Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

There can be considerable differences in the missions of various mounted groups, as well as they way they train.  Where the sheriff is the primary law enforcement agency in the county a posse may be just that, a group of on-call citizens who assist with catching bad guys.  They are more often a group of reserve deputies used for major events (crowd and traffic control), public relations, and patrol relief.  In those areas where the sheriff is legally responsible for lost person search in the field it will depend on

How the full time deputy in charge of the posse handles the training and responses.

Mounted SAR organizations, often non-government organizations, have as their primary mission finding lost persons.  Many also have large animal emergency rescue training to assist other agencies at the scenes of large animal emergencies, such as livestock trailer wrecks, barn fires, floods, etc. as well as to rescue their mounts in case of emergency.

The use of horses as discriminating air scent animals has been subject of scholarly papers since at least 1986 in the United States and is now accepted as a best practice in many areas.  Some mounts have been followed as air scent animals for over 20 years of service and multiple searches in the literature.  There are several papers in the MSAR archives and a magazine article is reproduced at www.sepasar.net. I would be interested in reviewing your work if possible.

 

Irv Lichtenstein

SEPASAR

 

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From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Naturalhorse101@aol.com
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2012 9:50 AM
To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [MSAR] Sheriff's Posse versus MSAR

 

Long time lurker here gleaning a wealth of much appreciated information. (And have incidentally developed a training format to use air scent rescue horses to help find lost children.)

 

I was recently confronted with a statement on the Internet that 'all Sheriff's Posse are the same as MSAR.

 

I would appreciate any references and/or individual contacts to clarify this issue.

 

Thanks ever so much!

 

Sincerely,  

 

Chuck & Kids
Lady, Able, Sundance & Combustion
(and Boss, Rebel & Nikki)