Both young horse are good prospects. I heavily favor the GRP based on his proven bloodlines. His sire has produced a number of great ponies and his dam line has the very desirable Rubenstein/Donnerhall lineage known for producing excellent temperaments.
Golden West is an amazing pony:
I think the filly is lovely and I prefer her out of the 2. Maybe it has something to do with the Jackson 5 music.
I prefer the filly by far. She looks to have more scope and I like her type better at this point. She moves well and covers ground. The pony’s gaits don’t show me any scope although he does show suspension, but choppy. He looks downhill as well and I don’t care much for his type. In the past I’ve had good luck breeding Percheron mares to my Thoroughbred stallion for a vet who liked the cross. They turned out quite well, particularly when the cross was bred back to a Thoroughbred. However, one of the half and half went to FEI level, qualifying for the regionals every year and was often high point at his shows.
Keep in mind the future value of the horse/pony you buy. If whatever you buy does not work out for you, which one will more marketable? Of course training will be be a major factor, but breeding counts as well.
I am not sure you can really make a lot of observations about conformation when one video is a year+ old and the other shows a 2yo, which is not usually a very attractive age. My now 6yo had a horrendously ugly 2yo year and turned out to be quite a looker.
A very good consideration
The filly looks pretty refined for being a draft cross as a yearling. However with draft crosses they can bulk up a lot by the time they are 4 to 5 years old. So looking at momma she may very well be a lot heavier horse than she presents as a yearling. It is really hard to tell how crosses are going to turn out at that age.
Are you open to shipping/buying from afar? The ads I found list these two horses on opposite coasts, so I’m guessing you might consider it? I just saw a gorgeous yearling WB filly on my FB feed this morning, priced below what these two are at, from a fairly well known breeder. And they probably have other stock in a similar price range, if you’re open to a yearling (I know, not as close to riding age as a 2yo, but there are some great deals!).
That was my thought, too. I’m glad somebody who actually knows what they’re looking at agrees!
If I were buying a horse from a video, I would want to see the animal stood up, from both sides, front and back. I would want to see 4 feet and legs, specifically. I would want to it moving, on a hard surface, away and back towards me, at both walk and trot. In other words, a video that gave me good information, set up by someone who knows what the potential buyer would like to see. A bay cantering around rough graze and a buckskin shuffling around a scruffy pen would mean “No” for me. Why waste money?
I know of a trainer that only buys and sells mutt horses. She buys them for under 3k and sells them for 10. She understands that 90 percent of ammys need a kind hearted easy to ride horse with good gaits that can make it halfway through the training scale. I wouldn’t let pedigree get in your way, if it’s well bred it’s going to be half feral in your price range, totally out of your price range, or unrideable and both.
Shipping across the country is going to eat your budget.
I suppose i just assume OP is has very fine horsemanship. I’m guessing that anyone looking at youthful horses knows their own capabilities and is operating within their expertise/boundaries. I really get shopping for an immature horse. For me, personally, nothing is more rewarding than polishing a diamond in the rough.
With a good trainer, a horse with uphill tendencies and three pure gaits can be trained to third level or higher. Certainly, you may not score as high as someone on a fancy moving horse. However, for a typical adult amateur giant, flamboyant gaits are not always the best thing. You need to be athletic enough to ride those gaits. I have seen way too many amateur riders buy horses that were beyond their riding capability. The horses ended up being ridden by the owner’s trainer, sold, or ruined.
When looking at gaits, walk and canter are important. A good trot can be made a great trot with proper training and muscle development. I’ve brought along a number of young horses and none of them were terribly expensive or spectacular. Training made them all nicer and some went through amazing transformations. I’ve seen the same thing in friend’s horses.
It all comes down to your skills and goals. You will get good advice and varying opinions on a board like this. If you have access to help from an experienced dressage trainer who has brought along a number of young horses, ask them to help you. Evaluating young horses is not always easy. They can dramatically change as they mature.
It’s also important to realize that young horses typically have more spring and float to their step than adult horses.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen FB videos of a mare trotted out in hand and a foal floating beside her. Everyone says “wow look at the movement on that foal!” I say, look at mom. Thats what you are getting.
These are good enough WB and Andie breeders. The mares are likely very nice moving out under saddle. But the floating foal trot is just age related.
True. Babies can look like deer with all of that spring in their steps. That’s why looking at the sire and dam, if possible, is always a good idea.
Yes, definitely open to shipping!! Would love to see info on the filly if you can share!
I will send you a PM. 
They both have, shall we say, unremarkable hind ends. Not much hip on either one. I would pass on both.
I really wanted to like the pony, but he is butt high which may be just a temporary growth spurt, and didn’t go into a canter easily. I prefer the filly, her gaits are nice, she is overall pleasing to look at, and I’ve known several WB/draftx’s that turned out beautifully. My vet has a Hano/Shire cross that several very well known clinicians have loved. The only thing is sometimes you can get hybrid vigor by outcrossing and end up with a very big horse, if that doesn’t worry you, than she may be your girl. go see her and see what the temperament and conformation is like. She likely would be worth more if you ever had to sell her.
A while back, someone on this board posted a video of a young, unstarted mare they were interesting in as a dressage prospect. People responded with lots of negative comments about her potential. Some were really negative. Today, I saw a video of her just started under saddle (she’s coming three) and she looks very nice. She’s a good mover and seems quite trainable.
My point is you won’t know how a horse goes until they are under saddle. You can pick a young horse apart, but they do change. I know a young warmblood who was awful looking at two. You won’t recognize him at three. Like I suggested before, find a trainer who has brought along a number of young horses and get their opinion.
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