Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

This description makes good sense to me - I've seen horses in the herd follow scent and with your reminder recall the stretched / snaked neck as fairly common. Thanks!

 

One of our MSAR riders rides his mule (packs the horse) and was curious if you've ever had the opportunity to try air scent training with a mule. ?

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare Co, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, US&R,
Technical Rescue, Cave Rescue,
Hasty Team, ICP
www.CEOates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT Program Coordinator
www.tk-cert.org

----- Original Message -----

From: wwfarm

Horse Scenting Positions.

Of course it is easier to grasp when you see it in person but I will try to write a picture. First scent changes the way it travels according to different environmental conditions, it can travel a range from very high to right on the ground. I have seen my scenting horses scent right on the ground like a dog but I have also seen them scent with their noses high in the air like a whitetail buck scenting a hunter. This is a  scenting position that even a large dog would have trouble reaching but it must be important or else the bucks would not use it. But the most often used position seems to be kind of a snaked out neck fashion that can be best described as a cross between  a herd stallion movement and a western pleasure horse.   At least this is their starting place along with ear and neck side motions. When the rider is tuned in there is also a certain feeling and change in speed that goes along with it.

Than just to make it interesting the horse will change their positions and movement in different stages of the search. The different stages are searching, first picking up the scent, following scent drift, nearing scent source and loosing the scent.

TERRY

Marshall County Mounted Sheriffs Posse

http://www.airscentinghorse.com