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treq-nm - Re: [TREQ-NM] wilderness First aid, orienteering, search and rescue

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Subject: Trail building equestrians of New Mexico

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  • From: Una Smith <una.smith AT att.net>
  • To: Trail building equestrians of New Mexico <treq-nm AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [TREQ-NM] wilderness First aid, orienteering, search and rescue
  • Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 08:52:32 -0600

Deb <dspenni AT aol.com> wrote:
>Una, I would like to see a Wilderness first aid for both horse and rider
>sometime
>mid June. We could hold it in the Fort Stanton area.

Do you want a formal Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course, complete with
certification
from a recognized training provider? The WFA course offered by Wilderness
Medical
Institute is 16 to 24 hours long. As far as I know, it has no veterinary
content,
but much of what is taught is relevant to horses as well as humans.

Some random remarks about wilderness first aid for horses...

In my experience, the equine injury in the wilderness that is most common and
calls
for intervention, is soreness somewhere causing pain and limping or
reluctance to
move. The horse isn't going to reach a road and trailer except by walking
there
(helicopter hoists are dramatic but rare, and not without risks, so
appropriate only
when likelihood is high that the horse will die if not hoisted). Having bute
on
hand is helpful, or you may need to stay where you are for a few days. In the
context of a CTR or endurance race, though, rarely are you very far from a
road.
Damaged shoes are another common problem, that if not dealt with promptly
often
cause injury. Get practice pulling shoes. Ask your farrier to schedule time
in
his next shoeing to coach you in pulling off your horse's shoes. Learn what
tools
you need. Some people can do the job with just a multitool; others do better
with farrier tools.

Re mounted orienteering, anyone experienced in designing orienteering courses
and
teaching orienteering can help. The problem is I don't know of any
orienteering
course designers south of Albuquerque. For a good training course, you do
need a
skilled course designer. Course design is done partly on maps, so you could
work
with someone remote (like me). You would still need two people with
experience
in orienteering to go to Fort Stanton to set and vet the course. Setting and
vetting must be done by different people! With New Mexico Orienteers I have
been
designing courses, setting and vetting courses in the field, and running
meets
for about 6 years now, all in Los Alamos. (If anyone here wants to learn
about
orienteering, see the NMO website www.nm-orienteers.org and come to some of
our
meets. Come early, so we have time to give you some free coaching.)

There are orienteering clubs in east Texas, and NMO has a member in west Texas
who is very experienced. He often comes to meets early to help vet the
courses.
He may be willing to help with training. To locate an orienteering club, see
http://www.us.orienteering.org/, the "CLUBS" link on the sidebar.

If you are interested in search and rescue, consider attending the New Mexico
state
SAR conference April 30-May 2 at Philmont Scout Ranch. The conference is
very low
cost and includes mounted SAR. To isolate the Philmont horse herd from
infectious
diseases, horses may not be brought to the conference. For schedule and
other info
see http://www.nmsarc.org/ESCAPE.htm .

Una Smith
New Mexico




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