Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

Dog teams are more prevalent but tend to be smaller and lack infrastructure
in this area.  We have worked dogs and horses together and notably from
about 1986 to 1995 Greater Philadelphia SAR had both before the shift almost
entirely to dogs happened, for reasons not related to combined search by the
way. 

If you have discriminating air scent or tracking/trailing dogs there is not
usually a technical problem working horses and dogs in the same area at the
same time.  The dogs have to tolerate the horses, particularly if you are
using the horses in scent mode.  Some dogs would rather charge the horses
than work the search.  Horses that are boarded in herds and are used to
working dogs moving them around know what to do, others may strike out,
eliminating the perceived threat. Several nearby sheep farms use burros to
control packs of loose domestic dogs that get in the fields.   

Another problem is training together.  In many areas dogs are not allowed
off leash without special permits and in many parks or under the game laws
training a dog is highly controlled.  Until recently the Pennsylvania Dog
Law required all dogs to be either in a fenced run or on a maximum 6 foot
lead. The new version says the dog must be under the handler/owner's control
at all times.   The state park rules for horses say they can go anywhere a
vehicle does, and the Vehicle Code says a horse under saddle can go anywhere
a pedestrian can (but we do ride on the right in Pennsylvania). They still
fox hunt with packs of hounds in the backyards of suburban developments less
than 3 road miles from my house, and several places in more rural Chester
County.  

What we saw working was having the handler ride while the dog worked.
Sometimes the dog could get places the horses couldn't or wouldn't and dogs
seem to be better at cadaver searches.  The horses could help evacuate a dog
that was injured (usually paw problems) as some of the dogs weighed more
than their handlers.  (Why is it that small girls want Burmese Mountain
Dogs, or 120 pound German Shepards instead of Border Collies?) 

Irv Lichtenstein 

-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Una Smith
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2009 12:57 PM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Dogs and horses?