Mounted search and rescue

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

This past weekend I had the opportunity to assist while some Mounted SAR went through a marked course as part of a "clue detection" experiment on Mt. Diablo in CA I previously mentioned here. To my knowledge, this is the first time Mounted has been included in any SAR-related experiment. Participants included widely varying skills and experience for horses and riders so the small cross-section was pretty representative. This course had steeper mountain terrain and numerous natural obstacles to navigate. The course went cross-country. Some horses and riders were obviously more comfortable in the more challenging environment than others. All were sent out with instructions to dismount as needed.

 

Many thanks to the National Search & Rescue Committee for agreeing to include MSAR, to the Bay Area SAR Council as

willing hosts, and to both for being willing to add an extra day to include Mounted. And many thanks to those riders who participated - a pleasure to met you all!

 

While the extra height viewing from the saddle is often advantageous in SAR - and a disadvantaged for seeing low objects under something like thick foliage close to the ground - riders have the additional challenge of needing to control their mount while also performing other tasks ... like doing visual search and documenting what is observed. Mounted multi-tasking. ;) 

 

The less experienced rider on the less reliable horse will be at a disadvantage because the focus will be split between controlling the horse and searching. The more difficult the terrain and environment, the greater the distraction potential for the rider from the search caused by multi-tasking.

 

The rider who can't multi-task (ride and also do X) in that environment would likely have a lower clue detection caused by the distraction of having to "think" about doing something to navigate / control the horse, etc. Obviously, improving rider skills and having a more reliable horse has value in MSAR, because reduced focus on the actual riding should decrease horse-related distraction ... and increase the rider's potential for clue detection.  

 

Typically the riders completed the course faster than those on foot ... as a very general example, 1.5 hours instead of 2 hours ... and this faster pace may / may not have been a Good Thing regarding detection of clues. I look forward to seeing experiment results.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare Co, CA SAR - Hasty Team ICP team
www.CEOates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT - Program Coordinator
www.TK-CERT.org