Message: 2 Date: Sun, 10 May 2009 10:56:47 -0600 From:
Una Smith < una.smith@att.net> Subject: Re:
[MSAR] Dogs and horses? To: Mounted
search and rescue < msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID:
< 20090510165647.GA7361@att.net"
ymailto="mailto: 20090510165647.GA7361@att.net"> 20090510165647.GA7361@att.net> Content-Type:
text/plain; charset=us-ascii Chris Pennington wrote: >I was
wondering about the possibility of using dogs to help track MP's
from >horseback. There was some history of doing this type of
thing in the distant >past but I haven't heard much about it in
modern SAR. Does anyone do this? >Know of anyone who does this?
Curious because our youngest pup shows some >aptitude but I don't
think I have the time to do two completely different >disciplines.
Now combining them....for use separately or
together....that's >intriguing. A woman in New Mexico, who
used to be on this list, would carry her small SAR dog on horseback
to transport him to the search area. He would search on
foot. She got really busy with USAR and FEMA, and I don't know
what she is up to now. I know other MSAR responders who
sometimes bring well behaved ranch working
dogs (cattle dogs) on searches with them. These dogs are
experts at searching out cattle, and clearly understand the search
job, but they are not trained nor proven SAR dogs. There is a
lot of interest in combining SAR dogs and horses, but because strong
canine SAR and mounted SAR communities rarely occur in the same
places, cross-training is difficult. Canine teams are more common in
areas where the number of missions is high (ie, urban areas);
MSAR teams are more common in ranching and farming communities.
These two kinds of team co-occur most often
urban/wilderness interface areas. (Chris lives in such an
area.) Among long distance horse riders (meaning those who ride across
continents), it is very common to travel with a dog, the dog riding
on top of a loaded pack
saddle. The dog jumps on and off at will. Some hunting dogs still are
worked from horseback. Most often, the dogs are pointers.
They are worked on long leads from the horse (this is called
"roading"), or off lead. See for example this very interesting
web page: http://www.gaitedhorses.net/Articles/FT/FieldTrial.shtml
Note it mentions handling a dog on a 30-foot lead, while riding
through brush. Smart dogs worked on leads in woodlands soon
learn not to wrap the lead around trees, and how to unwrap it if
necessary (eg they guess wrong about which way the human will
go). I hope this inspires some of you to approach SAR dog teams
in your area about training together. Many SAR dog teams like
to have two people work each dog: a handler and a
navigator/comms person. So you might start by volunteering to
work as their navigator during training searches, and learn by
watching. Una Smith New
Mexico ---------------->>>>>>>>>>> In
response to the above, I cannot advocate the gaited breeds enough for
their abilities for feild trials as well as working with dogs. I
have worked with numerous types of gaited breeds including Paso Finos,
Peruvian Pasos, Paso/paso crosses and the Tennuvians as well as racking
horses. I highly regard the paso gaited horses over all, but then
I am strongly predjudice because this is the breeds I have been
raising. for near the past 3 decades
You cannot beat the gaited for their staying power and smooth gait
ALL DAY long and to which if you are the type where your knees and back
go out, you cannot find a better steed. We call them the ride all
day and dance at night ponies!
The pasos are particularly eager to please and work well with dogs
however I have had a few take a strong dislike to a dog particularly
after being attacked and to which a few of my own mares are
relentless in going after a dog if one were to enter the property.
ACDs (cattle dogs) can make great search and rescue animals
providing you have the patience and the endurance to keep up with the
dogs incredible energy and also intelligence. Years back we had
the great pleasure of owning an ACD that was incredible in
intelligence. She could dicern slippers from shoes, retrieve
various identified toys, get the mail, pick up objects upon request and
more! She was an ultimate companion dog and her inteligence was
superior. The breed is a chase dog and to which it loves
seeking its quarry and can be adaptable in many ways. But each pup
is very different in their personalitys.
Now we have an ACD pup that is quite tenacious, very smart but
dyslestic to our requests! Totally the oppisite of the previous
one, but her intelligence lies in much now in owner error
from being so spoiled with the first dog, we just keep having those
failures to communicate. Not that she is not smart, because she is
highly intelligent, just that she seems to have her own
understanding and vocabulary of commands that work. Much like
working with a horse that is taught in another language.
Speaking of which, if you do get into the spanish breeds, you will
find many trained in spanish and so you might need a little help in
understaning the lingo to understand a previously trained horse since it
could very well be taught in espanol and tu no habla!
The various strains be they Columbiano, Puerto Rican,
Peruvian etc alsssy may have a slight varience in how the
animals may be trained as well. And please note Peruvian Pasos are
a different breed than a Paso Fino.
If you are not familiar with the breeds, it is truly a new world
and can be very confusing.
And training methods and equipment does vary from other
breeds.
Excellent website there Una! And there truly are a vast
owners of gaiteds who are long distance riders. They are
super competitive and endurance mounts which is also is a great
place if you have the time to train to train your MSAR horses. You
will build not only stamina in your steed, but your horse will get much
exposure to many things on the trail and in travel. Its a
great "workout" world and to which you will also learn to manage your
horses P and R's and much more. (For those who do not know what
a P & R is, that stands for pulse and respiration!)
Paso Finos are also horses of longevity and it is not uncommon for
them to live to their mid 20's and beyond 30. Our oldest mare is
approaching 30 and though she is not the beauty she was in her younger
days and does have trouble keeping weight she still has a
lot of heart for an old horse. As my friends have said, she has
defied death being a survivor of West Nile contracting that when she was
25. She has immunity. According to our one vet,
apparently we did something right in her care to see her live this
long. Half our herd is over 20 years of age. At 25,
most horses usually die if they get the WN. It makes me wonder if
it is not something also in her particular genes. She is of pure
Puerto Rican decent.
Field trialing brings together birddogs, horses and
guns. (Blanks of course!)
So is not the place for the untrained. Getting
experience might be a problem especially if you cannot find a group to
learn and participate with!
Karen
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