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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Working Dogs from Horseback

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "T'mi Finkle" <tfinkle@erols.com>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Working Dogs from Horseback
  • Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:53:49 -0400

Jonni,

While the concept of working a K-9 from horseback may work in some areas of
the Country, it is not practiced during searches within the Mid-Atlantic
Region. Over the years I have had many meetings with K-9 folk, since this
topic does come up every now and then.

According to my K-9 colleges many of the current K-9 standards need to be
completed/tested by the handler being on foot. Additionally, because a
working dog follows scent, a mounted handler often times ends up focusing on
following the dog, which means they are not searching and certainly not
paying to attention to horse alerts. This in all likelihood would create a
K-9 handler mounted on horseback rather than a Mounted searcher. A K-9
handle may be better off riding one of the new all-terrain Segways, which
would avoid the common prey vs. predator conflict.

Most MSAR equines have an exceptional ability to alert on things that do not
fit into their environment. I hosted a demonstration for fire
department/search team folks in a 300 acres field that was almost 1/2 mile
in length. We showed how a horse will alert on a human presence 1/2 mile
away that was walking 15 feet into the wood line (the human had taken 5
steps when the horse alerted). The spectators could not see the person
until the exercise was over when he then walked into the open field.

In staging areas I have seen horses never take their eyes off a certain dog
while never paying attention to other K-9's, this again could be cause by
lack of trust, or lack of training within the whole predator/prey
consortium.

My mounted team has a few members that teach a short K-9 Meets Equine course
at many of the SAREX or SAR Conferences. The course is designed to reduce
the predator/prey conflict and to keep working animals on task. Over the
past 10 years of teaching this course (to 200+ dogs/handlers), to date we
have not had a dog get kicked or a horse be bitten. The results of the
course have proven to be of great benefit on numerous missions when MSAR and
K-9 teams work bordering task areas. I have a cute picture of 2 MSAR
handlers, 6 K-9's (heal/sit position) and their handlers at one of recent
K-9 Meets Equine classes if you would like a copy.

PS: I did not go into leash laws as Irv covered it rather well.

T'mi
www.trotsar.org

-----Original Message----- On Behalf Of JONNI JOYCE

Subject: [MSAR] Working Dogs from Horseback

I would like to know if any list members are working air scenting
search dogs from horseback or know of any dog handlers who search via
horseback.

Any information on the pros and cons would be appreciated.

You may contact me in private as well at jonnijoyce@wildblue.net

Jonni Joyce





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