Mounted search and rescue

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

Relayed for Chris Pennington, who is having access problems:

----- Original Message ----- 
> > A green rider on a green horse is a recipe for disaster in any situation,

> Interesting discussion! Of course the problem with above statement is 
> two-fold: 1. there are NO absolutes in life and 2. Definitions of green 
> will vary quite a bit.
>
> Example- my daughter trained her mare - daughter was 14, mare was 3 when 
> ground work started. A trainer we knew said "Oh green on green- bad news!" 
> Well, since my daughter has been riding since she could sit a horse was 
> she really green? And the mare has the best temperament of any horse I 
> know and was a breeze to train. Was she "born broke" or was she really 
> "green"? That mare is now a great SAR mount and as trustworthy as the day 
> is long. Well actually, she pretty much has been a great SAR mount since 
> the first time I took her out when she was 4 1/2!
>
> Example- What if you get a new member who has not ridden in quite awhile 
> but "used to" ride extensively. They get a horse that is well-trained but 
> never used for SAR work and has some 'idiosyncrasies' that the rider may 
> not know about yet. Are they green on green? Have had a few of these over 
> the years and I would answer YES, would you?
>
> The only way to really identify those teams ready for real missions is to 
> do LOTS of trainings and training rides. Everyone in the group can then 
> identify the strengths and areas that need support for each partnership. 
> In my opinion this is necessary whether green or not! You need to know 
> your teammates so that when you are in rough territory or unexpected 
> situations you have a good idea how they will react and vice versa. No 
> mount is perfect, no rider is perfect. We need to work with the 
> imperfections so that as a team we are solid and strong.
>
> We ride in a group a lot. Just trail riding. Our horses get used to each 
> other and we get used to the other partnerships that we may work with on a 
> mission. Green riders get a chance to be mentored by experienced riders, 
> green horses get a chance to be calmly introduced to situations with calm 
> experienced horses, and best of all the entire MSAR team gets a whole 
> encyclopedia of knowledge about the others they may end up on a mission 
> with. Invaluable experience!!
>
> Red ribbons- best advice I ever got from an oldtimer- Dogs BITE, Horses 
> KICK. End of story. You just can't ever depend on this not happening so 
> it's best to always be aware that it MIGHT. (might not too but better to 
> be ready) Be aware, *ride* *defensively*. Know what is going on around 
> you. Keep in mind that something you are not aware of may set off an 
> animal and cause 'abnormal' behavior. It is our responsibility to 
> continually be aware of everything that may impact us as a team- including 
> the signals that our steeds are sending to us. I have been kicked (when 
> mounted, in the leg!) by a horse that "never kicks". The owner didn't pay 
> attention to the horse's signals saying "I'm not comfortable and I"m going 
> to react" in a new and very chaotic situation. My horses are very used to 
> dogs but when out riding if one challenges us and my horse wants to spin 
> to face it I rely on their instincts and we do exactly that. Maybe the dog 
> smelled different, maybe a different quality in the bark?? I don't know 
> but I assume my horses do and I don't punish them for using their 
> resources to keep us safe.
>
> Ok, back to fire watch! <G> Thanks for an interesting topic to give my 
> mind a break!
> Chris Pennington