Mounted search and rescue

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

DVM = Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

ESCAPE is a 3-day SAR training conference that draws 200-250
participants.  About half are regular attendees.  Most of these
are unit officers, and ICS Section Chiefs, Field Coordinators,
and Area Commanders.  The other half are SAR newbies, sent by
their units for basic training or simply general orientation
to SAR.  Most who are into MSAR do not need "trail riding 101"
training, but some do, and those who do need it urgently and
for various social dynamic reasons their units may prefer they
get it at a SAR conference.  It tends to reinforce the message
they get from their own unit's old timers.

In planning any conference training, the very first thing to
determine is who is your probably audience.  In the case of
ESCAPE, this is either SAR management, or raw recruits;  two
very different groups with very different needs.  The second
thing to determine is what does your probable audience most
need to know?  To determine this, you need to talk at length
with people who have been involved in running your state SAR
conference in past years, and also to MSAR and general SAR
unit officers in your area. 

Most MSAR responders need better land SAR skills, hence they
should be attending classes that are not MSAR specific.  But
there may be resistance to attending non-mounted classes;  
many MSAR responders see MSAR primarily as a riding activity.
They are not "SAR heads".


Barbara Sly wrote:
>The WA state SAR conference is held at a fairgrounds and we have a huge  
>barn 
>with stalls
[...]
>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.

Barbara, you are in the ideal position of having the option to run
a mounted MSAR training track.  Lucky you!  Some downsides of this
are that the horses can be a big distraction for MSAR participants
at the conference, drawing them away from any non-horse training
and in effect creating a separate recreational riding track to the
conference.  At the very least, the horses need to be fed, watered,
groomed, tacked, exercised.  This time spent away from training
tends to be noticed by non-MSAR management and can be major bad PR
for the MSAR community, if it degenerates into recreation.  On the
other hand, if MSAR participants bring their trucks, trailers, and
horses to the conference, they can make a huge positive impression
on non-MSAR management!  The dollar value of material resources
devoted by MSAR to SAR is staggering.  Spin pro or con is all in
the details.

There are many clinicians around the US who will travel to your
venue to run "despooking" and crowd control training clinics for
mounted police and similar volunteer patrol groups.  Most have
web sites.


>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.   

Are you looking for instructors?  Or just for ideas?  If you want
outside instructors, do instructors get expenses paid, or a token
fee?  (ESCAPE usually pays all instructors' registration and room
and board.)

        Una Smith
        New Mexico