[MSAR] Overnight activities
Paul
sbred at bigpond.com
Mon Jul 2 11:19:48 EDT 2007
We have state wide responsibility so if our search tem is called out, there
is a fair chance it could be at least one overnighter. We erect a portable
yard with "hot wire" and all the horses are thrown in there. The area has
to be lit when the horses first go in, so they can be observed. Lights are
turned out when the last member of the unit goes to bed. We carry our own
lighting and generator in the field truck for this. I have also insisted on
every occasion to have two members of the mounted team stay with the horses.
This is what we call a night watch. These people are there just in case,
and pull shifts of four hours. The night watch commences when the horses
are put in the yard. On one occasion, I succumbed to the pressure of the
girls on the team who didn't want to do the night shift. This included my
more experienced riders. Their argument was nothing ever happens. The
horses have been paddocked together before, we ride together etc so I gave
in. At about 2.00 a.m. there was an almighty crash, horses screaming and
thundering hooves. Three horses bolted down the local creek bed (that was
dry) whilst others went crashing around the camp site. It appears two of
the horses got cranky with each other, so there was chasing and kicking, and
eventually, one kick hit a box that was near the electric fence and porta
unit. The box went flying into the porta unit, knocking it over. This
stirred up the rest of the horses and they just wrecked the fence line.
Luckily it wasn't too hard to get all the horses back. So now it is
mandatory that there will be a night watch when horses are yarded together
over night. I've told them this is not negotiable any more and I would
suggest to anyone that yards numerous horses that normally don't paddock
together to have a night watch.
Best Regards
Paul Kearney
Training Officer
Kapunda S.E.S. Mounted Team
Paul Kearney
The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.
~ Arabian Proverb
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