Mounted Search and Rescue Teams by State

I've been an active Search & Rescue volunteer since 2007 with the Coconino County Sheriff's SAR Team in northern Arizona.

Search and Rescue on Horseback

This is not an exhaustive list of Mounted Search & Rescue Units. This is a list of MSAR units in the United States that have a website or some sort of online presence or contact information and include volunteer members. Some links go directly to the Sheriff's office sites that oversee the units.

If your team or one you know of is not yet included in the directory, please email the information to ramkitten2000@yahoo.com or leave a message in the guestbook below, so I can add the team to the directory.

FYI: If you see "none" for a state, that does not mean there are no Mounted SAR units there, just that I don't have information for any ... yet.

About Mounted SAR

Mounted Search and Rescue (MSAR) is a specialty within search and rescue, using horses for transportation and to search for missing persons. SAR responders on horseback are primarily a search resource, but they also can provide off-road logistics support and transportation.

To participate in mounted SAR, it's important to know what to look for in your horse's attitude and training for a good search and rescue mount. Not all horses will make good search and rescue horses.

Join a Discussion Group

MSAR-Riders is an electronic mailing list for mutual support of horse riders who participate in mounted search and rescue (MSAR).

See the MSAR-Riders Info Page

Learn About Being Part of a Search & Rescue Team

Becoming a Search and Rescue Volunteer

Are you intrigued by stories about wilderness rescues and searches for missing hikers or mountain climbers? If so, perhaps becoming a Search and Rescue volunteer....

Alabama

• Alabama Mounted Search and Rescue (Autauga County)
• Calhoun County Mounted Patrol and Sheriff's Posse
• Childersburg Rescue Squad: Dispatched through Talladega County 911 or directly by calling Jim Dennis 256-391-5590 or Jackie Harris 205-966-7103
  
• Etowah County Sheriff's Mounted Unit
• Mobile County Sheriff's Office Mounted Unit and Sheriff's Posse

Alaska

• MATSAR Search & Rescue: PO Box 876467Wasilla, Alaska 99687 (907)745-6727

Arizona

• Apache County Sheriff's Posse
• Cochise County Sheriff's Office SAR Posse, Mounted Team
• Coconino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Unit, Mounted Team
• Gila County Sheriff's Office Mounted Posse
• Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Mounted Posse
• Queen Creek Mounted Search and Rescue Posse
• Scottsdale Mounted Posse
• Southern Arizona Mounted Search and Rescue, Inc. (SAMSAR), Pima County
• Yavapai County Sheriff's Response Team, Mounted Unit

Arkansas

• Franklin County Search and Rescue
• Washington County Search & Rescue, Mounted Unit

California

• Alameda and Contra Costa Counties East Bay Regional Park District Search and Rescue
• Butte County Sheriff's Mounted Posse: contact through the Butte County Sheriff's Communications Reserve
• Contra Costa County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team
• El Dorado County Sheriff's Office SAR Mounted Unit
• Glenn County Sheriff's Posse
• Kern County Sheriff's Department Glennville Search and Rescue
• Lomita Station Mounted Posse (Los Angeles County)
• United States Army Volunteer Reserve (USAVR) Mounted Cavalry Task Force (Los Angeles County)
• Marin County Mounted Sheriff's Posse
• Mariposa County Sheriff's Posse
• Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD)
• Monterey County Sheriff's Mounted Unit
• Placer County Sheriff's Department Mounted Unit
• Norco Mounted Posse (Riverside County)
• Temecula Valley Police Posse (Riverside County)
• Sacramento County Sheriff's Mounted Search and Rescue
• San Benito County Sheriff's Volunteer Mounted Search Unit
• San Bernardino County Mounted Posse
• Santa Clara County Trail Patrols
• Chino Police Mounted Posse (San Bernadino County)
• San Diego County Sheriff's Department SAR Mounted Unit
• San Mateo County Sheriff's Mounted Search & Rescue
• San Mateo County Parks Volunteer Horse Patrol
• Sutter County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Ventura County Mounted Volunteer Patrol (specially training in scent detection)

Colorado

• El Paso County Sheriff's Mounted Unit
• Jefferson County Jeffco Mounted Search & Rescue
• Mesa County Sheriff's Posse
• Montezuma County Sheriff's Posse
• Montrose County Sheriff's Office Mounted Posse
• Weld County Sheriff's Posse

Connecticut

• Department of Environmental Protection, State Forest and Park Service Equestrian Program, Volunteer Horse Patrol

Delaware

• DELMARVA Search and Rescue Group, Mounted Unit (serving Delaware, Maryland and Virginia)
• Trail Riders of Today Search and Rescue (TROTSAR) (New Castle County)

