If ever there was a match made in heaven, it was exemplified once again a
little less than two months ago when a large group of Arlington jockeys lent
their time and expertise to a group of youngsters at nearby stables in Wauconda,
Illinois.
Those youngsters, all with various types of disabilities, are enrolled in
“Partners for Progress,” a non-profit organization that provides unique equine
therapy-based programs for individuals with cognitive, physical, emotional and
social disabilities.
What better fit could there be than to have a contingent of jockeys to
provide assistance to such individuals? It was more than a century ago
that the first study was done to evaluate the value of riding horses as a
therapy tool because the dimensional movement of the horse provides stimulation
to the rider that normalizes both physical and mental activity. This form of
treatment helps improve posture, balance and joint movement and also provides
psychological improvement.
However, as Arlington’s jockeys have discovered, the help provided is a
two-way street. Many of these expert equine athletes have come away from the
session insisting that they got more than they gave by participating.
Arlington assistant clerk of scales Leo Gonzalez, a former jockey whose
youngest son was born six years ago with a form of autism labeled to be within
the PDDNOS spectrum of that developmental disorder, is an excellent spokesperson
for “Partners for Progress.”
“When I asked all these riders in the room to help out with Partners for
Progress, they all came away from that afternoon saying they had a lot of fun
and were willing to help out in any other way they could,” Gonzalez said.
“These jockeys at Arlington are a very giving group of people and realize
they are fortunate enough to be able to help out with financial contributions.
When I asked them for donations this summer every single rider that was in the
room that day contributed. I don’t know what their gifts totaled this year —
those results will be announced at the Hoedown dinner at Arlington October 13 —
but last year the total came to about $3,000.
“My son has a highly-functional form of autism,” Gonzalez said, “but some
people with more severe forms need constant assistance. I know all about that
because I had a brother-in-law that became a quadriplegic at the age of 13 as a
result of a car accident. He lived until he was 23 but needed constant
assistance for the last 10 years of his life.
“I’ve been married to my wife Marie for almost 30 years,” Gonzalez added,
“but believe me, when our youngest son was born, it changed both our lives. My
wife had to quit her job and go back to school, but when she completes her
courses she’ll be a qualified teacher to help people with autism.
“That’s a great feeling, being able to give back. Sometimes we all need to
take a step back and realize how fortunate we are.”
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