Another resounding vote for the PRE (of course!). Also to add to the above, more of them are being bred for a longer walk and trot stride, without the paddling. Mine is unbelievably typey looking - plenty of bone, deep barrel, thick arched neck, and yes, what we refer to with affection as his “banana nose,” but he has a great overtracking walk and a respectable trot. No, you can’t get the WB boinging bounding trot, but then again you don’t need to sit that thing either.
Definitely amen to everyone who notes they have great, affectionate personalities that make being around them fun and satisfying, even before you get on. If I scratch his itchy spots, he gets the dopey long nose and will nuzzle my hair in return. Or mind his business, whatever I’m in the mood for - not a PITA. I don’t know about “hot” since mine is a push ride and pretty darn zen, but he is sensitive to his handler/rider which I find a huge plus since I’m looking at 50 and not overly big or strong to begin with. Everything can be an “ask” , not because he will get upset if you “tell” but because it just isn’t necessary since he’s so trainable and generally very attuned. You don’t need arms and legs of steel to hold and push, but you do need a good solid core since weight and seat aids do matter. But he definitely takes a joke because I can put my daughter on and he certainly doesn’t do the leg yield zig zag across the ring if she’s uneven.
He’s got a good brain. He isn’t bothered by much and when he is, it’s a startle more than a spook, but since he’s built to sit on his butt, you do end up facing another direction before you know it. But halted - zero bolt or scoot. He’s young though so I imagine that he’ll be even more solid by 7 next year.
Also, easy maintenance. Mine is gray as so many PRE’s are so we have the joys of grooming a mud hog and he’s already grown a sarcoid (successfully treated with 1 shot of immunicine), but gray specific issues aside, he’s never had a sniffle or NQR day in the year I’ve owned him, no boots no wraps, has solid healthy bare feet, and stays chunky on ration balancer and mediocre hay. It’s more like keeping a pony than a performance horse.
My feeling is, I’m not going to the Olympics. I bought a horse to enjoy, and he’s fun to be around and fun to ride. I’d also say really easy to ride since he’s soft off the leg and soft on the bit, plus the comfy trot makes c/t transitions much easier. Keeping him soft off the leg takes consistency on my part since he’s more whoa minded, but that’s fine with me. On his part, he’s built for it, so dressage comes easily to him so he’s happy doing it. He’s a happy pet and a happy partner, I couldn’t ask for more.
