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msar-riders - [MSAR] Re: MSAR Books

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>
  • To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [MSAR] Re: MSAR Books
  • Date: Mon Feb 3 18:08:01 2003

Debbie Dooley <Deb8562@aol.com> wrote:
>I am sorry to be so ignorant

Don't be! Everyone starts at the beginning.

>Is it the general opinion that MSAR riders should be at least a
>Sar Tech II?

I don't actually know the NASAR SARTECH certifications, so I
can't answer this. In New Mexico, there seems to be little
formal certification or training beyond an evaluation called
PACE/ICS-100...but I suspect PACE/ICS-100 is in the range of
a SARTECH II. The PACE/ICS-100 training materials are online:
http://www.ibiblio.org/msar/units/santafe/PACE.html

>In most of the groups out there are Sar Tech III's not allowed
>to be riders? Are they prefered for support positions?

Locally, the main barrier to being a search rider is owning
a horse that is reliable enough for the job, and having the
vehicle and trailer to haul the horse. Second is having the
riding and horsemanship skills for our typical rough search
terrain. However, a group without experience or training
is unlikely to get called out on many searches, so if I were
starting a new MSAR group I would require SAR training for
provisional members.

There isn't much need for support in an MSAR group; unless
they already have SAR skills, non-riders are a lot of work
and someone who does have SAR skills needs to stay with them.
If they have those skills then what are they doing with a
horse group in absence of a horse? That said, it depends on
what else your group does; some groups have many activities
that don't involve searches or horseback. We do appreciate
it when our riders who are temporarily without a mount still
do what they can to help with searches.

My group does take riders without SAR skills on searches, to
learn on the job. We do this because we are in a rebuilding
phase now, but once we move into the next phase we may raise
the threshold for entry. Our current policy of training on
the job has considerable costs in terms of our flexibility,
response time, and logistics. A search team that includes a
novice searcher requires at least two experienced searchers
as well.


>Is there anyone (group) out there that uses a dog from horseback?
>Just curious....

Some MSAR volunteers use their dogs on searches, under voice
control. If a dog gets too tired, it can be put on horseback.
If the dog is small, this is standard operating procedure on
long rides. Horses and dogs that are acquainted with well-
behaved members of the other species should be cool with this
arrangement, even when the individual animals are strangers
to each other.

Which reminds me; does anyone have good pictures of dogs and
horses working together?

Una




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