Members of The South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association Mounted Team (Photo Courtesy Colton McKee)

By Teagan Rasche

Search and Rescue Mounted team

Volunteers saving lives on horseback

Mar 29, 2021 | 5:05 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – This isn’t a Sunday trail ride in the coulees.

Volunteers and their horses are working on their skills.

Jessica Tory leads the mounted team with the South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association. (SEASAR) She says the team plays an important role in search efforts.

“If the road is too narrow for the vehicles, we can get out there a heck of a lot faster,” Tory said. “They also don’t leave tracks that can be confused with a hiker or bike.”

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Using horses is very beneficial for search and rescuers. They can cover more land and in greater detail than other units.

Volunteers can see more and rely on the horse’s senses for help.

“We had a search that we were on that was through a cornfield and up and down coulees,” Tory said. “Horses can get up and down the coulees a lot better than ATVs and bikes.”

In some years, the mounted team may be called upon up to 25 times to help.

While searching on horseback, volunteers can focus entirely on the path ahead as they are not multitasking trying to drive a vehicle.

“How much fun it is where you can find something that’s as small as a dime in a blade of grass,” volunteer Lora Sanduliak, said.

Tory would like to expand the mounted squad as currently there are only seven volunteers.

They are looking for people who own or lease a horse and are prepared to go through some training.

There is a big list of things horses have to be able to do.

“They have to be nice, calm and quiet, not worried about the noises,” Tory said. “Be able to ride beside traffic, go into water, go in rivers, go up and down hills. You have to be able to do 10 kilometers in an hour.”

Tory says being a member at SEASAR is a rewarding experience and crucial in emergencies.

One volunteer loves that she can make a difference in her province.

“I want to help the community and do the best I can and help anyone in need,” volunteer Becky Rose, said.

Horses are known to have a calming effect on people. They can add another level of comfort to those who are found.