Introduction
This selection guide is intended to assist cattle breeders and buyers in selecting quality Belted Galloways. Its use in competitive show situations is also encouraged as a guide for judges. This guide is not intended as a basis for registration, as the Belted Galloway Society already has well-established criteria for breed registration. Statistical information is provided as a benchmark only. Few, if any individual animals will match all the characteristics listed.

Visual Characteristics
Coloration: Cattle can be black, red or dun in color. A complete belt should encircle the midsection of the body, between the front and rear legs. However, the shape of the belt should not be a factor in judging. It is preferred that no other white be visible, though females that exhibit white above the hooves, that does not extend above the dewclaws, can be registered in the Herd Book. Black coated cattle commonly exhibit a brownish tinge to the outer coat, which is acceptable.

Skin and Hair Coat: Skin should be moderately thick. Hair coat should have two layers, a short undercoat covered by a long shaggy coat that protects the animal. Belted Galloways do not require large amounts of back fat for winter warmth, which results in relatively lower winter feed requirements. Hard, wiry hair with no undercoat is objectionable. Clipping and grooming hair for competitive shows is an acceptable practice.

Size:  Cattle should be moderate in size, with both excessive and diminished sizes being objectionable. Balance and conformation should be considered before mature weight.

 Head:  The head should be broad with the poll low and flat (especially bulls). The nostrils should be wide and the eyes large and prominent. The ears should be moderate in length, broad and pointing forward and upward, with a fringe of long hair. The breed is polled, with no evidence of horn or scur development.

Neck:  The neck should be proportionate in length and well attached, fitting smoothly onto the shoulders. Mature bulls may develop some cresting, but this should not be exccessive. Cresting is objectionable in cows. Cows are preferred to be free of excessive or loose skin under their throats and should be slender about their necks.

Forequarters:  The forequarters should exhibit meatiness across the forearm. Shoulders should be moderately sloped, refined and blend smoothly into the rest of the body. The brisket should be moderately well developed, but more so in bulls. The dewlap should be trim and nearly free of loose skin.

Body:  The body should be long sided with a strong and straight top line and underline. The rib cage should be deep and well sprung, into a round chest, not compressed side to side. The rump should be level and the hindquarters should be well muscled. The tail head should blend smoothly into the rump. The animal should appear balanced and proportionally developed throughout.

Hindquarters:  The hindquarters should exhibit meatiness by having good length from hooks to pin bone, from the hook bone to hock and pin bone to stifle. Hindquarter muscling and width should carry well below the stifle.
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