HOME INSTRUCTORS CONTACTS INTERNATIONAL TEAM SCHEDULE TLAER BOOK
GALLERY RESOURCES LINKS REVIEWS IN THE NEWS
PRIMARY INSTRUCTORS
Tomas Gimenez, Dr. Med. Vet Rebecca Gimenez, Ph.D. // Major in USAR
(Click above link for more information)
Pendleton, South Carolina Augusta, Georgia
ASSISTANT INSTRUCTORS
Major Janice Baker, DVM - US Army Veterinary Corps
Kathleen Becker, DVM, MEng - Floyd, Virginia
Shawn Jones - Charleston, South Carolina
Al and Sarah Filice - Menlo Park, California
Eric Thompson - Kansas
Eric 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. He is also an instructor for the Kansas State Animal Response Team and a national responder and instructor for Code 3 Associates. Eric is certified in water, mud, rock, ice, fire and trailer rescues of animals, and is a certified National Equine Cruelty Investigator through L.E.T.I at the University of Missouri. In addition, Eric is working with several counties in both Missouri and Kansas as a FAD and disaster planning consultant by incorporating animal-related operations into existing Emergency Support Functions.
BethAnn Rau - 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. She received her B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Auburn University in June 1999 and her Master of Education degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Georgia in May 2003. Beth-Ann works with these students in a variety of unique settings including using equine partners to conduct Hippotherapy and Equine-Assisted Therapy sessions as a NARHA certified therapist. When not working with students, Beth-Ann enjoys playing with her two horses, Ms. Pat and Winston, as a Level 3 Parelli Natural Horsemanship student. She enjoys being able to combine her passions of teaching and horses to help others learn how to interact positively with horses. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Beth-Ann now resides in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.
Nancy Elberty
Sandy Mayberry - Winston-Salem, NC
Allan Schwartz - Maryland
Justin McLeod and Tori Miller - Fayetteville, North Carolina
Justin McLeod and Tori Miller reside in Spring Lake, which is near Fayetteville, North Carolina. Justin has recently be certified as an assistant instructor and Tori has been an assistant instructor since 2005. Justin works full time with the fire service and has numerous certifications related to the Fire and Emergency Medical Service as well as Technical Rescue. Tori was previously a paramedic and volunteered with a local fire / rescue service as well as an Equine Cruelty Investigator and is currently a full time 911 Telecommunicator. Together they own and operate 4Hooves Farm where a few of the TLAER Demo Animals they own reside.
John Haven - Florida
John Haven is currently the Director of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a member of the State Agricultural Response Team (SART). John developed the UF "VETS" (Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service) statewide disaster response team after the 2004 storm season. "VETS" consists of a 12 person deployment team to provide patient care to large and small animals, perform veterinary infrastructure support, damage assessment, and large animal technical rescue. John is an Incident Command System (ICS) instructor and teaches ICS to SART partner agencies and veterinary students / staff. John relies on his past experiences as a volunteer firefighter in Marion County, Florida, and his eight years in the Air Force to better prepare him for the "expect the unexpected" TLAER incidents.
Michelle Melaragno
Jim Green - UK
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. Since joining HFRS Jim has utilized his forestry and farming skills to develop the Service’s Rural Safety and Animal Rescue Teams.
Anton Phillips - UK
Anton Phillips is a watch manager at Eastleigh Fire Station and Animal Rescue Specialist. Having a strong agricultural and equine background, he became the catalyst to develop a specialist Animal Rescue Team in Hampshire. Anton has spent many years studying animal psychology and physiology which has enabled the fire and rescue service to achieve safer working practices.
DEMONSTRATION ANIMALS
*The real STARS of the training...*
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 Savvy 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.
STATEMENT OF LIABILITY
The founders and instructors of the TLAER course do not recommend trying any of the techniques or maneuvers used during the course or seen in photographs with an animal that is not a certified TLAER demonstration animal. Many hundreds of hours have been spent training and developing relationships with the TLAER certified animals to allow them to perform the maneuvers and techniques used during courses and seen in training photographs in a focused, confident manner without experiencing fear, panic or injury. The techniques and maneuvers used during courses and seen in training photographs should only be performed for demonstration using TLAER Certified Demonstration Animals to ensure the saftely and welfare of the animal. During an actual large animal emergency where rescue is required, the rescue should only be performed by TLAER certified or TLAER trained individuals.
