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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] desensing clinics

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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] desensing clinics
  • Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:47:17 -0500

Our Mounted Team supports its members to attend desensitizing clinics, as
well as judged trail rides or other challenging classes. It is impossible
for a horse to become totally un-responsive after attending a single clinic.
I have been to one of Police Horse Clinics and a few months afterwards, my
horse still does not like 5 foot diameter balls, but will approach one with
my gentle cues.

Our mounted team deploys to about a dozen (or so) times a year for MSAR
missions. Our missions have taken team members from city well within
limits, to active train yards, to working warehouse districts and into 500
square mile wilderness areas and vast farming areas. While I agree 100%
that a MSAR mount needs to remain alert (not dead), I also advocate a MSAR
have trust in its rider (or its human). Exposing an MSAR team (meaning
horse and its human) to clinics and exposing them to other (out of the norm)
situations in a non-search environment is an excellent way to build
confidence in a horse and rider foundation. The secret to training a good
MSAR horse is to time spent in the saddle in a variety of riding
environments; talking about it, watching it on TV or having someone else
ride your mount will simply not make the grade.

>From a personal observation; desensitizing clinics and such help the rider,
more than they help the horse. Human fear is always transferred to the
horse, which targets a flight reaction in the mount; rarely does the reverse
happen to a MSAR horse and its rider that spends time together in the fields
and woodlands. Bottom line remains, if you want a good MSAR mount you must
be devoted to spending time on your mount within a variety of conditions and
environments.

T'mi
www.trotsar.org

You can also follow the TROTSAR Mounted Team on Facebook



-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of IRVIN
LICHTENSTEIN
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Hello, MSAR

A desensitized horse is a dead horse. All our riding is in public areas
populated by ignorant dog walkers, bike riders who don't know what paved
means, and even off roaders in prohibited areas. Add in a few coyotes, a
migrating bear, and hunters/poachers and you can see why we don't advocate
desensing clinics.

At least two riders whose horses went to "police school" were thrown when
their horses were panicked by loose dogs, dogs who now had an easier target
on the ground.

If your horse is unrideable on the tail he is not a search horse. He will
never be trained to the point where you can trust him.

Irv Lichtenstein





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