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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Karen Nesbitt <spanishequines@yahoo.com>
  • To: MSAR <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [MSAR] Fitness...
  • Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2010 13:01:38 -0700 (PDT)

RESPONDING TO:

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 11:45:45 +0800
From: "David leadbetter" <dleadbetter1@aapt.net.au>
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Fitness Requirements for MSAR Unit Members
To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <30DC74EA7EB04781AAE403AB258F4E5E@useraf2125ae48>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
    reply-type=original

Irv's comments interested me
Our unit has about 30 members,including ground staff.
95% are female.
7 of us are 55+[ we boast two grandma's].
probably another ten would be over 40.
The balance vary,the youngest being about 18.
Some of us have various issues with backs,knees etc.On the whole we are all
Quite fit as is the way with most horsey people.
HOWEVER if in depth medicals were required I do not doubt half of us would
flunk.I myself have a very bad knee and can not run to save myself, I also
have one or two  tummy problems.
my own problems in no way prevent me from riding or performing my duties
within our unit.

cheers

Linda L
SES mounted Section
Western Australia
 
----------------------------------->>>
 
The shear irony of this conversation... we will allow an old deaf or blind horse to be a search member and yet that old blind or deaf horse could have a heart attack too at any time....hence a rider could go down too and at any time.
 
...I agree with Irv in that you will lose a lot of members if imposed physical medical rules apply.  And you will lose a lot of important experience.
 
How does one draw the line?   If medical conditions are known and a person is still able to perform does that make the performance safer?  The obvious answer would be yes.  BUt what does it do as far as risk?
 
Health issues are one of the biggest factors why so many people are out of work.
 
I myself have a bad knee and bad knees propose a mirad of other health issues from back to neck to other limb problems simply because your body is out of line and because of progressive degenerative arthritis, I park in the handicap zone, however, it does not stop me for doing many duties to which I am perfectly capable of nor does it stop me from riding nor does a mirad of other things in life stop me from doing what I feel is important and that I am capable of.  Infact my doctors have insisted I continue to ride and push myself in riding and particularily in its therapuetic value, risk and all.
On the scope of things and another for instance, pain elevates Bps. But does that make you a candidate for a heart failure?  Infection can elevate Bps...fever can elevate Bp's... stress can elevate Bps, so can being subject to heat or cold and you could take your  blood pressure 3 times in a row and not have the same reading twice.
 
Professional drivers who carry CDLs are sidelined if BP's are over 140.  A driver on BP medication can still drive even with a medicated controlled BP by DOT standards.
Just because one has issues in that regard one cannot predict when one will have a heart attack, or cancer or injury or many other issues. 
 
Fainting in itself can be indicative of many miladys.  Question is which one.  Heat stroke,
exhaustion, cancer, a cold?
 
We are dealing with horses here and people and an injury or health issue could arise at any time and no matter how presumed healthy the entire team is.
 
The problem is risk and insurance companies imposing limitations.. The risk becomes a stockholders baby.  Things get too complicated and the bottomline is>>>  you will sacfrice a lot of experience when it gets down to health.   Not all of us like to be teathered to a desk And not all of us can be.
 
        Karen
 
 
 



  • [MSAR] Fitness..., Karen Nesbitt, 04/02/2010

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