SON'S IMPROMTU ANGEL
ANGEL was born in 2000 and started as a demonstration animal in 2002. Standing approximately 16 hands, Angel is a black walking horse mare, registered as a National Walking Horse. She is related to all of the other National Walking Horses in the TLAER program by being the product of the same sire. While at home in Pendleton, South Carolina, she is strongly opinionated about being the boss mare in the pasture. In her normal life, Angel is an awesome trail and foxhunting horse, and comes when she is called by name. Angel is at her best when being laid down for the applicable TLAER demonstrations.
SON'S ELECTRIC BLUE
AERIAL PAINTED PANTS
AERIAL was a neglect starvation case that we rescued in 2003, one of the only two TLAER demonstration horses we did not raise ourselves - but she has found her calling in this unusual “job” TLAER. From a meager foal suffering with severe malnutrition to a gorgeous American Indian Paint Horse, her beautiful blue eyes and medicine hat coloring belie her diva attitude and strong opinion that humans are made to be horse scratching posts and provide treats! She can rear on command, lays down, climbs up on obstacles, and generally endeavors to entreat students to pet and scratch her, then give her lots of treats. She certified in only 1 year to complete all of the demonstrations in the TLAER program in 2004. “Famous in her own mind”, she has been highlighted and featured in numerous articles in magazines, photographs in newspapers/ TV news, and is even featured on the cover of “Save Your Horse”, by Michelle Staples, an introduction book about large animal rescue for horse owners…and even has had her own online opinion column. Aerial can be found in a pasture in Pendleton, South Carolina and will only signs autographs by appointment only.
SON'S SUEDE KARMA
KARMA is truly the most reliable of our demonstration animals. He has been participating in our seminars since he was born in 1999, and started his unusual career early – he was the second TLAER certified demonstration horse in 2000. Standing at approximately 16.1 hands, Karma is a strawberry roan National Walking Horse gelding. He is related to all of the other National Walking Horses in the TLAER program by being the product of the same sire. He is unique to the TLAER course as he is the only demonstration animal that has been lifted several times under a helicopter in an Anderson Sling during various courses over the years. In July 2008 at Ivy Rock Farm, Karma officially received his “flight wings” from Ralph Demasi of the US Army for 6 successful slingload demonstrations in GA (1), SC (1), CA (2) and LA (2). When not participating in TLAER courses or trail riding, Karma spends his time at home in a Pendleton, South Carolina pasture.
SON'S TORNADO
WARNING
In 1998, on a day where the weather forecast issued a “tornado warning”, a black National Walking Horse with a snip on his nose was born. TORNADO, as he was fittingly named, is a gelding and the smallest of the national walking horse herd at 15.3 hands. He has been a versatile addition to the training course and can be used as a demonstration animal in all aspects of the TLAER course, gaining his certification in 2002. He is related to all of the other National Walking Horses in the TLAER program by being the product of the same sire. He has several good tricks to share with students (picks up sticks, loads in trailers without a halter and lead, comes on command, and is playing on Level III Parelli Savvy Natural Horsemanship, which means Rebecca sometimes rides him without a bridle or halter and he performs most ground skills at liberty. Tornado spends his off time trail riding, being a lesson horse for riders who are not very confident, and grazing in the pasture in Pendleton, South Carolina.
SON'S SANCHO
SANCHO was born in 1993. Currently residing in Pendleton, South Carolina and towering above the herd at 16.3 hands, this black National Walking Horse gelding was the first to wear the Anderson Sling in our early demonstrations, and was certified in 2000. He is related to all of the other National Walking Horses in the TLAER program by being the product of the same sire. A true gentle giant, Sancho enjoys jumping and trail riding when not ingesting a multitude of treats at a TLAER course – where he will do a body cavity search if he smells treats in your pockets. Sancho’s training originally began utilizing the John Lyon’s training methods, over the years he has been introduced to Parelli Natural Horsemanship methods and has become the most advanced riding horse in the herd. Unfortunately, he was never taught to lay down as a young horse so he does not perform those manipulations.
RHETORICAL
TORQUE was the victim of neglect and was rescued in 2007 by Palmetto Equine Awareness and Rescue for Equines, in South Carolina. It is estimated he was born in 2003-2004 and even though he is the shortest of the herd at 15 hands, he has fought his way up to be Number 2 in the pasture! After rehabilitation by PEARL volunteers, Rebecca adopted him and paid for his cryptorchid surgery at UGA Vet School, Torque came to live with the others in Pendleton, South Carolina, in October, 2007 because he knew how to lie down on command. His training has been a long and slow process as he has tremendous mental and emotional issues that he has had to deal with as a result of his past abuse. He is very willing and through natural horsemanship methods he has regained his confidence and has made great strides with his training. He went to his very first public training in New York in July, 2008 where he calmly laid down on command, interacted with students, and showed them how sweet he really is by standing still for the Anderson Sling to be emplaced. He is currently being ridden and advancing in his training, and was recently certified as a TLAER demonstration horse.
