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Flying Pouters |
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The
1st four pictures below are all of Jimmy D'oliers loft crate in Inverness.
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Pigeon
loft in MacEwan Drive
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A
capture on the road
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Inside
view of roof crate
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Pens
for flying stock
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| I am
writing this article to explain and establish what the Horseman pigeon
is all about and what they should look like. You can refer to the gallery
HERE for examples of Horseman Pouters Having shown Horseman for the past six years and also flown birds around Glasgow for over 30 years, I think it gives me some right to establish the bird and I would gladly welcome any sensible disagreeing correspondent. I have read everything I can find on Blowers and what I find is that the German and Dutch Croppers appear to be in the forefront of the Blowers and man's crossbreeding over the years has produced all shapes and sizes, the most prominent breeds debatably being the Norwich Cropper. Silesian, Stieger and Thuringian Cropper will also give you similar results. I now believe crossing back from Norwich through Homer and Dragoon give you a start to your Scottish Horseman. Those breeds all have distant connections with the Horseman. We need a strong, flying bird with homing instinct which we get from the Homer and Dragoon. Shape and size will gradually evolve with lots of patience and correct crossing between these birds. Training is a main factor with the bred and what method is better than the Homer racing style, basket training. I suggest gradually up to two or three miles radius will be sufficient for the sport and keep your birds fit and health. The doomen of the cities don't go to this extreme, but I believe it would make the flying game much more interesting and you would get a lot more birds home after being captured by opponents. I have put hundreds of birds into the cities for the sport, most of which have been ringed. Most doomen are too impatient and do not give young birds a chance by flying them solo too early, even when ringed. I believe birds do not mature properly for the sport till after their second moult, around 18 months (there are odd exceptions). Pairing is important. Putting old cocks to young hens and young cocks to old hens initially helps the training, after which young birds can then be returned to mates of their own age and left to mature together. So ringing is important to establish age of your birds. Continuous talking to your young birds in separate pens is a must, so they become your pets first, before the initial mating and they will respond better when called to your loft. Most important of all is feeding -- a clean bean mixture, clean water daily, quality grit and mineral block are all essential for successful breeding and health birds. I know that size does not matter to some doomen and it makes no odds to the pigeon's ability to fly in the sport; that is where the controversy is because almost a dozen flying breeds can be trained in the sport of the Horseman Thief Pouter. It is my biggest regret to watch people flying small, inferior birds. I know it would be difficult to define a minimum standard. One answer would be to organise area clubs with rules in flying and sizes, which a few districts are already attempting. They then could possibly eliminate undersized and inferior birds (use them as sitters). best of luck! We have just about established a standard in the show scene, which in my opinion differs none from all breeds of pigeons. All have been refined over the years in size and shape. They have all changed slightly, new colours have evolved through intensive crossbreeding. That is what it is all about. The continued search for perfection. We all do it. We have to experiment or forget it. There have also got to be the arguments to keep the game alive. We all criticise at some time or another and I will say that the Horseman gets its fair share so I am therefore putting my views in writing and can assure everyone my birds are used workers around the cities. |
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Billy
Ferguson's pigeon loft
in Maryhill, Queens Cross (A typical pigeon cabin) |
Front
view, Billy's cabin
after a capture. |
Looking
out from the
inside of Billy's cabin. |
Example
of a collapsible / guillotine hood with a bonnie dyed hen courtesy of
wee Eck from Leith.
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General
Appearance
The Fancy Pigeon Standard Book is not far away in concept: Unfortunately it does not match the drawing. Here are a few additional points. |
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Height: Feet to head, approximately 9-10 inches. Faults - too tall and upright. |
Eyes : Red, orange or homer eyed, alert. Faults - odd eyes or bull eyes. |
| Body: Strong and firm (Racing Homer). Faults - skinny and too prominent keel. |
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| Feather: Strong and hard in good flying condition. Faults - stringy, dull and dirty feathers | Wing: Approximately 3/4 inch from tip to tail. Faults - long flights and crossed flights |
| Colour: Must be self coloured, tiger or grizzle accepted. Faults - odd eyes or bull eyes | Legs: Strong and proportioned with body. No feathers below hocks. Faults - too long, knock-kneed and feathered legs |
| Crop: Well sprung from the waist, always in control. Faults - over blown and distorted crop (disqualifies) | Head:
Oval and neat, beak resting comfortably on crop |
| Beak: Generous wattle, medium length, dark in colour (fleshy in dilutes) | Nature: Very responsive to chat |
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Ian Luke's roof crate |
Ian Luke's garden loft |
Tam
Phillip's windowbox in Leith with barrelhood |
Tam
Phillip's windowbox
top of tenement building. |
Click on any of the photographs above for a larger picture |