Mounted Search and Rescue (MSAR) is a specialized unit which was originally started by Kris and Susan in March of 2003.
Mounted members must pass a strict criteria laid out by the MSAR Instructors, which is then accepted by the Training Officer. Riders ride together for a minimum of 25 hours each year and must re-Certify every 2 years with the MSAR Examiners.
Contact either Kris or Susan if you are interested in learning more about Mounted Search and Rescue. E-mail us at Wishon-Ranch@shaw.ca
Training for the Mounted Team starts in May and runs through till October.
We ride trails all over the Prince George area, including unmapped areas. We may come upon Llama's, as well as other horse's, people, and wildlife. A favourite ride for us is the 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail, outside of Barkerville. This trail makes us realize the obstacles the early settlers faced in the British Columbia wilderness. It also challenges our abilities, as well as the horse's we ride.
Training for MSAR consists of man-made and natural obstacles. During our rides, we cross obstacles such mud, water, bridges, deadfall, and some smaller swamps, to name some. The man-made obstacles consist of bridges, stairs, car washes, tarps, noodles and many others. Each ride is meant to be fun, while at the same time expanding our knowledge and fine-tuning our horses.
Keeping these thoughts in our minds while training or searching for SAR, we keep the safety of equine companions in the forefront.
Whenever trailering our horse's we try to take the time to put either shipping wraps or boots on them, especially over a long distance. Although our preparation is time consuming, our horses are a vital part of our team. If a horse sustains an injury while traveling to a search, they will not be useful to the other teams.
While riding our horse's on a search, we will not jeopardize the safety of the mount to save time. If the mounted team sustains an injury, we will not be of any use to the search.
Keno (a retired Thoroughbred race-horse off the track) and Merlin (a retired show horse and 3-day eventer) are both trained Search and Rescue horses. Both horses are being prepared for a training, or Mock Search, with PG SAR.
We are lucky enough to see some spectacular scenery while we are training for Search and Rescue.
Mountains surrounding Pass Lake (left) during our Mock Search
in June of 2004, and the beginning of a gorgeous evening at Cobb Lake
(right) in the early winter of 2003.
In the camp we all have a chance to socialize both while waiting
for instructions and also at the end of the day after our debriefing.
Of course during an actual mission we do not always have
the constant sun and temperatures in the mid 30's to keep the moods
cheerful.
One method of securing the horses at base camp is an electric fence. This
enables the horses to freely move around while resting during a search.
The electric fence unit we use is small enough to enable us to carry it
in our saddle bags, and it runs on D cell batteries. Search and Rescue
horses must also be trained to stand tied or high-lined for several hours
at a time.
We also use leather halters on the horses in the event that if we
lose a horse in the wilderness, the halters will rot or break if there
is a problem. We have never lost a horse in the wilderness, but we
have heard of others who have.
Sometimes we have members' children with us while on training
missions so the horses will give rides around in the evenings or in
this case during the day.
Keno had acquired a minor injury which laid him up the second day.
I had let a friend take him down to the lake to cool off and heard
that he fallen on a boulder. Accidents happen and Keno was fine
after a couple of days of rest.
Keno is wandering around the campsite loose here. He seems content
to follow Merlin, which is helping keep the swelling down in his knee,
due to the bruising he received from his fall.
I think the best thing about riding horses in the wilderness is all
the wildlife we come across. We have ridden within 150 feet of bears,
who just sat back and watched our antics as we worked the horses in a
pond, or just ridden past. We have also seen deer, moose and numerous
other animals, both large and small.
During one of our rides, Kris and Susan came across a large 350 to 400
pound black bear, which was curious about the dogs and horses. The
horses stood quietly while we took pictures of the bear, which was
watching the dogs at a distance of 40 feet from the horses. The dogs
ignored the bear, and promptly came with us when we called for a slow
retreat. The inquisitive bear followed us for a short while before
losing interest and continuing on its way.
I had the chance to ride a horse Kris had sold to friends of ours earlier this year. We had been working the bay Morgan mare on some of our Search and Rescue training rides prior to the sale.
We rode up towards Frost Lake on a Forestry road and came upon some Forest Service personal working on the roadway. After a short exchange of greetings, we continued on our way. On the far side of the truck, we spotted a young black bear, on its own, heading towards us.
The camera was ready when we passed some White-Tailed Deer.
Kris was able to take this picture of a Bald Eagle watching us ride by on
our training mission at Pass Lake.
Kris and I rode up the mountain side to assist with an evacuation
during our training mission in June 2003. We stopped by a rapid creek to
rest the horses after the long climb and while relaxing we took some
pictures. We rode 22.5 km that day, through dense willows, down
gravel roads and up steep mountainous terrain.
We proved that we could not only track on horseback but we were able
to assist a second ground team in an evacuation.
As in Ground Search and Rescue, the Mounted Teams must also prove they
can spend 24 hours on their own.
Susan and Keno camped beside scenic Cobb Lake while many other members
hiked up the steep hill to set up their camps. Kris and Merlin also
camped by the lake more than 500 meters away. We enjoyed the sound of
the loons and also watched a bear and her cub amble along the far shore.
Fish jumped most of the night while a couple of ducks floated by,
unconcerned by the additional company.
All members of the Mounted Team must be able to do the 24 hour
Survival with their horse. This is a great yearly training exercise. The
Mock Search is another great training exercise, which the Mounted Team has
decided should be attended yearly on horseback as well. All the riders look
forward to getting together with the rest of the SAR unit to prove to others
that we are a useful resource in Search and Rescue.
We encourage other members of SAR to come out and ride the horses so
they have an idea of what the horses are capable of, as well as what
we see from their backs.
Ken Thompkins is guiding Merlin through the water, while Art Eickmeyer
is enjoying a ride down a sun dappled trail. Patti and her daughter
Lynn are taking time off from their busy schedules to enjoy a ride on
Keno and Peppers, both certified Search and Rescue horses.
Mounted Search and Rescue is new in British Columbia and many people
do not understand what a trained equine team is capable of. Although
Kris and Susan have been camping with horses and riding steep mountainous
trails (1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail, Mount Agnes Traverse, Bald Mountain,
etc), trails with large boulders hurled about creek beds, which you
had to ride through (Stouts Gulch, scene of hydro-mining), or
trails with long, winding foot bridges and muskeg (Cranbrook Hill
Greenway), as well as other trails near Barkerville and Prince George.
Prince George Search and Rescue members are still learning how we can
benefit the Ground Search and Rescue Teams.
The Search and Rescue Mounted Division were utilized
during a Mutual Aid Search in 2004 at Anaheim, near Williams Lake as
the only mounted team dispatched at the search. The Team has been
also utilized in Prince George with success.
One of our top Search and Rescue horses had the misfortune to go totally blind in both eyes. She contacted Uveitis at the young age of 5 and was totally blind by the age of 7. During this time we learned to deal with this tragedy as we re-trained her to verbal commands. As she as learned to accept her disability, we have started working with her regularly.
Learn more about our adventures with Myth Behavin, more fondly known as Buffy on her page.
Find out about our training methods at Training the Blind Horse.
Created on November 25, 2003
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