Mounted search and rescue

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

Barbara Sly wrote:
>our state SAR coordinator is only funding SAR management instructors.

Well, don't be tempted to import instructors from outside Washington
state for MSAR management!  Management issues should be addressed by
people who are both broadly and deeply acquainted with how SAR works
in WA and what are the most pressing issues.

Typically, despooking clinics are offered on a for-profit basis, with
a clinic fee for both riding and auditing.  The local host should
expect to make a reasonable profit, by collecting clinic fees and an
additional fee for any horse remaining on the premises overnight.  

I am surprised to learn there was any MSAR training at WASAR 2004,
because the folks who came from out of state to run the POD aka sweep
width experiment at that conference told me there were no horse folks
to be found.  At the New Mexico conference that year (ESCAPE 2004) we
also ran a POD experiment, and although all participants were on foot,
IIRC 20% reported on their form that their specialty is MSAR.  I was
hoping for comparable data from Washington state, but there was none!

        Una Smith
        New Mexico