I have not owned or worked with a Vanner specifically (they are of very recent origin as a commercial breed) but I have worked quite a lot with horses of all descriptions in many places for most of 45 years, and I would say this:
Whoa, what a great marketing scheme this Gypsy Vanner thing is
Take "mutt" horses from across an ocean, import some here and invent a registry, price them up to the point where people think they MUST be special and valuable, and you've got 10+ years of economic security in front of ya
Look, they are perfectly nice horses and all that, assuming you like draft types (I do, a lot); but you don't RIDE hair or paint-job, and they are nothing really different or more special than bazillions of other similar draft type horses, papered or un-. So unless you have a large amount of money that is troubling you and really need to find a way of conveniently disposing of it, I honestly do not see what the big deal is, other than they are paint and long-hair-y.
I know "mutt" draft crosses, domestically produced and bought for less than $2000 (would probably be a lot less in current economy) who are, no foolin', INDISTINGUISHABLE from papered Gypsy Vanners. Heck, the original things in their homeland are just draftX mutts, it is not like they have a long line of pure breeding behind 'em or anything like that.
So if you like that type of horse, I would urge you to consider things more broadmindedly than the currently trendy/spendy breed label. You can find something you like just as much for a whole lot less, if you are smart
As far as your "I was thinking they are not as fragile as other breeds because they are heavier boned"... well. It depends. Drafts and heavier-type draft crosses are NOT actually as sound under fast or jumping work as lighter horses are, because although the bones are larger they are not AS MUCH larger as the extra forces applied by the heavier bodyweight. So although drafts and draftX's typically jump well, and are commonly used as field hunters etc in Britain and Ireland, they do not hold up under that kind of work for long, unfortunately, compared to well-chosen lighter-breed horses.
I am not sure what other kind of "fragile" you are thinking of, as horses are not actually particularly fragile (not even lighter-boned ones)... although I would say that because drafts and draftX's typically have sensible temperaments, except some US-bred lines that have been bred for snorty high-gaited show/hitch performance, they do tend to be a bit less apt to do stupid things to themselves as compared to, say, 2 yr old TBs
They WILL tend to just walk through a fence or sit on a wall and knock it down, though, and as riding or work horses you have to appreciate their temperament. The draft temperament tends to lean more towards "going somewhere fairly slowly but inexorably, no matter what you are trying to do to stop them", and I have been trotted through a lot of briar patches over the years by half-drafts <g>
I would very, very, VERY strongly urge you to choose a horse, or a breed/type of horse to be shopping for, based on considerable personal experience with those types of horse, and not get hung up on breed names or purebred-vs-not at all. Remember you do not ride *hair*, and "a good horse is never a bad color"
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
