Someone once told me you can best evaluate a young horse at 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years old. I assume she meant that in between you get a lot of weird growth, that might make you think the horse is not well proportioned. It might just be folklore, too, who knows! Has anyone heard of that?

On another note I've seen young horses of several different breeds at presentations, and you can clearly see a foal or youngster who has the stride and suspension for dressage, or the presence, high head carriage and fancy movement for saddleseat. I've seen well-balanced, well-bred warmblood foals do one-time changes down the pasture while playing. If they have that balance, skeletal structure and coordination as a baby, you'll be able to school it easily enough under saddle when they are grown, I would think.