Search and rescue teams, the military and police, border patrol officers, all employ the unique talents of “sniffer dogs.” We’ve seen footage of these dogs in the news, searching for survivors at catastrophic events like the recent condo collapse in Surfside, Florida, or we’ve witnessed them firsthand being walked through baggage claim at airports. The dogs are highly-trained professionals. And now, they have competition: sniffer horses (and ponies).
The practice of “equine air scenting” is used by various organizations in Western Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, where some horses are also trained in drug detection. Currently there are no ‘professional’ equine sniffers in Ontario, but that might soon change.
The Ontario Mounted Special Service Unit (OMSSU), a non-profit organization made up of volunteers, is currently training horses in the air scent division with the hopes of being given work in the fields that require such a service. Cindy Fuerth, director of OMSSU, told Global News that the group is planning to expand and hire in the coming year by recruiting around 20 riders to the program. The program will involve the owners/riders and their horses to complete intensive training. Riders will also take online and in-person classes.
Dr. Julie Corkett and Kat.
Dr. Julie K. Corkett is an associate professor at Nipissing University’s Schulich School of Education, and a horse owner. She practices air scenting with her two horses, one of whom can find a missing person 1 km away. Dr. Corkett is also actively involved with OMSSU as a training officer and member of the board of directors.
According to Dr. Corkett, horses who excel in air scenting are those who are naturally curious, the animals who are always sticking their noses into things. She explains that her eight-year-old PRE, Kat, “can’t walk past a barrel or a new object without going to investigate.”
Air scenting horses must also have a degree of independence. If a horse will not move an inch without direction from its rider/handler, then it won’t make a good air scent horse because it needs to take the lead.
A variety of training exercises are used to teach a horse to air scent. One exercise Dr. Corkett does with her horses is pairing a scent rag with food. Specifically, the horse must touch the scent rag with their nose and then immediately receive a food reward.
“I then slowly increase the distance between the horse and the scent rag. As the horse progresses in their training, I will increase the complexity of the search by hiding the scent rag inside of another object, introducing distraction scents, varying the terrain and finding more than one scent,” she says.
Once a horse becomes skilled at that, then a “complex search” such as hanging a scent rag out her car window, driving 2 km away and hiding the scent rag is attempted. “I then head back to the barn, tack up, and have her search for the rag,” Dr. Corkett says. “A search of this nature has several challenges: distance, asphalt, weak scent drift, and traffic. I have also taken clothing worn by family members and have hidden it in the bush.”
All horses have the ability to scent, but like any other discipline it requires serious training time. Dr. Corkett says that horses will quickly understand the concept of touching their nose to a scent rag and finding that rag 20 metres away, usually within three hours. But, unless training sessions are consistent, at least two times per week, a horse won’t progress.
As for scent detection, horses differ versus sniffer dogs but one isn’t better than the other. The main difference comes down to each species’ distinct evolutionary predisposition. “One is a predator, while the other is prey. This simple difference enables horses to bring unique traits to a search,” Dr. Corkett explains.
An example she gives in terms of olfactory ability is that horses’ noses are able to reach from ground level to 2 m (7’) or more above. That range is nearly double what the average dog can detect. Dogs also pant, which can interfere with its ability to smell. However, when horses get tired or hot their nostrils flare, which increases their air scenting ability.
“Another natural ability horses have over dogs pertains to the position of the eyes,” Dr. Corkett says. “Dogs have eyes that are positioned in the front of their head, while horses’ eyes are on the side of their head. This enables horses to have almost 360 degrees view of their surroundings. Finally, while dogs and horses have similar hearing abilities, horses have one advantage when it comes to searching. A horse can listen to two different directions at the same time. Therefore, a horse’s ears can point to what they are seeing in the bush.”
Air scenting is something anyone can try at home with their own horse, even if the goal is only to have fun, learn something new and give your horse the chance to problem-solve. Adds Dr. Corkett, “Equine air scenting builds and strengthens the relationship of trust and partnership with your equine.”
