Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

Hi Diane,

It's good to see you on MSAR-Riders.  You might add some details,
like how much your dog weighs, and where you are based.  I think
you are somewhere in southeastern New Mexico, but more precise
information would help.  Many others on MSAR-Riders are too, or
in southwestern Texas, so I am sure you will make plenty of great
new contacts here.

For what it's worth, I would not hesitate to put any dog on my
horse, provided the dog were cool with it.  But there are some
obstacles to combining horses and dogs on SAR missions, due to
all the possible combinations of actors.  Which are:

1 dog, maybe small enough to ride in the saddle with a rider.
If not small enough, then the dog needs a special arrangement.
Probably sitting in a regular saddle by itself won't work for
many dogs, at least not without putting a cover on the saddle
to increase friction.  The dog must be comfortable with horses.

1 or more horses, which must be comfortable with dogs.  If the
handler is not a trained rider, then there should be 2 or better
3 horses:  for MSAR rider, dog handler (passenger on horse 2)
and dog (passenger on horse 3).  I would not put a non-riding
handler on a horse with dog, nor try to look after the handler
on a horse while carrying a dog in my saddle.

1 dog handler, who may or may not know how to ride.  The norm
is not.

1 horse rider, usually not the same person as the dog handler.

So there are a minimum of 3 (person, dog, horse) and probably
4 or 5 (2 persons, dog, 2 or 3 horses) individuals involved.  
And possibly some special gear, such as a pack saddle rigged
for a dog to ride on or in.

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