Retraining an older (14 yr.old) TB in dressage

Question
I found a horse in my price range whom I've fallen in love with. He's a 14 year old TB. As far as I know, he's mainly been ridden over jumps, as well as trails. I personally am not a very experienced rider; I'm still a beginner working on mastering the posting trot. I would really like to pursue BOTH dressage and jumping, and I would really like to get this horse. My question (which is what has me awake at this hour) is: is it possible to start schooling in dressage in lessons with him, or would I ahve to put him in a couple of months of stright professional dressage training by himself, or is this not really posssible, or...? I don't KNOW if he's ever done anything besides jumping, but it's seriously worrying me. And I can't evaluate whether he has enough "bend" and impulsion and whatnot. HELP!!!

Answer
Dear Jennifer,
You are wise to be listening to your head once your heart has been captured. The simple answer is that you can begin to school dressage with any horse at any age. What you don't address here are some bigger underlying questions.
As a horse that has principally been used as a jumper- does he have the attitude that will make him a good candidate for dressage? Does he have the conformation for dressage? At 14 with no dressage experience- you will need to have realistic goals for what level the two of you would be likely to achieve. Finally- and this is the BIG one- has he passes a pre-purchase vet check WITH X-Rays? Jumping can be VERY hard on a horse's physiology and his soundness and attitude would be my big questions for considering this horse as a prospect. Also- not a bad idea to have a skilled dressage rider come in and ride him for you prior to purchase and give you an educated opinion of his potential. Given the current state of the economy- many sellers might even consider letting you have him for a month trial.
Best wishes,
I hope he works our for you.
S. Evans