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Florida

• Hernando County Sheriff's Mounted Patrol Unit
• Hillsborough County Sheriff's Mounted Enforcement Team and Mounted Posse
• Lake County Sheriff's Office Mounted Patrol and Posse
• Leon County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Santa Rosa Sheriff's Mounted Posse

Georgia

• Bibb County Middle Georgia Mounted Search and Rescue Team
• West Georgia Mounted SAR based in Douglasville

Hawaii

None found so far

Idaho

• Latah County Mounted Sheriff's Posse

Illinois

• Bureau County Mounted Search and Rescue (BCMSAR)
• Douglas County Mounted Search & Rescue
• Kane County Mounted Rangers
• Lake County Mounted Posse

Indiana

• Delaware County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Volunteer Program
• St. Joseph County Sheriff's Posse

Iowa

• Mahaska County Sheriff's Mounted Posse

Kansas

• Saline County Sheriff's Office Mounted Patrol & Rescue Squad
• Shawnee County Sheriff's Office Mounted Posse

Kentucky

Update: The below-listed individual counties, along with the Buffalo Trace Mounted Patrol, are now combined into one state-wide unit: The Kentucky Mounted Patrol.

• Bourbon County Mounted Patrol
• Franklin County Mounted Patrol
• Grant County Mounted Patrol
• Hart County Mounted Patrol
• Jefferson County Mounted Patrol
• Lee County Mounted Patrol
• Mason County Buffalo Trace Mounted Patrol
• Mercer County Mounted Patrol
• Nelson County Mounted Patrol
• Nicholas County

Hardin County Mounted Search and Rescue is a stand-alone unit in Kentucky.

Tri-County Mounted Search and Rescue is based in Cave City. Contact their chief, Danny Hatcher, with questions at 270-590-1230.

Louisiana

• Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office Mounted Patrol

Maine

• Maine Mounted Search and Rescue

Maryland

• Trail Riders of Today Search and Rescue (TROTSAR)
• DELMARVA Search and Rescue Group, Mounted Unit (serving Delaware, Maryland and Virginia)

Massachusetts

• Granby Regional Horse Council, Inc. (MMSAR II)
• MASOOI Mounted Search and Rescue (MMSAR I)

Michigan

• Calhoun County Sheriff's Mounted Division
• Bay Area Mounted Search and Rescue (BAMSAR) (Menominee County and adjacent parts of Wisconsin)
• Augusta Township Mounted Patrol (Washtenaw County)
• Great Lakes Search Team (GLST) (Serving southwest Michigan)

Minnesota

• Becker County Sheriffs Mounted Posse
• Carver County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Crow Wing County Sheriff's Volunteer Mounted Patrol
• Goodhue County Sheriff's Posse
• Marshall County Mounted Sheriff’s Posse (100+ members; No website--contact Terry Nowacki at wwfarm@wiktel.com)
• Meeker County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Polk County Sheriff's Posse
• Sherburne County Sheriff's Office Mounted Patrol
• Sibley County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Steele County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Todd County Mounted Sheriff's Posse
• Winona County Sheriffs Mounted Posse
• Wright County Sheriff's Office Mounted Patrol

Mississippi

None found so far

Missouri

• Eureka Fire Protection District Mounted Search and Rescue Team (St. Louis and Jefferson Counties)

Montana

• Gallatin County Sheriff's Posse

Nebraska

• Wild Land Mounted Search Team - Please call 308-991-8602 for more information while the site is down

Nevada

• Douglas County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Lyon County Sheriff's Search and Rescue (also developing an equine scent detection and tracking team using mustangs)

New Hampshire

• N.H. Governor's Horse Guards Search Unit (a resource for N.H. Fish & Game, Unit IV only) -- See the article Governor's Horse Guards No Longer Ceremonial

New Jersey

None found so far

New Mexico

• Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse

See also: MSAR-NM, a discussion group about Mounted SAR in New Mexico, where you can find out about other mounted units in the state.

