Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

Bob Koester agreed to this when we spoke in VA. The local host is BASARC.
The experiment for ground pounders will be on Saturday, and MSAR will ride
the course on Sunday. One of the factors noted is the searcher's height,
which will simply be a lot taller when mounted.

Jorene

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "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
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