Obviously, I would take a grey
When I got Emi at age 12, I thought that the fact that she did not exhibit melanomas was promising. She has a few small ones now at 16.
Interesting how the west coasters find the hard-keepers a challenge. Here in the SE and especially lush Tennessee, I would be much more concerned about the easy keepers, as it is great to have a horse that I don't have to dry lot and muzzle all of the time. The extra care in the south to dry lot/muzzle can even cost as much as extra feed.
Tsavo, I know your ideal is a Clyde-x rather than any kind of draft, but regardless, do pay attention to PSSM symptoms as it is a condition all over drafts and frankly just across many breeds. I do think it is a bit of a disease of contemporary horse management (too much high sugar feed; not enough turnout/movement)---but clearly some individual are more prone to suffering from this condition. I have known more than a few TBs with PSSM, too, and alas it does show up in WBs also. You might not choose to test, but you can do some investigation that can give you clues such as:
-What kind of work schedule does the horse thrive on? (if the horse is out of work, you will not know)
-What weather suits the horse best? (many PSSM horses struggle in cold/damp conditions)
-How does the horse do when kept in a stall 24 hours (due to weather or injury) occasionally?
-How much turnout/graze works well for the horse? (some PSSM horses cannot have much graze; others benefit from constant turn-out)
-What diet is the horse on? Any changes in diet in the last year and what difference did it make to the horse?
Basically, mild PSSM can be manageable with the right care situation, but without it or due to inattention, it can be heartbreaking for horse + owner. When I bought my horse, her seller was not aware of my mare's PSSM. The only clue she shared was that the horse seemed to do better physically with a very regular work schedule (it was not a case of being high or crazy after days off). Now when I hear that sort of comment it would trigger my awareness differently.
And another shallow note:
Much as I love white snipes and stripes on the nose, here in the south they are very prone to sunburn.