I found a nice youngster (long yearling) WB/TB cross. Good conformation for jumping. Pleasant personality. Big step at trot and canter…but not a lot of suspension at the trot. Does this matter? Is suspension indicative of jump or gallop?
Whats is the walk like?
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You want a good balanced adjustable canter for sure. That is not correlated to suspension at the trot. Indeed if you just want stunningly gorgeous floating trot you will find it most often in harness breeds that have trouble with canter like Standardbred and Friesian.
If trainers could reliably fill in the holes on OTSB they’d be a secret source of dressage horses with extended trots scoring 8. But I’ve yet to see this happen.
So don’t get too worried about dressage quality trot in a jumper.
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The walk is generally more indicative of potential than the trot. A trot can be improved with training but a walk is easily ruined.
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If you have the big step at the walk and canter, then I would hazard a guess that you will be fine. Trot can be improved the most with training. Also as a long yearling, how is he built right now? I have had some yearlings that in different growth stages couldn’t trot their way out of a paper bag and grew up just fine 
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Opposite IMO…if they have a lot of suspension at the trot and the big round trot I want to see in a top dressage prospect (GP dressage prospect)…they are NOT going to have the gallop I want for UL eventing. Sure they may make it mid levels with eventing (and likely win a lot)…but they will struggle to make time at 5* And be less efficient so often harder to keep sound. For eventing, you really just want 3 correct gaits and a very trainable/tractable mind. Some of the top eventers are NOT at all what I would consider fancy movers…but they are consistent and when trained and ridden correctly…very competitive. It is a DIFFERENT animal that you want for eventing than for dressage.
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Go to “Not Rolex” and watch the warm up and dressage tests. Or get videos.
these are NOT dressage horses.
Buy the best canter and gallop you can find. The trot you train.
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I watch how the horse moves as a whole, and general impression of athleticism. A trot with lots of air time is certainly eye-catching, but it doesn’t have much correlation with future eventing success. I want to see an active hind end and freedom from the shoulder at all gaits. A “dinky” on-the-forehand wp QH jog-trot would be a pass, but I’m not looking for Totilas.
Yearling racehorses are bought solely off a walk, because that correlates with a good gallop. It should be “slinky,” coiling and stretching across the topline, pushing powerfully from behind with significant overstep, and swinging freely through the shoulder.
Same at the canter; push from behind, stretch in front, balanced in turns and stops. I prefer to see effortless lead changes at liberty, but it’s not a deal breaker.
Mind is extremely important. This can be tough to judge in a random visit; easier to evaluate when you get to spend hours/days working with them. A good temperament, work ethic, willing to please, and quick to learn goes a long way.
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Yep. I agree with BNFE etc. movement has little correlation to jumping ability or upper level potential.
If you focus on dressage movement you will never find the jump. The best indicator to me for UL potential of a youngster: mind.
If I hop on a baby who is curious, thoughtful, responsive but not reactive, that is what will sell me. You have the mind, almost everything else is trainable, negotiable, or developable.
Yes, overall balance movement is one thing to look at.
Good input and COTH wisdom, thanks for all the advice!
I really liked this video released yesterday by USEA about judging FEH. It was helpful to hear what the judges should look for, especially about gaits and movement. Regarding “flashy” trot, they noted to watch how the horse moves behind, and not be fooled by expressive front end action. Look for ability to collect and extend, but value correctness as much as bounce.
I appreciate what Robin Walker said about the trot/canter-- a fancy trot will win you points in dressage, but the bulk of an event horse’s job is done at canter. And it’s too much work to have to “manufacture” a good canter for the horse’s whole career. When the horse has a naturally good canter, it makes everything easier.
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