Hi Was invited here as I own Catch a Bird

[brumbyjil]

hi,

Not sure what I am to say but I have Catch a Bird who is now 24yrs old and in excellent health. I ride him occassionally still when he is not being an old sod.


here are a couple of pics of him taken in the last couple of mths. Its still winter here.


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and this one was taken last november at a AAA show.


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cheers


Naomi[/img]

[skeenan]

Naomi,
He looks wonderful!!

He is such a looker... I'm actually reading a fictional series whose main two characters are both brindled horses. Riding Lessons and Flying Changes by Sara Gruen.

Glad you could share an update with us!
Thanks for posting your photos!

[brumbyjil]

well that is cool actually i was contacted ages about by someone writing a book and they wanted to use Baron (that is what i call him) in the book and i sent pics not sure what happened after that


cheers

Naomi

[summerhorse]

Thanks for joining! We are so interested in Catch a Bird.

[LSB]

Welcome! Catch A Bird looks wonderful for his age.

[SpecialEffects]

How neat seeing recent pictures of him. I love the last one... he just simply looks like he's having fun. You both do.

Just curious... has he ever passed on the brindle colouring to any offspring?

Thanks for posting pictures and welcome!

[wymanda]

Hi Naomi,
He looks wonderful!!!
Glad to see he is enjoying himself. Is that a lady friend he has with him?

I will repost the pictures I have of Baron & his coloured daughters in the next few days.

Bev Hughes

[Nessa]

Thanks for the new information about Baron, he has many fans in this country. Any and all news about him and any offspring would be much appreciated, as his genetic makeup is so fascinating. Thanks again and come back and regale us with tales of the Baron.

[Jorge]

Brumbyjil,

Congratulations. Very glad to read again about Catch A Bird. Thanks also for the fine courtesy of posting his newest pictures.

This horse is a very special case. His phenotypically-proven potential to produce and thus re-introduce into the Thoroughbred breed what seems to be the genuine Roan ("R" gene) colour is close to a miracle.
In addition to this ability, his brindle coat colour is another rarity. In synthesis, Catch A Bird is a Blessing.

In my humble opinion, the most important phenotypical breeding objective with him should be to try to reproduce and preserve the genuine Roan ("R" gene) colour he seems able to produce. I once consulted a reknown connoisseur on how to try to mate Catch A Bird in order to reproduce said roan color and according to that opinion Catch A Bird should be mated with dark bays or black mares with no white markings at all. That seems to be the way to go, but this is only a very personal opinion and nothing more.

On the other hand according to a very recent link I posted on another Catch-A-Bird-topic here, there is a granddaughter of him named LILAC HILL, who seems to be genuine roan too.

I sincerely wish and hope that Catch A Bird's roan producing legacy may be preserved in a prolific manner before his breeding abilities and other attributes are gone. Would really like to see him siring a genuine roan horse with sire potential.

Blessings,

[brumbyjil]

hi and thanks for your comments.

Baron's story isnt a great one since I rescued him from a sad state. He was living in a small muddy yard no shelter no rug and was severely depressed and apparently had been living in that same place and expected to serve mares for more than 4yrs.


When I took him I just had to give him a better life. I didnt care about his colour to be honest I had never heard of him before. I just saw a sad old stallion that was apparently sterile and life didnt look good for him.



I have had him just over 2 yrs and by the pics you can see that he is thriving. I started riding him after him not being riden for 16yrs and turned him into a basic level anything horse. I took him in a low level Adult rider one day event and had it taped and he really is an old goose to ride doesnt like standing still but loves popping over small jumps.
I also carted him 9hrs in a horse float to Canberra late last yr to compete in a major show. I think more people showed up to look at him than other horses..

Honestly the whole genetics thing doesnt interest me as its about who he is not what he looks like. yes he is exceptional in colour but at the end of the day he is just my old fool of a stallion.

I have not had any progeny from him and dont know if that will ever happen. One of the problems is that the person I got him off made me sign paperwork to get him off the property which i didnt agree with but seemed to have no choice if i was to take him and part of that they thought they could just walk in and take any progeny that has his colour even though publically they stated he was sterile. And his condition wouldnt have helped with that. I was quite annoyed that because she didnt succeed that she thought she could just take what I had spent alot of money in basic horse care. I dont know if that would stand up in court or not but again I didnt take him on because of him being Catch a Bird. I took him on because he became my mate Baron.

It would be nice to know that some of his previous nice owners in Western australia managed to set up a genetic situation of his colour though



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this pic was taken the day after I got him in winter after i had washed of mths of sticky clay mud.

cheers

naomi[/img]

[SpecialEffects]

That last picture just makes me want to cry. I will never understand how anyone can do that to an animal. If you cant or don't want to take care of them, get them to someone that does. Thank God for you finding him. And what a shame about the unreasonable condition of his rescue. I know I would love to have a little Baron running around, the pitter patter of four little feet in the barn, people ooohhhing and aahhhing..... We won't go into how far away you are, a girl needs her dreams.

I hope we don't drive you bonkers but he does have a fan club and it looks like you're stuck with us. Thanks again for posting the recent pics. It's just great to see how he's doing.

[brumbyjil]

hahahha,

I'm ok with it all I think I'm a rather large fan of the old fool except the other day when i walked for 2.5kms trying to get on him as he wouldnt stand still!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think our spring grass has started. Mind you have to admit that I would like my old mare that is in with him to be pregnant but she just isnt allowed to have a coloured foal that way no one can take it as there was nothing said about a foal of his having a foal that was coloured haha but he is content and so is she.

cheers

naomi

[brumbyjil]

just thought i would add this rather argumentive pic

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i found this pic that was sent to me of him as a baby

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cheers

Naomi[/img]

[brumbyjil]

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hope it worked this time

cheers

naomi[/img]

[wymanda]

I've posted these pic's before but just to refresh everyone's memory.....

The first was taken at Ascot Racecourse here in Perth when he was 3 or 4 years old. The second was taken at the Karaka Sales in New Zealand when he was offered, and sold to Laurie Connell as a yearling.