Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

It is possible to combine both riding and non-riding courses
in an MSAR conference venue.  It's just difficult.  Chris is 
correct;  the key is to provide a safe place for the horses
nearby while riders are in class.  Non-horsey SAR management
have a hard time grasping what constitutes a "safe place",
so planning requires a very long lead time (on the order of
many months).  Another opportunity for snafu:  non-horsey
people don't realize that some equine vaccinations are given
only as needed, and hence may require a lead time of weeks
or months in advance of travel.

At the New Mexico SAR conference (ESCAPE 2003), the dog teams
arrived several days ahead and held a field clinic.  During
the conference proper most of the dogs were tied out of the
way.  For ESCAPE 2004, I would really like to arrange an MSAR
field riding clinic ("bootcamp") in the days before or after.

        Una Smith
        Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse, in New Mexico