The
Whitewater Area Mounted Search Team and Rescue is a trained, and will be a fully equipped unit, capable of serving the public as a qualified resource that assists in locating lost or missing persons in Walworth, Rock, and
Jefferson counties. We use well-trained horses that are able to search large tracts of forest, snowmobile/bike trails, open fields and other terrain to locate such things as downed aircraft, lost hunters, or hikers lost in the woods.
The search rider of a mounted unit must adhere to all requirements for search training provided by Search & Rescue. The horses of the mounted team must also meet the acceptable standards for Search & Rescue.
Advantages of a Mounted Unit
Horses are valuable searchers. They do not track scents, like dogs, but they do have highly developed senses of hearing, smell, and sight. They are instinctively aware of their surroundings and will alert on anything out of the ordinary, especially the presence of another human or animal.
They can detect something well in advance of the rider. A good mounted team will investigate anything that attracts the horse's attention.
By using horse and rider teams we are able to gain the following advantages:
• Mounted teams are better able to perform a quick search and containment due to the fast travel speed without sacrificing clues.
• Mounted teams are not hindered by such things as terrain, climate, ground cover, or length of time missing.
• Mounted teams receive regular training, including simulated rescue missions over actual terrain.