DEXTER
DEXTER is of unknown breeding, but we know he is a 400 pound white Llama with an attitude! Originally we got him because he was hard to catch, but we soon realized he was an extremely intelligent and cunning animal who was simply evading his captors by utilizing his natural instincts. As a result of his evasiveness, Dexter is considered to be TLAER’s “Senior Containment Instructor”. We have found him to be a versatile asset with the training courses as he plays many roles during the course, including being vertically lifted and stuck in the mud. It is estimated he was born around 1994. Although he has been gelded, he is still the boss of the whole herd of horses. Dexter lives with the rest of the Gimenez’s herd at the farm in Pendleton, South Carolina.
LEVO
LEVO is a gelded white Llama who is much more friendly than Dexter, but can still express his opinion and make it difficult for the students to catch him or put the appliances on for a vertical lift. We were fortunate to find him in New Jersey in 2008, and have hauled him to several TLAER courses to give Dexter a break. He is now certified for vertical lift, containment, and handling.
DOUBLE TAKE OF MATRIX
DALLY, was born in 2005. Her dam is TLAER Demo Horse, "Double Take". She is a sorrel and white Tobiano and is double registered as Spotted Saddle Horse and Tennessee Walking Horse. Exhibiting a strong independent behavior at birth, Dally was imprinted by her owner, TLAER Assistant Instructor Tori Miller, along with TLAER Instructor Rebecca Gimenez. Within a couple of days she was being taught to lay down and showed no resistance or fear, which prepared her for her future as a TLAER Demo Horse. She is currently working on Level II Parelli Natural Horsemanship methods and is currently beginning her development under saddle. Dally resides at 4Hooves Farm near Fayetteville, North Carolina. Dally participated in her first TLAER training October 2008 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is completing the requirements for TLAER certification in 2009..
4HOOVES LAREDO
Rescued by TLAER Assistant Instructors Tori Miller and Justin McLeod in August 2006, LAREDO, born in 1996, is a 16.2 hand off-the-track, dark bay Thoroughbred gelding. With a fairly unknown history, Laredo showed some mental and emotional scars upon arrival at 4Hooves Farm. Since being introduced to and following the Parelli Natural Horsemanship methods, Laredo has gained confidence and shown immense improvement physically, mentally and emotionally and is advancing through Level I and Level II ground skills. Laredo has been ridden and appears to have had some previous lower level dressage or hunter jumper training. At 4Hooves Farm near Fayetteville, North Carolina, he will live out his life with a future in TLAER and on the trail. Laredo participated in his first TLAER training in October 2008 in Raleigh,North Carolina, and is completing the requirements for TLAER certification in 2009.
COPY'S DOUBLE TAKE
Owned by Assistant Instructors, Justin McLeod and Tori Miller, DOUBLE TAKE as she is known by at the barn, was born in 1994 and is a registered Tennessee Walking Horse. At 15'3 hands, she is a substantial size mare with a heart bigger than she is. Double Take's life experiences prior to arriving at 4Hooves Farm were both good and bad as she was passed down through several owners. Since 1999, Tori had the opportunity to handle and ride Double Take due to knowing her original owner and being related to her second owner. During those years, Double Take was the ultimate trail horse. She was then sold to a third person and eventually ended up in a holding pen at a local horse auction facility where she was purchased by a fourth person. A week later, she was purchased by Tori and Justin and hauled to 4Hooves Farm. She arrived with emotional and mental issues due to her past experiences. Currently advancing to Level II through Parelli Natural Horsemanship training, a positive relationship was developed based on trust and confidence. Double Take will live out the rest of her years at 4Hooves Farm near Fayetteville, North Carolina participating in TLAER and being an all-around trail horse. Double Take participated in her first TLAER training in Virginia Beach in May 2009 with her offspring “Dally” and is completing the requirements for TLAER certification in 2009
.GEORGIE PORGIE, Retired (PHOTO COMING SOON!)
GEORGIE PORGIE was the first certified TLAER training horse, a Quarter horse born at Clemson University in 1995 and unfortunately orphaned his first day of life when his momma died of a torn uterus. In 1996 he made the debut for the first 1 day program in Monk’s Corner, SC with the Charleston Area Rescue Squad. Since then he was the first horse that Rebecca trained to lie down for manipulations, to allow an Anderson Sling to be placed upon him, and to generally be patient with the students approaching him with appliances to place on his body. He was needed more as a riding horse for Rebecca’s father, who in 2000 lost his beautiful riding mare, so he now lives in Clifton, Tennessee.