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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc

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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] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc
  • Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:33:58 -0700

Title: Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc

Sherrel, I'm guessing you're interested in the air scenting horse training. www.airscentinghorse.com  Yes, it works. I know riders who have taken Terry's training and use the skills. I've seen it applied in person, although that was actually a test for 2 horses doing HRD certification testing designed for dogs. Both horses passed the test first attempt (well within the time limit), including the yearling miniature horse, following the scent cone in to the source. I was expecting to see success, and I did, because the equine olfactory senses are similar to a dog's. And similar to a dog, the horse learns through repetition.

 

Consider that generations of working ranch horses have learned (by repetition) that the rider is looking for cattle. Those working ranch horses end up also looking for cattle and alerting their rider. Terry - he's a professional horse trainer and also a prior SAR dog handler - took the next step and asked the horse to focus on a different scent. Essentially, like a dog, the horse can be trained to be scent-specific regarding what to seek and alert on ... for humans in the area, human remains detection, narcotics, etc.

 

Someone who knows horses well and knows how to train a search dog should be able to accomplish this kind of training, but Terry is the person who opened this door for MSAR and law enforcement application. Horses will naturally alert, but training that is scent-specific is the next step. A horse's nose can touch the ground and reach high in the air, and with the right training can be trained to use a combination of trailing, air scenting, and other senses to follow a specific human's scent and locate. After all, horses will do just that in the wild ... following the scent to locate others in the herd that are no longer in sight.

 

Horses and dogs can be very good at partnering during an incident, because the strategy is based on the different strengths / weaknesses of that animal as a searcher. Sometimes it is wiser to send a dog out, and other times a horse, sometimes both. Very complimentary. So I recommend that local MSAR partner with local SAR Dog handlers for training, to the benefit of both. Even with that basic repetition the horse will quickly get the idea you're looking for a human, much like the ranch horse looks for cattle.

 

Also consider while the dog is smaller, much more "portable", and can get places the larger horse can't,  the horse can be trained from a young age and has a working life expectancy about 3 times longer  than a working SAR dog. I can see the smaller and more "portable" miniature horse being trained as a larger "SAR Dog" with a longer life expectancy, with the disadvantage of not being able to ride him.

 

In the future of MSAR, I can see a stronger emphasis on the horse as a search partner and more riders on horses who - at minimum - are like the ranch horse, but looking for a human instead of cattle. Of course, incident management needs to be aware of the capabilities and know how to effectively use the mounted resource. Many in management still perceive the horse primarily as transportation, not as a search partner with unique effective capabilities.

 

I think you might find some interesting reading on my web pages, with PDF copies of various published articles I wrote specific to more effective use of the mounted resource. One article was regarding the horse as a search partner.  www.ceoates.com/msar

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jorene Downs

SAR, CERT, Emergency Communications

Mounted SAR

http://www.ceoates.com/msar

KJ6JCD

 

From: sleininger@myfrontiermail.com
Wow Thanks Jorene

This is very interesting!! 

Has anyone taken any of his classes?  If so what did you think of him? 

Sherrel


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>

From: sleininger@myfrontiermail.com
I have been asked to track with my dog from horseback.  Does anyone have any suggestions/tips for tracking this way?  I have not tried it yet so I am wide open for any help.
Sherrel

==============

Your question makes me assume you are a handler with a tracking / trailing dog.  You have some excellent opportunity, Sherrel! Riders have been working dogs from the saddle for many generations for hunting, working livestock, tracking fugitives, etc. And there are plenty of backcountry riders who have a dog travel with them, staying close and remaining under control of the rider.

 

A few thoughts to consider ...

 

* I'd see this as MSAR in combination with SAR Dog, requiring being qualified in both. (Already trained as a searcher you'd need to demonstrate riding skills on that reliable horse in various challenging environments, etc. This is primarily a safety issue.)

* The involved horses, dogs and humans must all be very comfortable with each other.

* If you can successfully work your dog off leash, you won't be as concerned about avoiding terrain and environment where a long leash might get tangled.

* You can move more quickly riding than hiking. Your human search partner(s) should also be riding (MSAR-trained) since you'll be able to move faster.

* There are situations where you may need to dismount, leave the horse and follow the dog. Be prepared and equipped.

* There may be times when it would be very advantageous to give your dog a ride on the horse. (Returning with tired / injured dog, some water crossings, etc.) Plan ahead with training.

* Consider the basics of air scent theory, with scent rising with heat and lowering when cooler, then consider the height of the dog's nose and the horse's nose and how that can change your effectiveness at different times of the day, or in different terrain, etc. The same height differences are true of the other senses the animals use, such as sight and hearing. What one animal might not be aware of, the other might ... and as rider you're even higher to see, hear, etc.  

                * Remember that your horse is also a viable search partner even if only providing natural alerts.

                * Look where the horse looks, not just where the dog leads you.

                * Sharpen your own skills as a searcher from the perspective of a rider.

* You have the option of training the horse for air scenting, etc., (  see www.airscentinghorse.com  ) which would give you two scent-trained animal partners plus your own searcher knowledge, skills and abilities.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jorene Downs

SAR, CERT, Emergency Communications

Mounted SAR

http://www.ceoates.com/msar

KJ6JCD

 




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