Mounted search and rescue

[Slybarbara@aol.com]

Just responding to a couple of Una's comments...(and thank you, Una for  
taking the time to address my questions).
 
The WA state SAR conference is held at a fairgrounds and we have a huge  barn 
with stalls - our members will be riding security at night, in pairs (we  did 
this in '99).  We really haven't discussed having outside MSAR horses  
attend, though if we were to have an instructor, I am sure their horse(s) 
could  be 
accommodated.
 
I am not familiar with the scope of an ESCAPE or what DVM stands for - it's  
not a term I recognize, however maybe it's in the new ICS 100 training that  
everyone will have to take this year.  
 
Una wrote: "Useful training in the past has included having DVMs discuss  
with us the "envelope" of effective deployment.  For example, how much  water 
do 
horses need in a 24 hour period, and how often in that period do they  need 
to 
drink?" 
 
I am pretty sure our own members would feel they already have basic  
knowledge of this type, and might feel this was trail riding 101 rather than  
something that would stretch their skills.
 
But input and comments from experienced Mounted SAR managers  (Una, Jorene, 
Tomi, Chris and other regular posters) are sincerely  appreciated.  One of 
the 
things we might find of value would be  desensitizing horses and training 
them 
for urban area searches.  If anyone  knows of an instructor with credentials 
in that type of training, we'd like to  see if they would be open to 
conducting classes.  This would bring in  mounted SAR members from 
neighboring counties 
and be a plus for MSAR in  WA.
 
Also, if anyone out there has done conference presentations & has an  outline 
of the course, that would help us determine what direction to  take.  For 
instructors, our SAR Coordinator is looking for a bio, course  synopsis and 
outline.   

thanks for any leads
Barbara Sly, NWHSAR