What Your Horse Senses
Ever wonder what your horse sees, hears and otherwise senses on the trail? Experience tells Irv Lichtenstein, chief of operations for the Southeast Pennsylvania Search and Rescue unit, that it's far more than the average rider would guess.
Lichtenstein has been involved in mounted search efforts since 1986 and has ridden on approximately two dozen searches. His partner of 20 years is a 17.2-hand, 1700-pound Percheron gelding named Blackie.
"Blackie is a true search horse," says Irv. "When he is geared up, he transforms into search mode. He explores everything, listens to the wind, watches the trail, and does not relax when he is not the lead in a column of horses. He never makes a noise, but he is always communicating with me. And he knows when to get out of Dodge."
What makes horses such great search partners is they are constantly tuned in, surveying their surroundings, Irv points out. This attention to the world through sight, smell, sound and touch makes them great in the field, where small clues can lead to a missing person.
Irv helps you take a closer look at what your horse senses:
• Your horse can hear the high speed whine of bicycle wheels. He may not associate the person on the bicycle with a walking person, but sees the combined object. The high speed movement and the sound make bicycles a threat until the horse can differentiate the person from the machine.
• Cars and trucks may not make much engine noise anymore, but their tires and running gear still do. The flash of lights or reflections off windows, paint and chrome make vehicles visible to a horse who is looking for movement to betray an object. On the other hand, dirt bikes and ATVs sound like chainsaws and can be very threatening to a horse. On a calm day, your horse may detect a vehicle long before you do.
• Animals, especially deer, may catch your horse's attention. This is because seeing one doe or fawn means others are nearby and may come out of the woods at any time. Horses do not want to collide with deer anymore than you want to hit one with your car. In some areas, deer, elk, or moose can be bigger than your horse.
Lichtenstein believes so strongly in the horse's role in helping to locate missing persons, he has been instrumental in developing training programs and materials used to help SEPSAR and other mounted search and rescue units form.
"We (SEPSAR) are different than a posse in that we are not affiliated with law enforcement, but we are a recognized emergency responder, dispatched by the 9-1-1 center (Emergency Dispatch Services, part of the Dept. of Public Safety) just like a volunteer fire department or rescue squad," he explains. "Pennsylvania is somewhat odd in that as a commonwealth there is no state level agency responsible for wilderness search and rescue by law."
For more information on mounted search and rescue programs, you can contact Irv Lichtenstein at ilichten1@verizon.net.
Go to www.smcmsar.org for information on search and rescue training.
As you and your horse get to know one another better, your horse will come to realize that you want him to talk to you. He will point out wildlife, unusual sights and sounds along the trail, and observe changes from when he last was there. You'll want to key into his body language and note what your horse is paying attention to. This is important communication. You must acknowledge the message and encourage him to continue. Positive reinforcement via a kind "good boy," or a light stroke on the neck, is always useful.
The horse has what the military calls "sensor fusion"-he routinely combines input from all his senses to better identify threats and food. The horse provides an elevated view, another set of eyes, a sensitive nose, and a brain that can often discriminate between what may be a potential threat, the public, and the search subject.
He will tell you about his surroundings. Whether you are traversing eastern forests, western mountains, or the mid-American prairies, he will find hawks, eagles, vultures, owls, small and large game, and other users walking, hiking, biking, or even riding. Your mount will tell you about the world he lives in, and you will listen.
The Search Rider's Role
When you can read your horse's smallest reactions, you'll be on your way to becoming an effective mounted searcher. But you'll require additional training and skills. Besides being able to ride confidently, you'll need to be able to operate within the search community.
You'll need to develop expertise in first aid, the dreaded map-and-compass navigational skills, communications, and incident command system. You'll want experience in trailering, and camping with and caring for your horse in the field. Some of this requires classroom work; other skill development requires on-the-job training. Tracking and clue identification requires both. And the more you do it, the better you'll get at it.
It is necessary to gather like-minded riders to form an effective organization. While ad hoc efforts can be successful, an organized effort is usually more efficient. A broad range of resources increases the chances for success.
Your biggest challenge is gaining the trust of your mount. In the barn, your horse may readily depend on you for feed, shelter, and safety from predators. But when he gets away from the comfort of home, your horse almost always relies on himself or his herd mates for a sense of security. In the field, it is you and him, and you may not always come first in his mind, until he develops a true partnership perspective.
You'll need your horse to be willing to go where you point him-even when where you want to go is not known to be safe. You and your horse must develop a certain type of synergy. Your goal is to find the lost person.
If you or your horse is injured on the job, you become a detriment. Your duty is to keep yourself and your horse out of trouble so you remain an active resource for the search team. This is one effort where coming home safe is important.
