IF NEWS July 2003

Greetings!

• Rider News: The riders have just completed another successful 10 week session despite some hot weather. All riders are real troopers when it comes to Kansas weather. Congratulations Riders on a job well done!!!
• Next Board Meeting: July 16th, with public forum beginning at 7:30pm, at the Dairy Queen in Belleville.
• Volunteer News: Volunteers are asked to please begin wearing your "IF" t-shirts. Pictures for advertising and the website will be taken periodically and we would like to know who all the volunteers are and plus it gives us a more professional look for our organization.  Some of you have the white and some the red, either will be fine to wear. Thank you.
• "IF" Pointer:  Confidentiality has become a hot topic in our world today and IF is no exception. "One of the arts of volunteering is maintaining confidentiality. We all have different comfort levels as to our personal information being shared, but in volunteering we must not release another person’s information. You may be working in a setting where you have information about someone that is sensitive in nature. If the information became public it could cause a great deal of embarrassment to the individual, family or agency. If your first thought of the person who is benefiting from your volunteering, confidentiality is easy. Just ask yourself "how would that person feel about what I am going to say?" and you will have your answer as to whether it should be said.
• It is easier to maintain confidentiality if you are prepared. Consider what you would say if a friend asked you about a neighbor who is receiving services. Maybe you can redirect the conversation by talking about the services offered or simply explain that names are not discussed outside of the office." (Butler County RSVP Newsletter and RSVP Northeast Kansas Newsletter).
• Confidentiality is an important part of IF's service and should always be taken seriously.                      
• Horses Vision:
  Your horse’s world; He has mostly monocular vision, meaning he has an eye on each side of his head. Each eye works independently, sending images to separate sides of his brain as they constantly search for predators lying in wait. As a result, your horse’s peripheral vision is excellent. Only when he’s directed both eyes on an object in front of him do his eyes focus together for binocular vision, sending a single image to his brain. His long-distance vision also is excellent, as he’s an animal designed to watch the horizon on the open prairie. Up-close items are blurry; he’s slow to focus on them, and must move his head to do so--this makes the object appear to move. A horse has oversized retinas that magnify object such that they appear 50 percent bigger than they are; equine retinas also make small movements look b-i-g. These vision facts, coupled with his inability to focus instantly, prevent your horse from making “logical” decisions. Instead, they provide him with a key survival tool: visual cues that scream “predator alert,” inciting him to react instantly and instinctually-without stopping to think-so he can put some distance between himself and the threat.
  Your world; Your vision is binocular. You have (or had, before you turned 40) keen up-close vision with good depth perception, and the ability to focus instantly. Your peripheral vision is limited, however.
  Opportunity for conflict: Your fast-focus vision--coupled with your ability to use logic--gives you an almost instant ability to identify a harmless object as “no big deal.” Your horse’s eyesight can make that same object appear life threatening.  Furthermore, his superior peripheral vision allows him to spot things beside and behind him much more quickly than you are able. He’s wired up to spook and run at the first glimmer of a threat. From a safe distance, he can use his excellent long-distance vision to evaluate what has caught his attention. If you’re caught off guard, you could be injured. At the very least, you’ll probably be spooked by his behavior. At any rate, always pay attention to your horse's behavior and note the position of the ears.
  How to avoid conflict; Stay alert when working around horses. Use quick-release snaps whenever you tie or crosstie him, so if he does see something that causes a spook/panic reflex, you can minimize risk of injury to you both. Always stay out of his flight path (directly in front of your horse), to avoid being run over accidentally. When working on your horse’s legs, squat-never kneel-beside them, so you can get out of harm’s way quickly, should he spook or bolt. When riding, be attentive to your surroundings, while keeping your horse’s attention focused on you. The more he’s focused on you, the less he can eyeball scary stuff.