As much as you may hate to hear it, sometimes it is simply safer to
resume the search at first light.
Tomi' Finkle
TROT Search & Rescue Mounted Team
State of Maryland
I am in complete agreement. Our primary objective is to not make the
situation any worse than it already is. We accomplish our primary objective
by being prepared in everything from proper maintenance of our tow-vehicles
and trailers, conditioning and training ourselves and horses, and by
recognizing our limitations in order to avoid redirecting resources from
the search in order to extricate an injured rider or injured horse from the
search area.
Night searches are unavoidable but (at least in the rugged terrain of
north-central Arizona) should be limited to familiar trails and terrain and
extremely urgent circumstances, and even then, it may be prudent to leave
the horses in base-camp and search on foot until first light.
Roger Eads
Coordinator
Yavapai County Sheriff's Mounted Unit