Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

Jorene wrote:
>Any suggestions for what kind of "credentials" an instructor /
>evaluator for MSAR standards should have?

Okay, teaching and testing is something I know rather a lot
about In Real Life.  Instructor and evaluator are two entirely
separate roles.  Although the same person may serve in both
roles, it is crucial to make a clear distinction between them.

The fundamental credential of any instructor is successful
completion of the same course of study that the students are
taking.  Eg, someone who teaches MDs should themselves be a
trained MD, or else have a comparable level of training in a
parallel track (such as PhD, or equal years of experience in
a relevant discipline).  This begs the question of how do you
start such a program of instruction in the first place?  You
start with instructors who are (a) gifted instructors and (b)
as close as possible in their training and experience to the
intended product of your program.  For an MSAR instructor, I
would choose an instructor from a university equestrian/equine
studies program.  Or one of the handful of people specially
trained by the Polo Training Foundation who oversee the US
national intercollegiate polo program, or trained by the US
Polo Association as umpires.  I know them to be very effective
riders and gifted instructors who understand and employ the
fundamental task/condition/standards philosophy Paul Fleming
has outlined. 

An evaluator needs no such training, credentials, or ability,
only a set of clear evaluation instructions and materials
and some training in how to conduct the evaluation.

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