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Subject: Mounted search and rescue
List archive
Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc
- From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
- To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc
- Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:33:58 -0700
Title: Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc
Sherrel, I'm guessing you're interested in the air scenting horse training. www.airscentinghorse.com Yes, it works. I know riders who have taken Terry's training and use the skills. I've seen it applied in person, although that was actually a test for 2 horses doing HRD certification testing designed for dogs. Both horses passed the test first attempt (well within the time limit), including the yearling miniature horse, following the scent cone in to the source. I was expecting to see success, and I did, because the equine olfactory senses are similar to a dog's. And similar to a dog, the horse learns through repetition. Consider that generations of working ranch horses have learned (by repetition) that the rider is looking for cattle. Those working ranch horses end up also looking for cattle and alerting their rider. Terry - he's a professional horse trainer and also a prior SAR dog handler - took the next step and asked the horse to focus on a different scent. Essentially, like a dog, the horse can be trained to be scent-specific regarding what to seek and alert on ... for humans in the area, human remains detection, narcotics, etc. Someone who knows horses well and knows how to train a search dog should be able to accomplish this kind of training, but Terry is the person who opened this door for MSAR and law enforcement application. Horses will naturally alert, but training that is scent-specific is the next step. A horse's nose can touch the ground and reach high in the air, and with the right training can be trained to use a combination of trailing, air scenting, and other senses to follow a specific human's scent and locate. After all, horses will do just that in the wild ... following the scent to locate others in the herd that are no longer in sight. Horses and dogs can be very good at partnering during an incident, because the strategy is based on the different strengths / weaknesses of that animal as a searcher. Sometimes it is wiser to send a dog out, and other times a horse, sometimes both. Very complimentary. So I recommend that local MSAR partner with local SAR Dog handlers for training, to the benefit of both. Even with that basic repetition the horse will quickly get the idea you're looking for a human, much like the ranch horse looks for cattle. Also consider while the dog is smaller, much more "portable", and can get places the larger horse can't, the horse can be trained from a young age and has a working life expectancy about 3 times longer than a working SAR dog. I can see the smaller and more "portable" miniature horse being trained as a larger "SAR Dog" with a longer life expectancy, with the disadvantage of not being able to ride him. In the future of MSAR, I can see a stronger emphasis on the horse as a search partner and more riders on horses who - at minimum - are like the ranch horse, but looking for a human instead of cattle. Of course, incident management needs to be aware of the capabilities and know how to effectively use the mounted resource. Many in management still perceive the horse primarily as transportation, not as a search partner with unique effective capabilities. I think you might find some interesting reading on my web pages, with PDF copies of various published articles I wrote specific to more effective use of the mounted resource. One article was regarding the horse as a search partner. www.ceoates.com/msar ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Jorene Downs SAR, CERT, Emergency Communications Mounted SAR KJ6JCD From: sleininger@myfrontiermail.com |
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[MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Jorene Downs, 04/19/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Paul Fleming, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
sleininger, 04/20/2011
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[MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Jorene Downs, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc,
sleininger, 04/20/2011
- Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc, Jorene Downs, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc,
sleininger, 04/20/2011
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[MSAR] Working a dog from the saddle / Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Jorene Downs, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
sleininger, 04/20/2011
- Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc, Rick Tracy, 04/21/2011
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc, hoofbeat@columbus.rr.com, 04/19/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
pennbo, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Jorene Downs, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
T'mi Finkle, 04/20/2011
- Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc, Jorene Downs, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
T'mi Finkle, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Paul Fleming, 04/20/2011
- Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc, Joseph C. Huston, 04/20/2011
- Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc, Jorene Downs, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Jorene Downs, 04/20/2011
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Re: [MSAR] Tracking from the saddle, etc,
Paul Fleming, 04/20/2011
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