Mounted search and rescue

["Paul Fleming" <pfleming@nwlink.com>]

Derek,

Before you even think about training or standards or anything else you need
to make sure you have the right type of people. From day one you must let
your prospects know this is not about horses it is about Search And Rescue.
That you will not teach riding or train horses, you will polish their skills
and teach them to more effectively communicate with their mounts. They need
to understand what we do requires skill, courage and stamina. We operate in
small teams in all types of weather. They must be self reliant individuals.

We take our prospects on two or three rides that get progressively more
difficult to evaluate them and their horses. We won't do anything we
wouldn't do on a search. The idea is to give them a fair look at us and us
at them. Bringing people in under a false pretense of what MSAR is all about
in the end will disappoint them and waste your valuable training time. 

If I can be of further assistance please let me know.


Regards
 
Paul Fleming
Training Officer, PMSAR
www.pmsar.org



-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Derek
(alternate)
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 1:20 PM
To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [MSAR] Starting a MSAR team

Hello fellow SAR searchers!

I am currently the Director of Training for a GSAR team here in
Saskatchewan, Canada, and have been tasked with trying to expand our
services to include an Equine component.  Currently we have several people
interested in joining our team, and are interested in bringing their horses
too.  As such, I have been trying to find some information on basic
standards, training levels/idea/plans and otherwise trying to get as much
prepared for them as possible.

Our 'plan' so far is to try to get the people trained first as GSAR members,
and then work some up to Team Leaders before integrating the horses into it.
The idea behind this is to try to give the members a solid base and build
the relationships with our Srch Mgr's before we bring in the new tool.

I am wondering if anyone in this group has had a similar development, and if
there are any suggestions.  MSAR is a relatively unused thing here in
Saskatchewan, so what ever I come up with is already being eyed as a way for
our neighbouring chapters to model after.


Derek Schmidt
Director of Training
Search and Rescue Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

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