These are some pros and cons I had saved from
other sources. Some are good - they make a point. And some are
funny. Not all done by horse folks.
Kevin
Advantages:
relatively quick way of moving around in rough terrain.
Until the terrain gets too rough. I can lower myself with my rope kit.
I'd have a hard time lowering my horse down some of the slopes I had to
deal with this past weekend. But this is really an ops matter, not a
searcher's problem. You assign the right resource to the right task.
I've seen horses negotiate some very difficult terrain with apparent
ease....
Horse mostly steers itself while a motorcycle (for example) requires
more attention from the rider, thus less attention for looking around.
This is a major plus in my book.
horse is strong and may be used for pulling things or carrying loads.
I'd agree with the former, but not the latter as much. I can carry
upwards of 70lbs while searching for a fair duration in my pack. I have
very little experience packing horses, but I think I'd find it
difficult to comfortably pack all my current gear onto a horse I was
riding, along with the gear I'd want for the horse. (Pick, easy boot,
water scoop, etc.) How much gear do you regularly carry?
Mounted searchers have a better view as they are up higher.
A well known author, who's name slips my mind at the moment, said
that one's appreciation for the intricacies of the environment varies
in inverse proportion to the speed one travels through it and the
height that one travels over it.
Again, this is more of an operational issue. A
rider can see farther, and over more obstacles, but has a harder time
seeing the clues immediately at their horses' feet without stopping and
dismounting.
Horse is pretty quiet (compared to motor) and we can still listen for
the subject to make sounds.
And sometimes the horse will detect things itself - sight, sound, and
smell.
Horse tracks might not destroy tracks as much
as vehicles or pedestrians.
Even if a horse's print is superimposed on a footprint, the footprint
is generally recognizeable and many of it's characteristics survive. We
could easily tell that an equestrian team had been through our area.
Trying to sort out other ground team's tracks for potential subject's
tracks was a whole different issue.
Disadvantages
Sometimes takes us longer to respond as we have
to go home to fetch the horse before responding.
Harder to track from horseback.
Access to remote areas depends upon ability to
get a horse trailer there.
I'd add in that the horse requires more support than a ground team.
This addresses what you've noted about transportation, but also food
and water. Search bases generally provide food and water for the humans
involved, but equestians generally have to bring their own food. Ditto
for the dog teams, I suppose.
Advantages of a Mounted Unit
Horses are valuable searchers themselves.
They do not air scent or track like dogs, but they have a highly
developed sense of hearing, smell, and eyesight.
They are instinctively aware of their surroundings and will alert on
anything out of the ordinary, especially the presence of another human
or animal.
They can detect something well in advance of the rider. A good
mounted team will investigate anything that attracts the horses
attention.
By using horse and rider teams we are able to gain the following
advantages:
High percentage of detection in most terrains, excluding thick
brush and swamps.
Mounted teams are better able to perform both hasty search and
containment due to the fast travel speed without sacrificing clue
awareness.
Children are more likely to approach a mounted searcher.
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