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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Requirements for horse rider team

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Requirements for horse rider team
  • Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:50:22 -0700

Paul Fleming wrote:
>It is only a big deal when you need to do it and can't.

Yep.

MSAR riders need to be thinking "MSAR mode" not trail riding. This is about
being able to calmly and safely perform various tasks as a mounted searcher.
For example, demonstrating the ability to work gates from the saddle simply
demonstrates the ability to control the mount's feet in any direction, in
smaller increments, which is why many MSAR units include working a gate as
part of their training / testing. It doesn't matter if working gates is an
issue in the response area - the objective is demonstrating the ability to
control the horse step by step, calmly moving as needed in various
directions.

This is MSAR, where we need to be more professional, with potential to need
to control the mount in ways riders may not have experienced yet in basic
trail riding. If you aren't able to leg your horse over - fore and hind, or
even sideways (with or without the "official" sidepass movement) - you may
be considered a "problem" as a mounted searcher.

One important reason for being able to control the fore and hind is to keep
the horse's feet away from what may be very critical search clues. Another
is the ability to "move over" to hang some flagging, safely hand something
(equipment, gear, whatever) to another mounted searcher, etc.

Control - or lack of control - of the mount is also a safety issue as
perceived by searchers or other people on the ground. How many times have
people backed away because the horse is crowding and the rider isn't
correcting that movement? That lack of control is considered a hazard and
undesirable in MSAR, particularly by the non-riders ... which often includes
management level. Being unable to calmly reverse the horse's movement that
is crowding the IC is *not* a way to score points ... for yourself or
representing MSAR in general. ;-/

It isn't difficult to learn, for horse or rider. Kids learn it. Novice Trail
competition riders learn it. It doesn't need to "look pretty" but the MSAR
rider should be able to calmly move that horse in smaller increments in any
direction.

This is a valuable skill for MSAR, and I believe it should be required for
all. We need to remember as mounted searchers we are there for a different
reason, where having better control over the horse's feet can be notably
more important than when on a simple pleasure ride.

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








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