Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

Jorene Downs wrote:
>FYI - the testing (see below) for Mounted SAR will occur on Sunday
>July 11 in the East Bay Area of CA on Mt. Diablo. We're looking for
>riders to participate.

Jorene, who wrote the Original Message you posted?  I ask because Jack
Frost and Robert Koester, two of the four authors of this probability
of detection (POD) study, told me they need far more data for search
on foot before they add other variables (horseback, dog, etc.).  But
they are more than happy to have others run additional experiments.
So who is running this MSAR experiment?

>----- Original Message ----- 
[...]
>The experiments consists of a 3 to 4 km trail with various targets
>(clues) along the way.

I participated as a subject on foot in one of these experiments at
the New Mexico SAR conference (ESCAPE) last month.  I recommend it
to everyone here, if you have a chance to participate.  It is a fun
learning experience.

While participating, I discussed with Robert Koester (my handler)
the possibility of running the experiment with MSAR resources.  It
would present an explicit test of the common hypothesis that being
on horseback enhances (or decreases) your ability to detect certain
types of clues.  I told him a good MSAR resource involves a horse
that looks where it is going so the rider can concentrate on 
looking at the surroundings, not at the horse's ears or the trail
ahead.  (Hint, hint:  including behind you!)  In theory, for this
reason, someone on horseback should be a more effective searcher
than someone on foot.  (All else, eg training or prior experience
being equal, of course.  The experiment includes collection of
background data from each searcher, to control for all else.)

MSAR folks in the California Bay Area now have an opportunity to
show the world if this hypothesis is true!

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