TECHNICAL  LARGE  ANIMAL
EMERGENCY  RESCUE TM

 

 

TLAER DEMONSTRATION ANIMALS

The Real Stars of the Training!

(Click on Name for More Information)

 

Karma          Tornado          Angel

Elektra          Sancho          Dexter

Aerial          Torque          Levo

Dally       Double Take     Laredo

Maggie          Levi          Patti

Georgie Porgie          Pippin

 

     We are fortunate to have trained demonstration animals (horses and llamas) that we use to provide realistic hands-on training to students of our courses. Most of these animals have been raised from birth using the imprinting methods of Dr. Robert Miller, and desensitization / familiarization methods espoused by Ray Hunt, Tom and Bill Dorrance and taught through John Lyons Perfect Horse and Parelli Natural Horsemanship methods. If owned from birth, they attend and participate in their first public training at about 6 months of age...and from then on are a permanent part of the demonstration team. Those demonstration animals that have not been owned since birth but have been either purchased or rescued are introduced slowly to the training course in order to build confidence and not instill fear. The same natural horsemanship methods are used to familiarize the animals with the equipment and techniques used throughout the course so that they can participate in the trainings with focus and without panic or fear. The relationship with our animals is first and foremost and will not be jeopardized for the sake of a single training demonstration.

 

The question most often asked regarding the demonstration animals....

     Many people ask if the animals ever get injured or scared while participating in training demonstrations under helicopters, tied down on a Glide, showing a splint complete with a mulage (fake) injury, jumping into the water, lying down for webbing and rope manipulations, or even while acting scared while running loose for the containment portion of the training.

 

The answer...

     Through natural horsemanship methods, the demonstration animals are trained to confidently accept all the people (both experienced and inexperienced with large animals), night time practical exercises, loud noises, equipment that is placed on them and the environment they are placed in. Many times they are allowed to run loose during the hands-on practical sessions, and consistently choose to approach and interact with the people on location. They are trained to lie down on command and allow us to touch them with ropes and webbing. Training animals to act as demonstrators for Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue trainings starts with imprinting at birth, and continues with everyday training and handling. There are numerous excellent natural horsemanship teachers and clinicians (Pat Parelli, John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, Linda Tellington-Jones, On Target Training, etc.) available to animal owners. All of these animal/ people training techniques and methods emphasize positive responses, encourage the building of an inter-species communication system, and utilize low stress and minimal force when training the animal. We have found that application of these techniques is useful in preparing the animals for the introduction of unusual requests such as asking the animal to allow us to lay them down in front of crowds of students, perform vertical lifts and other rescue maneuvers without sedation, and allowing various webbing configurations to be placed on their bodies. The only time that chemical restraint is used is to increase their safety when demonstrating the more complex techniques, such as the Rescue Glide. Mostly, the demonstration animals are spoiled throughout the trainings by both the instructors and the students with their own form of "sedation" which consists of lots of TREATS!! Without the cooperation of these animals, most of the photographs and contributions to TLAER knowledge presented would not have been possible. The authors and instructors consider these animals to be their close family members and value the close relationship and bond they have created over time.

 

 

FOUNDERS and PRIMARY INSTRUCTORS

South Carolina - Dr. Tomas Gimenez was born in Mexico and attended Veterinary School for his MVZ (Médico Veterinario Zootécnista) degree at the National University of Mexico, but spent his summers in Boston and New York City with his grandparents learning English and how much he loved America... <MORE>

Email Tomas @ tlaer@bellsouth.net

 

Georgia - Dr. Rebecca Gimenez grew up on a farm in Sanford, Florida where she learned how to care for and ride horses; she credits her parents with cultivating her interests in the outdoors as well as the biological and physical sciences... <MORE>

 

Email Rebecca @ delphiacres@hotmail.com

 

ASSISTANT INSTRUCTORS

If anyone needs to contact a TLAER Assistant Instructor, please submit the email or request for contact to either Tomas Gimenez or Rebecca Gimenez.

 

North Carolina - Justin McLeod and Tori Miller reside in Spring Lake, which is near Fayetteville / Fort Bragg, North Carolina... <MORE>

Maine - Michelle Melaragno has been a Maine resident for the past 33 years but is a transplant from her home states of Rhode Island and Connecticut...<MORE>

Kansas - Eric Thompson is a graduate of Kansas University with a B.G.S. in Environmental Science and is currently working for Overland Park Police Department as the Chief Animal Control Officer... <MORE>

Pennsylvania - Beth-Ann Rau is an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in working with school-age students with speech, language, reading and social skills impairments... <MORE>

Kentucky - Nancy Elberty passion and commitment to the safe and efficient technical rescue of large animals has prompted her to not only continue to develop her own skills and expertise, but to educate and train others... <MORE>

South Carolina - Shawn Jones has been involved in emergency services since 1990 where he stated as a volunteer fire fighter and volunteer EMT with Caromi Fire Department and South Berkeley EMS Ladson, SC... <MORE>

Connecticut - Dr. Peter Conserva is an equine veterinarian who resides in Connecticut... <MORE>

Tennessee - Jeff Galloway, retired, was in the fire service for over 32 years in South Florida and Tennessee as a professional and volunteer... <MORE>

Colorado - Gina Gonzales is a firefighter and EMT with Loveland Fire Rescue, an active member of the Loveland Fire Special Operations Team, Founder and Board Member of a veterinary response team in Larimer County known as the TEAR Team (Technical Emergency Animal Rescue), and member of the Larimer County Medical Reserve Corp and Colorado Veterinary Medical Reserve Corp... <MORE>

United Kingdom - Jim Green trained as a forest manager and experienced various aspects of forestry both in the private and public sector before moving to Australia for a season as a first attack forest firefighter with their Forestry Commission... <MORE>

United Kingdom - Anton Phillips is a watch manager at Eastleigh Fire Station and Animal Rescue Specialist... <MORE>

  North Carolina - Sandy Mayberry

  Maryland - Allen Scwartz

  California - Al and Sarah Filice

  Virginia - Kathleen Becker, DVM, MEng