wow! what breed is he?
(my 15.2 standardbred wears a snug 75 or roomy 78)
Thoroughbred!
Here he is as a 3 year old off the track: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-089KZxGLDpo/U6z9kWsYenI/AAAAAAAAAAg/WXKPWoFr5Hc/s1600/Cupid.jpg
And last year at 10: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3BhRlmYd2k/YTkCnWNiEWI/AAAAAAAAEKc/TySr4OrBF180j6BlpS44AeTqlTx20AZlwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1118/Osierlea.png
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OMG what a transformation. Kudos to you; and he’s quite handsome.
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Long walk warm-ups. And keeping him warm (blankets, etc) so I have ended up with several types of quarter sheets and many blankets. He loves his back on track mesh sheet and draper saddle pads. Massage a few times a week and chiro with acupuncture once a month.
I also do a lot of hill sets and trail rides when the weather is improves. In the winter we do ground poles.
When we are working the minute I feel his back “drop” (not the hollow off the bit type) like his back legs have been left behind we stop and do lots of walk laterals. This is usually when he gets cold and tight in winter.
Pictures hopefully show up that are red at 18 in his Hunter glamour shot and when I bought him at the track at 3.5
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Thank you. He’s 20 now, and is the best horse I will ever own. I lost interest in higher levels than 1st when I couldn’t make time to keep him fit enough for 2nd level work. He can execute lovely changes in perfect balance, though, he finds them so easy. And he’s a TWH… so while he does not trot, his canter and his walks are gorgeous and fluid.
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There is clearly something about this mare and her movement that you like and I do think there are many cases where movement can defy conformation.
My advice would be invest in the trip to go see her. She what it’s like to ride her and how willing she is, how she feels, how she responds if you ask her to move forward in a more dressage way, etc.
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Buy the best horse for the job presented to tou right now. That means the 4 year old average movwr with a great brain. He’ll try his heart put for you and improve his way of going great, and he’s ready to stay worki g for you this coming g year.
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I haven’t read all the replies above, but make sure you know what “moves nicely” actually is. Friesians were bred to look flashy pulling a carriage: quick, high knee action, high head carriage, flowing hair to look impressive - and they are! However, these “pros” are “cons” for dressage. You’d want a horse that could find the opposite of these attributes easy. Make sure you know exactly what you are looking for, otherwise you may do what a LOT of ammies did about 20 years ago and get the wrong horse for the wrong job. Very few Friesiens have success at mid-upper levels, unless ridden by pros and were anomalies to their breed.
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My guy this week at age 21. He’s so long 86/87 blanket, the entire family could ride him at the same time❤️ With good conditioning, I think he’s still a good mover.
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Thank you @sascha, I needed to hear that. I’m about two years in with a horse with exceptionally nice movement, an amazing temperament, and the weakest back and hindquarter I’d ever imagined (he’d been starved for years, plus an actual congenital sway back, so no muscle to work with). He’s making steady progress but it’s taking longer than I expected. It’s hard to not get impatient.
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Hooooow?! My 750 lb 14.2 pony wears a 69!!
He also has a surprisingly short (and low set) neck for a Thoroughbred 
He’s turning into a regular little meatball too!
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“niceness” of movement has nothing to do with ability to do upper level work, you have this backwards. If anything it works against you as a novice upper level rider and against your horse who must learn to control all that thrust and long wavy legs and toes A horse who is a more modest mover will be much more easily taught to site and collect as long as they move straight and evenly. For your purposes the only thing you should care about the movement is that the horse bends and uses all the joints and all the legs go in a straight and correct pattern at each gait.
The ability to sit and collect is seperate from the flashiness of the gaits. You should watch Charlotte DuJardins many videos on youtube on what she sees in young horses. Many “ugly” movers can collect and sit very well, therefore she buys them and makes the trot later. Then horses who should be able to sit due to good angles cannot without pain or claustrophobia or nerves. Or just boredom. a lot of horses find dressage very dull. You wouldn’t buy a malamute to herd sheep, he would run off, eat one then take a nap. You need a border collie for that job.
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I think this is a really good point. OP, you want to look at functional conformation of each horse, not flashiness of the gaits. Read up on Hillary Clayton’s work to learn more about functional conformation and how it impacts a horse’s ability to do its job.
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