New York

• Niagara County Sheriff's Department Mounted Division
• Wyoming County Sheriff's Posse

North Carolina

• Southeastern Mounted Rescue Team of North Carolina (Columbus County)

North Dakota

• Sheriff's Posse Urgent Response Squad (aka SPURS): contact via City of Cando, North Dakota (See also: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_nd/22846800)

Ohio

• East Fork Mounted Search and Rescue (Clermont County)
• Tri-State Search and Rescue (Hamilton County)
• Hardin County Mounted Posse
• Knox County Kokosing Valley Mounted Search & Rescue
• Medina County Sheriff's Mounted Unit
• Mounted Posse Horseback Search & Rescue Team (Ross County)
• Summit County Sheriff's Mounted Patrol
• Warren County Mounted Search Team

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office Mounted Patrol (Facebook page)
• OKMSAR- Oklahoma Mounted Search and Rescue (link no longer good)
• Oklahoma Search and Rescue Council (Facebook page)

Oregon

• Baker County Sheriff's Posse
• Clackamas County Sheriff's Posse
• Columbia County Mounted Posse
• Coos County Sheriff's Posse
• Crook County Search and Rescue
• Deschutes County SAR
• Douglas County Mounted Search and Rescue
• Harney County Sheriff's Posse
• Jackson County Sheriff's Mounted Search and Rescue Unit
• Josephine County Sheriff's Posse
• Lincoln County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Marion County Sheriff's Office Mounted Posse (Scroll down to mounted unit info.)
• Yamhill County Search and Rescue

Pennsylvania

• Erie County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Greater Philadelphia SAR, Mounted Unit
• Middle Creek SAR Horse Team (Lancaster County)
• Southeast Pennsylvania Search and Rescue (Montgomery County, also serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia counties)
• Trail Riders of Today Search and Rescue (TROTSAR)

Rhode Island

None found so far

South Carolina

• Lowcountry Mounted Search and Rescue (Charleston County)
• S.T.A.R.R. Team (Search Tactics and Rescue/Recovery): Link is to their Facebook page--website URL was not working last I checked. This team has K9, ground and mounted units.

South Dakota

• Civil Air Patrol 53rd (Philip) Mounted Patrol (Haakon County)

Tennessee

None found so far

Texas

• Statewide: The United Mounted Peace Officers of Texas (TUMPOT) (According to their website, there are 102 mounted units in 254 counties in the state of Texas.)
• East Texas Mounted Search and Rescue
• Grayson County Sheriff's Posse
• Guadalupe County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Harris County Sheriff's Department Mounted Patrol and Posse
• Jim Wells County Mounted Sheriff's Posse
• Kleberg County Sheriff's Mounted Patrol
• Medina County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• Montgomery County Search & Rescue Team
• Texas EquuSearch (North Galveston County)
• Parker County Sheriff's Posse
• Randall County Randall County Sheriff's Posse
• Williamson County Sheriff's Posse
• Wise County Sheriff's Department Mounted Patrol

Utah

• Cache County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
• The Garrett Bardsley Foundation (Utah County)
• Weber County Sheriff's Mounted Posse

Vermont

• Vermont Mounted Response Unit

Virginia

• Commonwealth Search and Rescue (Botetourt County): Link is to their Facebook page--website URL was not working last I checked.
• DELMARVA Search and Rescue Group, Mounted Unit (serving Delaware, Maryland and Virginia)
• Piedmont Search and Rescue: a ground team out of Richmond that has several mounted team members and is certified through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Available throughout the state of Virginia by request of the state (VDEM)
• Search and Rescue Club of Virginia Tech (Montgomery County)
• Trail Riders of Today Search and Rescue (TROTSAR)

Washington

• King County Northwest Horseback Search and Rescue
• Peninsula Mounted Search and Rescue (Pierce County)

See also: MSAR post with a list of Mounted units in Washington counties, including independent groups

West Virginia

• Trail Riders of Today Search and Rescue (TROTSAR)

Wisconsin

• Blue Hills Mounted Search and Rescue (Facebook page only)
• Whitewater Area Mounted Search Team and Rescue (WAMSTAR) (Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth Counties)
• Northwoods Mounted Search and Rescue (Oneida County): See http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/nmsr/
• North Pines Mounted Search and Rescue (Serving Polk County and surrounding counties)
• Valley Mounted Volunteers: a non profit, volunteer group of horse riders and non riders based in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin, with members spread across Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca and Dodge counties.
• Wisconsin Mounted Search and Rescue: a non profit based in based in Grand Marsh, Wausau and Adams, Wisconsin

Wyoming

None found so far

Canadian Mounted SAR

• Advanced Tactical Training Search & Rescue, Ontario (also ground, canine, UAV and marine SAR) http://attsar.ca/

Looking for Ground/Mountain, K9 or International SAR Teams? See more directories on....

• Deb's Search & Rescue Stories
  My own SAR experience, team directories, Search & Rescue reading, and more

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2010 Deb Kingsbury

Questions or comments about Mounted SAR? Or Search and Rescue in general

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on September 24, 2018:

Hi, Mac. I'm not sure if you're asking me who you should contact, but I have no knowledge of any specific SAR teams other the one I belong to and a little about a few teams we sometimes work with on joint missions. But those are here in Arizona.

