Mounted search and rescue

["Paul" <sbred@bigpond.com>]

 We have state wide responsibility so if our search tem is called out, there is a fair chance it could be at least one overnighter.  We erect a portable yard with “hot wire” and all the horses are thrown in there.  The area has to be lit when the horses first go in, so they can be observed.  Lights are turned out when the last member of the unit goes to bed.  We carry our own lighting and generator in the field truck for this.  I have also insisted on every occasion to have two members of the mounted team stay with the horses.  This is what we call a night watch.  These people are there just in case, and pull shifts of four hours.  The night watch commences when the horses are put in the yard.  On one occasion, I succumbed to the pressure of the girls on the team who didn’t want to  do the night shift.  This included my more experienced riders.  Their argument was nothing ever happens. The horses have been paddocked together before, we ride together etc so I gave in.  At about 2.00 a.m. there was an almighty crash, horses screaming and thundering hooves.  Three horses bolted down the local creek bed (that was dry) whilst others went crashing around the camp site.  It appears two of the horses got cranky with each other, so there was chasing and kicking, and eventually, one kick hit a box that was near the electric fence and porta unit.  The box went flying into the porta unit, knocking it over.  This stirred up the rest of the horses and they just wrecked the fence line.  Luckily it wasn’t too hard to get all the horses back.  So now it is mandatory that there will be a night watch when horses are yarded together over night.  I’ve told them this is not negotiable any more and I would suggest to anyone that yards numerous horses that normally don’t paddock together to have a night watch.

 

Best Regards

 

Paul Kearney

Training Officer

Kapunda S.E.S. Mounted Team

 

 

Paul Kearney

The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.
~ Arabian Proverb