Mounted search and rescue

["David leadbetter" <dleadbetter1@aapt.net.au>]

Jorenes comment about cow horses actively looking for cattle reminds me the way a good polocrosse horse will follow the game and the ball.

 

Linda

SES Mounted section

Perth W.A 

----- Original Message -----

From: Jorene Downs

To: 'Mounted search and rescue'

Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 12:46 PM

Subject: Re: [MSAR] Fw: Air Scenting Horse's

The horse/mule actually trained to air scent and alert I see as a specialty for MSAR. Terry was the originator of that type of training for equine a decade or so ago, and still teaches around the country. www.airscentinghorse.com (I can recall discussion on this forum years ago when certain people openly disagreed that a horse can be trained for this. At the time I believe I suggested the nay-sayers go talk with some working cowboys about how repetition trained their ranch horse to consciously look for cattle. Since horses can scent discriminate, it doesn’t take much of a mental step to figure out you can also train that horse to consciously look for people, or even for a specific scent.)

 

While I don’t see all riders trying to train their horse to air scent and alert, understanding how the equine is your search partner - and how to effectively use that search partner - I see as being fundamental knowledge for all MSAR riders. “Look where the horse looks” should be basic training.

 

Riders and management interested in the subject of the air scenting horse should be aware that the “natural alert” from your equine search partner may involve clue detection using of the nose, eyes, ears, or a combination.  You may find my 2006 article on that topic to be of interest - www.ceoates.com/msar    on Mounted SAR: Equine Clue Detection

 

If you don’t already know the basics of scent theory and how it relates to the equine, make a point of gaining that knowledge. There are riders around the country who are now training with local SAR Dog handlers on more effective use of the equine as a natural search partner. Keep in perspective how sometimes K9 has the advantage, and other times Equine has the advantage, so partnering K9 and Equine can be very advantageous.

 

- - - - - -

Jorene Downs

SAR & CERT

Mounted SAR

www.ceoates.com/msar  

KJ6JCD

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