Mounted search and rescue

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

How to separate the wheat from the chaff...

I wish we could use the bad weather method, but our weather almost
always is fine.
 
Many unitw hold horse and rider tryouts / arena tests / evaluation
rides.  Those are useful for identifying riders with insufficient
riding skills and horses that are too young, too poorly trained, or
too spoiled to work out.  But, on the other hand those events draw
people seeking riding experiences, not necessarily SAR, and do not
reflect what SAR is all about.  Riding evaluations are informative,
and in many cases they are all the unit can do, but for me the most
useful method is to focus on the heart of the matter:  interest in
and ability/willingness to do SAR.

New Mexico has a short training book and a certification exam.  It
has been my experience that the applicants who won't read the book
and take the exam do not ever work out as SAR responders.  Some do
not pass on the first try, and that is okay.  Some will need months
to get ready for the exam, and that is okay too.  Many people upon
leaving school figure they have taken their last exam, and it can
be hard for them emotionally to face taking another one.  But, SAR
is a test of courage and committment, and someone who cannot muster
enough "mustard" to face an easy exam likely does not have what it
takes to face a SAR mission.

New Mexico's training book and details about the exam, everything
but the exam itself, is on http://www.nmesc.org/certification.htm

        Una Smith
        New Mexico