Mounted search and rescue

["trailsendfarm@erols.com" <trailsendfarm@erols.com>]

Original Message
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 09:37:36 -0800
From: "wwfarm" <wwfarm@wiktel.com>
Subject: [MSAR] MSAR Advantages
To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
>>>Last week Suzanne posted some good advantages for MSAR.<<<

Thanks for the credit Terry, but in fact I was responding to the list of
advantages that Una had posted earlier.  The following list should be
credited to her:

>In lieu of the above, I suggest:
>Advantages
>- Travel at least twice as fast as groundpounders.
>- Travel at least twice as long as groundpounders.
>- Travel far more easily than groundpounders off trails,
>in mud, in snow, in rough terrain, and in thick brush.
>- Travel many places where vehicles cannot go, some places
>where groundpounders cannot safely go.
>- On horseback a searcher's point of view (POV) is about 3
>feet/1 meter higher than on foot; may be more likely to
>find clues not on trail and/or at a distance.
>- Riders can devote more attention to mission assignment;
>horses watch their own footing.
>- Backcountry riders more likely to have personal experience
>of specific wilderness areas rarely visited by other means.
>- Horses hear, see, and detect scents better than humans do.
>- Horses have excellent night vision, comparable to dogs.
>- Horses carry far more weight than groundpounders: rescue
>gear, repeater radio, power supply, extra water, exhausted
>dog or groundpounder, subject.
>- Powerful, high clearance, often 4WD vehicles.
>- Haul-in services: extra water, food for base camp operations.
>- Trailer should have many gallons of potable water to spare.
>- Trailer may have toilet.
>Limitations
>- Enormous disparity between unskilled and skilled horsemen
>and horses; difficult for non-horsemen to evaluate skills.
>- On horseback a searcher may be more likely than on foot to
>miss small or subtle clues.
>- Horses don't know not to step on footprints or other clues.
>- Horses have limited ability to climb.
>Additions or changes, anyone?



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