Mounted search and rescue

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

Irv gave some great input on how the common search area also helps guide the 
selection for height and even breed / type of horse. A lot will depend on 
the type of terrain and vegetation, and even common mission length. The 
horse that works just fine packing a searcher in a local park with fairly 
easy terrain may not be suitable for 20 miles a day in steep mountains.  If 
you'll be ducking under branches a lot with a 16h horse, perhaps you won't 
need to duck ... and can actually see to search ... on a 15h horse. But if 
the vegetation is fairly low, some extra hight may be an advantage. And if 
the terrain footing is more challenging, the smaller horse is often more 
agile.

In general I recommend a maximum 15.2 hands for an all-around versatile MSAR 
horse or mule. The logic behind this is the versatility potential for MSAR 
if you're trained for more than just searching while mounted.

For example ...
If you're a tracker, anticipate lots of mounts and dismounts in the field 
plus some hiking and even crawling ... that tired searcher will appreciate 
the lower the stirrup. If you're dallied off and dragging something, it 
helps to have some weight and bulk under you. If you're doing mounted rescue 
and transporting folks in the saddle, it is easier to lift a person onto a 
shorter horse ... and the non-rider you just put up in your saddle will 
mentally be more comfortable closer to the ground. If you're using the mount 
for traditional or non-traditional packing, again you don't have as high to 
lift on/off the 15h horse instead of 16h. But the size and fitness of the 
horse (or mule) still needs to be suitable for the normal search area as 
well as being suitable for that rider.

Another issue for selection is natural walking speed. For example, if 
everyone else on the team has a faster walking gaited horse, showing up with 
a slower moving non-gaited can be a problem by either causing early fatigue 
in the non-gaited horse trying to keep up, or causing difficulty with the 
gaited horses continually being asked to wait for the slower moving horse.

Something else that can impact the selection of an MSAR mount is more health 
related. Beyond wanting a sound animal with a good mind, etc., there are 
less obvious problems buyers may want to avoid. Some potential problems are 
very location specific. For example, the horse that needs netting from nose 
to tail during bug season, or consumes vast amounts of water daily, or is a 
very hard keeper, or requires a very specialized diet (or meds) and you have 
potential to be out in the field for several days, etc. Anything out of the 
ordinary that requires extra maintenance or care may be considered a 
potential problem to be avoided when shopping for an MSAR mount.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
www.ceoates.com/msar