Firstly, I must emphasise that the saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" certainly holds sway in this subject. In fact, yearling selection is very subjective and we all see horses differently. Fortunately, my eyesight must be reasonable as I have been quite lucky choosing yearlings at auction.

Secondly, I base my selection of yearlings by looking at all of them individually so that I can compare "apples against apples." It is hard work during the yearling sales time as this means I look at almost 4000 yearlings in a five month period and there are no short cuts. You have to do the hard yards to buy on type rather than pedigree.

So, what does one look for? Athleticism, attitude, balance, conformation defects, movement and style are my main criteria. One pretty much follows the other to provide the complete package.

Be observant. What type of attitude does the yearling have at first glance? Look at its ears and eyes, its demeanour with the handler. Is it laidback and relaxed or uptight and on its toes? Does it have a big, bright genuine eye? Is it positive or negative? Remember, someone is going to have to train it.

Have the horse stood in front of you from a side-on angle. Start at the head again and work backwards. Does the horse have balance from this view? Are the length of its rein, back and hindquarters in proportion? Does the depth of its girth match the depth of leg?

Does it have good length in the forearm and gaskin areas (this is a measure of possible length of stride). Is it back or straight through the knee? What is the angle and length of the pastern? Too upright can also be a cause of jarring on hard tracks, too long can cause suspensory and tendon problems.

Does it have a straight hind leg from the hock to the fetlock or is it sickle-hocked? Make sure the handler stands the horse correctly so you can note these points.

Does it have full rounded hinquarters (this would normally be a sprinter) or flat, long hindquarters?

Now go to the front of the horse and look at it from that position, head on. Once again, go to the head. Does it have a full eye? Is there width between the eyes? Is it generally broad or narrow. Are the nostrils full or pinched in?

Now down to the chest. Is the horse narrow or wide-chested? Wide or pidgeon chested horses often develop shoulder problems on firm tracks. Are the knees truly set or are they set inwardly or outwardly? Are the fetlock (ankle joints) tight or are they apple shaped and rounded? Do the pasterns point straight ahead or are they turning out like Charlie Chaplin? Or are they pigeon-toed (turning in)?

Like tyres on a car, the hooves are what touches the ground so they need to be in good shape. Are they evenly grown? Are they too small or too large? Is there a hint of a clubbed foot?

Now, go around the back of the horse and take in the rear view. Are the hindquarters even or does one seem less developed than the other, which could mean an earlier back injury? Are they shaped like a tent or are they full and round? Are the hocks set apart or do they invert towards each other which is normally a sign of weakness and immaturity?

Have the horse walk away from you for at least 20 metres, and watch what the front legs are doing from the knee down. Are they going through straight or is there deviation? Same with the hind legs. Are the hocks strong or are they floppy? Are the hind footmarks landing inside or outside the front footmarks or on line?

Watch the horse come back towards you. Look at its head carriage, its demeanour, the attitude. Observe the front legs. Is the leg coming through straight from the knee or popping out at the knee? Does the horse have a clean action or are the legs rotating and "swimming" (normally in need of wet tracks)?

Now watch the horse walk again, this time from the side view. Look at the head again. How is the horse reacting? Once again attitude and head carriage. Does its head flow with its natural walking rhythm? What about the walk? Does it extend in front or shuffle along, is there noticeable high knee action (if it's there at a walk it's almost certainly there at a gallop)? How slack are the pasterns and how much strain are they putting on the suspensory ligaments?

Does the horse bring its hind legs through and overstep the front hoof marks? Do the hocks look strong or weak and wobbly from the side? There's an old adage that "if they can't walk, they can't run" and. while this is not true all of the time, take good note of the walk as it will tell you plenty about a horse's potential gait.

Have the horse stood up again for a side-on view. Approach its head and give it a pat. How did it react? Run your hand over its mouth. Do its teeth meet or is the mouth undershot? Put your fist in its jowls. Is there plenty of width there? There should be. Look at its ears. Are they long and slender (most good fillies have this quality) or are they short comparative to the rest of the head (I dislike short, piggy ears)?

Stand back again and take in the overall picture. Think about everything you have noted. Does this horse fit into the square, your square? You might really like the horse but think that it has questionable pastern length. Is it top heavy, or is it more refined and lighter on top. Maybe it will get away with it? Make your notes and make a decision. Does it make the second-look group or do I reject it now?

Of course, all of this comes with experience and I am learning all of the time. All I can say is train your eye and probably the best place to do it is at the races not the sales arena. Watch the winners come back to scale and sneak down to the stables and look at them afterwards.

Develop your own picture of what you see and what you like and dislike. But remember, they come in all shapes and sizes. Most share one attribute, they have balance for what they are.

Good hunting!