Mounted search and rescue

[Karen Nesbitt <spanishequines@yahoo.com>]

RESPONDING TO:
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Thor Burfine
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 9:19 AM
To: 'Mounted search and rescue'
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Self Defense from the saddle



One thing to consider in all of this.



Some of us carry a rifle in a scabbard when afield.



now you must defend yourself, your mount and your rifle

You must not let the bad guy get a hold of it



Most people that ride with a scabbard have it on the off side, not a natural
position to defend

------------>>>>>>

In Response:

 

Don't know whose comments those were, but.....heretoo, some of us unarmed riding might meet those bad boyz armed when they are on foot....

 

This is precisely WHY  those who carry weapons on horseback though and any one for that matter who packs a horse, irregardless of whether there is a weapon involved or not should know how to dismount and mount from the "off" side.   Or prepare you combat for the fall.  Be adept in mounting and dismounting form both directions of the saddle and thus have your mount responsive accordingly. 

 

The comment with the words "not a natural"  is false.  The words should be what "is  not NORMAL" since most people mount up traditionally.  Do it packed and unpacked.  There is a difference how you get about.

 

Mounting from the traditional side is out of habit derived from days of old when knights carried swords.  Most people are right handed.

 

Your animal needs to be supple and to be able to handle both sides.  You need to be supple as well or at least be prepared to take a fall.  No less do battle if set a foot.  Its when riding becomes ninja.  Things can happen so quick.

 

Thoroughly suppling your animal is not achieved through just longing.  While longing has its points, suppling is not one of them nor can suppleness be acheived by longing alone.  Suppling the animal is acheived by riding, manuvering and practice.  Suppling can also be achieved by ground and saddle excersizes of drawing the horses head to your knee position on both sides however there is a proper way to do this.  It is not just turning the head back.  Its more.  Tying a head to tail is not efficeint in achieving suppleness either.   Nor is tying the horse nose to tail and leaving him to his on accord to move about.  This serves no purpose.  And whipping a horse while tied like that to make him move while tied thus is ignorant and serves no purpose.  Only serves to bully the horse and is cruel.  But then so is being attacked and when then the attacked becomes an attacker.  HOWEVER,

there is no need to be cruel to the horse in any training.

 

One sided horses are a menace to ride.  They not only disrupt the riders posture, the one sided rider can disrupt the horses form to function as well.  Nothing like having a crink in the neck be it your horse or rider at the end of a long day and you are struggling with the one sided monstor, be it you that is not supple or the horse.  And if you start out crinked, chances are your going to end up much worse.  If you are such a rider that is "chronically" one sided, over time, you develop your own methods of escape to cope with your disability as does your horse if it is so prone.   Some problems cannot be fixed.  Conformation faults are one of them.  If you can only bend in one direction, man your position and make it the direction of best defense.

How well do you function under packed gear?  Think about those knights with all that armour.. the only thing back then was they did not have shootings.  When they came off the horse with all that gear, they were toast.  All the knight that was left sitting in the saddle had to do was draw his weapon... the weapon of choice, may not necessarily have been his sword.  His horse was perfectly capable of stomping his downed advisary.

Getting the knight into the saddle was at best difficult in all that plating before the battle pursued.  In todays day, your human advisary should you come on one is more than likely going to be on foot.  Or come from a startle from a hiker, biker or other rude vehicle.

 

Can you or are you able to manuver your horse to the best defensive position when the bad guy comes?  You will never know that until the moment it happens.

 

Distance is your best and only precaution.  But can be a disadvantage when there is more than one bad guy that guy is the one with a bad gun.

 

Common sense is your best defense.  Staying with your mount is your advantage.

 

Just my humble opinion though and as an add on.

 

(Hey was not there a link to the Lippizans?)

 

        Karen

Some trust in chariots, and others in horses , but we will always remember the name of the Lord, our God.  Psalms 20:7   ....and the bay went forth, and sought to go to and fro that they might walk to and fro through the earth and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth.  So they walked to and fro through the earth.  Zec 6:7