Training Highlights
MSAR maintains our skills with weekly organized rides, twice monthly MSAR trainings, and regularly scheduled Interagency Search and Rescue Excersises (SAREX).
Check out some of the ways we have expended our knowledge!
Equine Scent Detection
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Horses are natural scenters (to avoid predators)
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They scent from the ground to 6 feet high
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Dogs are better when there’s ground foliage
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On a search, horses are not looking for persons; they are looking for a scent/odor
Helicopter Training
Helicopters are sometimes utilized to evacuate injured subjects from remote locations. Our horses need exposure while in a calm setting so they are not spooked when they see them in the field. Med Evac provides helicopter education and desensitization training for our horses and riders.
Interagency Search and Rescue Exercises
(SAREX)
Annual SAREX's are held so that all four volunteer agencies who assist Boulder County Emergency Services can train together on large scale scenarios.
Night Rides
Many of our call-outs for lost persons occur in the evening or night. Our horses and riders need exposure through night ride trainings so that we're better prepared for real world challenges.
Big Useful Livestock Lessons (BULL)
Code 3 taught us how to properly package an injured horse, and how to get large animals moved out of the field so they can receive necessary medical attention. This included learning how to set up a proper pulley system to enable the movement of very heavy weights.
Packing Clinic
Our horses are useful for packing heavy equipment into the field. They can also pack injured or deceased subjects out of the field when they are located deep in the mountains.
Organized Team Rides (OTRs)
In order to be familiar with trails within our territory of Boulder County, we ride as a team on a weekly basis during summer, and monthly during the winter. Many of our OTR's include a training focus, such as GPS, mapping or grid search practice.