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  • From: "E.S." <ES212@QWEST.NET>
  • To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Transport via horse
  • Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:15:54 -0700

where did you read about transport? forward it to me please if you can, Thank you
----- Original Message ----- From: "Una Smith" <una.smith@att.net>
To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 8:04 AM
Subject: [MSAR] Transport via horse


Transporting the subject in the saddle is something that requires
training and practice. Training is a poor substitute for experience.
Horses don't read training manuals or listen to lectures, and it is
the horse that must take care of the subject. I have read the US
Forest Service manual and old US Army manuals concerning patient
transport. All of them begin with the premise that the horses used
for this are already trained and experienced in packing subjects.

In the late 19th century for a time it was all the rage among modern
armies to transport wounded and dead soldiers from the battlefield
ASAP. It was the French in Angola who learned to do this best, by
great necessity, because their enemy would murder wounded French
soldiers and behead the dead. (I gather the enemy thought it was
barbaric to leave the wounded and dead, so did this to force the
French be more civilized.) Prior to that time, fallen soldiers
were left where they fell to wait for medical attention, sometimes
for days. After that time, deployment of soldiers changed, motorized
ambulances came into use, and the general use of horses for transport
was abandoned. (Field artillery uses continued through WWII).
During that time, however, other armies tried to copy the French and
even produced manuals about how to do it, but in practice had great
difficulties, primarily because they lacked horses trained for the
work.

Consider also this. Where I know the Forest Service uses horses in
this manner, it is to transport subjects on trails that are maintained
to the highest level (wide, good tread, high clearance overhead, not
to steep, clear of obstructions). And the trails are familiar to the
rangers and the horses being used. Rarely are outside SAR resources
called for such an ideal situation.

Finally, and this is something Irv usually mentions first: is there
a need in your area for horseback subject transport? Will your own
agencies having jurisdiction find it acceptable? Investigate this
by talking to forest rangers in your state, and large park managers.

In North Carolina, for experience and help with training like this,
I would contact Back Country Horsemen of North Carolina; NC State
Parks, etc...

http://www.backcountryhorsemenofnc.com/home.htm
http://www.ncparks.gov (919) 733-4181

Una Smith
New Mexico
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