hopped off and tapped him a couple of times with my dressage whip before he rolled on my saddle, and he was just sort of like "well, OK -- if you insist!", got up, and strolled out.  I love this about him -- even for such a youngster, he might startle at things once, but then he immediately learns and doesn't repeat the reaction.

We will take him to a small local dressage show this fall and then will start him over fences.  Next July, we will take him to his 4 yr old test at Rebecca Farm -- it is the only World Cup/Olympic qualifying event in the Northwest, so it draws riders from all over the region, down to TX and CA and from Canada as well.  It will be inspiring to be riding in the same place as Olympians! 
Here are some pictures of Sam and me this summer.

I'll keep you posted!
All my best,
Kimber