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msar-riders - [MSAR] Desensitization Training

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Mary Duffy <mduffy2727@juno.com>
  • To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [MSAR] Desensitization Training
  • Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 10:37:52 -0400

All of our mounted SAR people must be qualified as a SAR Tech II before
we would be considered for the mounted qualifying. Our Team Captain,
Mark Brown, is the regional evaluator for horses. I raise and train
horses for a "living", and the desensitization training is, for me, just
an extension of my own training program. I am lucky in that our farm is
situated across the street from a private school, and several time during
the school year someone is flying in and out of the campus in a
helicopter. Although they do not land in our field.....they take off
less than 100 yards from our fence line - then practically clip the
treetops as they head out or back in to land. The 3 year old filly (B/W
Missouri Fox Trotter) is the third horse I training for use as a SAR
mount. My number 1 horse currently has a foal this spring, and my number
2 is a 5 year old mare. All are Fox Trotters who I have had and trained
since the start.

We had 2 ATVs at our May training. They raced around, stopped, started,
shut off/turned on the engines, while we were working on other obstacles
inside the track they were riding on. We too were hoping for a
helicopter - but between bad weather and budget cuts - we'll probably
have to wait. Last September. several members of our mounted unit
attended the BMSAR (Berkshire Mountains SAR) Conference in Pittsfield, MA
with our horses. The state police had they helicopter there and it flew
over pretty low, but the horses didn't really seem to notice.

We currently have 8 members from our Team 1, and 3 members from our Team
2 qualified (including horses). We were activated a total of 4 days last
year, for 3 different people, in 3 different states. Like I hear from
other parts of the country (from this list), we too feel underutilized,
but we are being thought of and called. We try and coordinate training
with the surrounding ground units, and CMSART (Central Mass SAR Team)
took us under their wing from our beginnings, and that has been an
enormous boost for our awareness, training, and exposure.

Have a great Sunday!!


Mary C. Duffy
Lucky Rooster Farm - Registered Missouri Fox Trotters
MASOOI Mounted SAR - Equine Medic
http://www.masooi.org

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