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on December 10, 2017:

Have you contacted NASAR? That's where I would suggest you start. As a volunteer SAR member, myself, I'm not all that knowledgeable about the rules and regulations for starting new SAR teams, most of which operate under local Sheriff's departments. I know there are private non-profits SAR units, but not how they operate. Again, the National Association for Search and Rescue may be able to help you get started.

Donna m Thornton on December 08, 2017:

I am looking for all the help I can get on starting a search and rescue in my county willing to take any training available . Help would be greatly appreciate to get this going I need some training as quick as I can so I can propose we r willing and able to perform our duty .... please message me on facebook at donnam Vaughn Thornton

Mac Moad on August 22, 2017:

Sequoyah County SCMSAR, Sallisaw Oklahoma. Active team unit affiliated with Sequoyah County Sheriffs office and Sequoyah County Emergency Management. Established 23 February, 2016.

Facebook page website. Please add to your list. Thank you for your time and effort.

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on June 07, 2016:

Hi, Nancy. I'm sorry I'm just now seeing your message. (Somehow I didn't receive a notification.) I'll get your team added. Do you have a website URL yet? Thank you!

Nancy Murray on April 30, 2016:

Hello,

I am Nancy Murray, President of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Posse, a Mounted Search and Rescue, founded in 1948. Please add us to the list. We are in the process of making our very first Web Site, coming this summer 2016.

Thank you, Nancy

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on March 15, 2015:

Hi Colleen. Will do! Thank you so much.

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on October 10, 2013:

@Drbrazel: Will do! Thank you.

Drbrazel on October 10, 2013:

I would like to have you list our MSAR group in your state directory. We are a 501c3 corporation and our unit was organized in 2010. We are West Georgia Mounted Search and Rescue located in Douglasville, ga. Our website is Www.wgmsar.com and contact is Norm Brazel at 678-654-4291.

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on October 02, 2013:

@possegal: Thanks for the information. I sure will.

possegal on October 01, 2013:

I am the Chief Deputy for the Jefferson County Mounted Sheriff's Posse. We are a non-profit organization, not affiliated with law enforcement. The Posse was incorporated in 1964. We provide security, search and rescue, participate in parades and help in the community wherever needed. Please add us to your list of SAR groups in Kentucky. Thank you, Laurie Jackson

anonymous on August 21, 2013:

EAST TEXAS MOUNTED SEARCH AND RESCUE

etmsar.org

mariacarbonara on May 26, 2013:

Really useful for those that need to know asap

anonymous on April 24, 2013:

Newly formed MSAR in Oklahoma. Lots of work still ahead......You have a Great site, good info. Will make a info/referance link for us! Thanks...

OKMSAR.com

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on April 05, 2013:

@anonymous: Thanks for the information!

anonymous on April 05, 2013:

KENTUCKY - previously listed individual counties and the Buffalo Trace Mounted Patrol are now combined into one State-Wide Unit: The Kentucky Mounted Patrol. Contact information previously listed for individual counties is still correct. New information available on the Facebook page or web site

CristianStan on March 07, 2013:

Thank you so much for this list. I will save this lens if I ever need it

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on March 04, 2013:

@anonymous: Hi, Jody. I see there's a contact link on the site, so at least there's that, and the form that comes up is definitely geared towards new folks. So that's good. The links could be a bit darker and more noticeable, I guess. And maybe you could include something just after the intro paragraph on the home page, giving the contact link again and inviting anyone interested in being part of your mounted unit or participating in another area of SAR to use the form. You could also invite visitors to look around at the photos and videos. Many SAR websites I've seen tend to be more geared towards members but invite people who are interested in get in touch and browse the site.

anonymous on March 04, 2013:

This is Jody again, I noticed on our website we don't have any contact numbers what do you suggest we do for that, it looks more member friendly than public friendly !

anonymous on March 04, 2013:

Hi again, here is our web site...www.npmsr.webs.com

thanks

Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on March 03, 2013:

@anonymous: Absolutely! Do you have a team website?

anonymous on March 03, 2013:

Hi, we at North Pines Mounted Search and Rescue, serving Polk County, Wisconsin, and surrounding counties, would like to join your Listing

loolabell on June 23, 2012:

@RinchenChodron: good

southridgefarmsinc on January 24, 2012:

It's a great service that they provide!

A_D_Solutions on September 26, 2011:

Very interesting lens.

UKGhostwriter on March 19, 2011:

I'm SAR in the UK

RinchenChodron on February 22, 2011:

Congrats on being featured in the Best of Lenses!