I am going to give an outline of what I look for in a barrel racing prospect.  We all have different likes and dislikes in age, size, color, sex, breeding, and personalities for the horse we would pick to start for a barrel horse. 

Age:  I prefer to purchase 3 year olds that have been handled enough so that the previous owner can give me some idea of the horses personality and willingness to work. The reason I buy 3 year olds is because I do not have room at my place to keep any  extra horses around.  By buying a 3 year old they are ready to go do some work and for me to see what they will be like to go on with.   Most of my last prospects have come from the race track.  My main reason for shopping the race track  is that  there is a lot of 3 year olds for sale and they are being worked with so you can get an idea of the mind set that they have. 

Personality:  What I mean by personality is I look for a more secure horse.  If they need a companion in the barn with them, are they a stall weaver, will they run you over to get where they want to be?  These are all things that I do not like to start out with.   For all I know the best horse is one with  a problem but I know what  I like to deal with and so I like to match my personality to theirs some what. 

Soundness:  I will do my own exam as best I can and ask the owner/ trainer for any complications or prior injuries to the horse.  What injections has it had?  Look for obvious bumps and or scars.  They all usually have some sort of a blemish but it is best to be aware of them.  If you can research if the horse has had to be laid off and miss races do to injuries helps also.  Also ask about  EIPH.  It will be stamped on the papers if the horse has run on Lasix. 

Sex:  I prefer geldings because of my personal experience.  They seem to be easier to get along with , less temperamental , and more marketable for resale.  

Breeding:  Breeding  on a horse is always a plus but that does not mean that I will not give that underdog  a chance.  I have purchased a lot of horses that  do not have a special breeding and they have been some of my better horses in the end.  I some times feel that when we buy a horse bred to the hilt to do the job that we just expect it to work out.  I do like to stick to one breeding if I find some I like and the line is available.  As I said before though this does not mean they will all turn out.  I have started a lot  of colts out of the same dam and sire and they all had  very different personalities.  When I think   back I have to  smile at all the different size , color, and personality there were in the same breed.  

Speed Index-SI:  When buying off  of the track naturally the speed index is one bit of info you have on the horse to state how fast they were at that job.  I do not go for the one with the highest SI unless it is the horse that is the one that I feel is the best buy with all other credentials.  Some horses with a slower SI are just as good of horses but they just did not fit in at that job for some reason.  Look into what the reasons were and consider the pressure the horse is under. 

Size:  I prefer a horse that is 15 HH to 15’3 HH.  This is just a preference size and I will look at all the horses that they show me.   

Confirmation: When I look at a colt to start on barrels I stated I prefer 15 to 15'2 HH. I like a shorter back and I like the hocks to be set under them nicely so they seem to be natural on using the hind quarters. I like a medium muscle build on a horse, and a nice long neck. Again I state what I like but that does not mean all shapes will not get the job done. 

Color:  I look at any color. 

Colts not on the track:  Weather or not I am buying off the track or from a home setting I treat it the same.  The only thing is with horses you will look at in a home setting are a lot of times not being used.  I do like them broke even if it is just to ride around.   

Best Advice:  The best advice I can offer is to do a back round check as best you can on the horses.  Ask other people if they have seen the horse in question.  If there is a red flag some where it should surface so you can check it out.  When looking for a barrel prospect, you need to know what you like in a horse and look for that.  There are a lot of horses out there for sale and buying can be no fun but if you keep all things in mind of what you yourself want in a horse it really helps.  No one can say for sure which horse is the next world champion but it could just be the one you buy!