Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

Paul has a point!

If injury, pain, or fatigue are problems in the field on a
mission, the team should already have returned to camp.  But
stuff happens, so there may be times when someone needs help
for one of these reasons.  But none of these reasons will be
present during a basic qualifying exam, will they?

For safety, it is important that the horse will accept its
rider dismounting on either side.  I am not convinced that it
is a safety issue to be able to mount on both sides from the
ground using only the usual tack in its usual configuration.
For sure it is an imposition on your teammates to need one of
them to hoist you into the saddle every time you mount.  Yet
such people do try out for MSAR teams, so it may help to have
a rule about demonstrating the ability to mount "unassisted".

I have seen tiny vaulters mount enormous horses with no help
from others or any special equipment, so being a small adult
with an average "large" horse is no excuse.  You can get on,
but it may require some coaching from a vaulter and work in a
gym.

Years ago I worked for 3 months at a field station where our
only option for baths was to jump in a lake, off a huge log
at the surface.  The long-term residents in some mysterious
fashion were able to vault from the water back onto the log.
I, on the other hand, could only squirm and drag myself up
onto the log, getting dirtier in the process than I had been
before.  A month later, I too could vault back onto the log,
although I cannot say exactly how I did it.

        Una SMith