Tarps are useful for many things in MSAR, including creating a weather cover
(good post from Chris) and orienting the horse to walking on unfamiliar
footing or to simulate water crossing. Some issues related to the tarp on
the ground offer opportunity for additional training. A loose tarp, or one
with holes / potential snags in it, has potential to get trapped by a hoof
and dragged, creating the potential for a wreck.
Securing the tarp on the ground by weighting the perimeter with dirt or wood
reduces the potential for a snag. Taping torn spots is another good option.
However, teaching the horse to stand still if a foot gets snagged is
excellent training for any horse to prevent panic and reduce potential for
injury, and very useful in MSAR to increase safety.
~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
SAR & CERT
Mounted SAR
www.ceoates.com/msar
----- Original Message -----
From: Chuck Daniel
To: Mounted search and rescue
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: [MSAR] MSAR-Riders Digest, Vol 49, Issue 3
In addition to flag training I also use this for tarp and matress training.
I lucky to have a large arena (190x100) and just put these items out there
for the horses to explore. Once they check them out, I begin training.