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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Horsemanship and such / Mounted SAR to include ATV?

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Horsemanship and such / Mounted SAR to include ATV?
  • Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 18:38:53 -0700

In a potentially hostile environment one of the first rules of mounted self defense is to discourage people from getting close to you and your mount. I should mention that "Gee, you'd better back up because my horse is scared" - while you calmly control the lateral, etc., movements of that horse to "herd" people away from you - works well in many situations to discourage people on the ground from crowding that moving large horse. But you do need the appropriate riding skills and the horse needs appropriate training and desensitization to stay focused on the rider's cues in the more stressful environment. ;)

Defensive riding training is something I'd recommend for Urban MSAR standards, but it sounds like in your area it is something you (Irv) should consider for your MSAR team to increase the level of safety for horse and rider. Or send out a uniformed Mounted Officer with each MSAR team. ;-/

-Jorene

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
From: "irvin lichtenstein" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
[...]
You cannot desensitize a mount to being hit, or bitten by a dog, or having
his rider grabbed so as to pull from the saddle. These are assaults and
require evasion and active defense. The horsemanship aspect is not
avoiding
some idiot striking out at you, it is recovering afterward.

Actually, there is training very well suited for the kind of environment you
apparently ride in. For example, someone attempting to attack the rider or
horse is likely to back off if the horse is - under the direction of the
rider - moving into the space of the nearby attacker. (Sidepass, pivot on
the fore or hind, etc.) The attacker must retreat or get stepped on /
knocked over by the horse. With your size XL horse you have an even better
advantage if you know how to perform the maneuvers, because sheer size will
intimidate. And if someone appears to be intent on pulling a rider from the
saddle there are defensive maneuvers from the saddle to repel the attacker.

Ask any experienced Mounted Police officer with mounted riot control
training about defensive riding techniques, then find a local source for
training. Also learn the legal aspects of self defense while mounted. This
does require additional training for both horse and rider. Desensitization
and better horsemanship skills are required - more than what you'd normally
find in MSAR.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare Co SAR - Hasty Team ICP Team
www.ceoates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT
www.tk-cert.org






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