Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

A variation of Tomi's suggestion is to use a variety of objects that may be
left behind as clues, with different shapes, sizes, and colors. The exercise
is then also the learning experience of how different sizes, shapes and
colors are harder / easier to see in different environments, etc. 

Also consider placing a person or two relatively concealed off trail upwind
as a living clue, and see how many horses (and hopefully their riders) make
the find.

If the rider carries a GPS, you can include "make note of the coordinates"
when a clue is noted. Or make the entire course more challenging by asking
the rider to go to coordinate X to find the well marked starting point ...
and potentially have more than one course so the next rider doesn't just
head in the same direction as the last. But remember adding the complexity
of coordinates extends each rider's time on the course.

- - - - - -
Jorene Downs
SAR & CERT
Mounted SAR
www.ceoates.com/msar

-----Original Message-----
From: T'mi Fi
[...]
You will discover that the clues are easy to place and it only take about an
hour for each rider to run the course (we space riders and start them on 10
minute intervals).  It is also a fun way to teach your MSAR Responders the
proper basics of a (mounted) hasty search.  I will also include a picture of
the clue (water bottle) we use.  We use (hiking type) water bottles since it
is a relatively common clue that lost persons have often times discarded on
past search missions.  [...]