When One Dream Leads To Another

When One Dream Leads To Another "All through horses"
by Frankie Lovato, Jr.

Since the age of three, there was nothing else I dreamed about more than being a jockey. There was no other plan or anything else I could ever imagine doing with my life. The speed, the danger, mud flying as I raced down a track astride 1,000 pounds of racehorse were things for which I yearned. Everything went according to plan, and all of my hard work and determination paid off: By the age of 16, I had begun my career as a professional jockey; and by 17, I was the nation's top apprentice and ranked among the top ten jockeys in North America. However, in 1981, at the age of 18, something on which I had not planned was a racing accident that left me with a badly broken leg.

Once I had begun my rehabilitation process, it became evident that the equipment and exercises I was using to regain mobility and strength were not specialized enough to provide the type of rehabilitation necessary to enable me to return to riding horses. That's when I had a great idea: I will make a horse. And that's just what I did!


I built a horse of wood and springs, and there was nothing else like it in the world. Although I still was unable to walk without the use of crutches, I was now able to ride! I was able to safely get in riding positions and gently move my wooden horse by working the muscles and joints I would use to ride an actual horse. Through this process, my injured leg was becoming stronger and more flexible, and that gave me the confidence to know when I was ready to again ride a real horse. When I went for my final checkup and x-rays, my doctor was exceptionally pleased with my strength and condition. He gave me the OK to start riding horses again, and I said that I had already been riding for three months! The look on his face was priceless -- I did go on to explain I had been riding my wooden horse.

I never imagined I would be building wooden horses for other people; but word spread fast, and jockeys and representatives from jockey schools began contacting me from all parts of the world. This eventually led to establishing the Wooden Horse Corporation, which my wife Sandy and I formed in 1990, and officially naming my wooden horse the Equicizer. At this point I was still maintaining my career as a jockey; making Equicizers was just a hobby and side job that I really enjoyed. But again, something I never imagined would stem from the Equicizer was the discovery of its usefulness as a therapy tool for those who have physical or developmental disabilities.

Therapeutic horseback riding programs began learning of the Equicizer and also began placing orders. Because of this, Sandy and I would become very friendly with many wonderful people in this line of work and passionate about their purpose. And as we began seeing the benefits and rewards resulting from their work, it was not long before this would become a new dream for Sandy and me: to create our very own therapeutic riding program.

In late 2004 my 25-year career as a jockey was complete, and I stepped away from racing. The Equicizer business was established, but our dreams were now revised. Sandy and I moved from New York back to her hometown of Norwalk, Ohio in 2006. Once here, Sandy met a new friend, Amy Leibold, who also had a vision of starting a therapeutic riding program. Sandy, Amy, and I rallied with other wonderful people within the community and began developing the foundation of the Stampede Of Dreams Therapeutic Riding Program.


Our new dream has come true: In June of 2009, Stampede Of Dreams Therapeutic Riding Program officially launched its first session with students and lessons. Sandy holds the reins as head instructor, NARHA-certified, mentored by our dear friend and awesome horseman, NARHA-certified instructor Jesse Howell. The mission of the program is to offer students with physical and emotional disabilities the opportunity to learn companionship, responsibility, leadership, and vocational and educational skills, as well as to enjoy the physical benefits horseback riding provides.

Currently our program has three live horses. They are boarded at a local horse farm with an indoor arena where the Stampede of Dreams sessions take place.

With great pride, the Equicizer is also used throughout the program for conducting all evaluations and introductions, as well as for practicing proper mounting and dismounting, performing warm-ups prior to all rides, and reviewing and practicing the skills which the riders will perform during the day's lessons aboard the real horses.

So this journey of mine started when I was a small child with the dream of becoming a jockey. Some misfortune along the way, in the form of a racing injury, led to my creating the Equicizer as well as to new paths and dreams. The Equicizer also took new paths which led to its being used for such meaningful purposes so different from that for which it was first intended.

My life is now in a new place so very far away from where I first started, back when I wanted to fly dangerously down a racetrack aboard the fastest racehorse. Sandy has watched me perform on the track for many years; now it's my turn to watch and assist her as she does her magic along with our staff and volunteers, working with our riders and horses. I am now in a place where achievement comes from giving a child with a disability the chance to have that feeling of freedom, accomplishment, and being so alive astride a horse. Witnessing the riders' triumphs provides a feeling for me that is just like winning a race. Although there is no grandstand or roaring crowd, still... "They're off!!!" ...in a Stampede Of Dreams!



Stampede Of Dreams is in the process of attaining its 501(c)3 non-profit status and currently operates through volunteer work, donations, and fundraising efforts to care for the horses and manage other expenses. For more information, please visit: StampedeOfDreams.org or email Sandy Lovato: info@stampedeofdreams.org



Stampede Of Dreams Therapeutic Riding Song Video by Frankie Lovato Jr.

Frank Lovato, Jr. Creates a New Path to the Winner's Circle

by Lori K. Black

And they're off... to Jockey Boot Camp! The first-of-its-kind workshop, which was developed and presented by retired jockey Frank Lovato, Jr., offered an outstanding start for those who dream of becoming a jockey or exercise rider in the Thoroughbred racing industry.

Recognizing the need for preliminary guidance for prospective jockeys in the United States, Lovato envisioned an entirely new concept: to launch a three-day workshop (which he dubbed his "Jockey Boot Camp") in which he personally would provide participants with a comprehensive introduction to the physical, mental, and occupational aspects of being a jockey or exercise rider. The inaugural seminar, which was held on August 1-3, 2009 at Frank and Sandy Lovato's home-based Wooden Horse Corporation in Norwalk, Ohio, was attended by Stephanie I. of New Jersey, Kayla J. of Michigan, Katie K. of Ohio, Tim L. of New York, Amanda L. of Pennsylvania, and Christi M. of Oregon

A unique feature of Lovato's training program is that no actual horses were involved. Lovato, a 25-year veteran of racing with an Eclipse Award, 1,686 victories, and over $41.7 million in earnings to his credit, is also the inventor of the Equicizer, a non-motorized mechanical horse that very realistically simulates the natural gaits of a live horse. Although Lovato originally created the Equicizer as a means of rehabilitating himself after suffering a serious injury on the track in 1981, it was soon discovered that the Equicizer provided a beneficial way to train and strengthen all riders, including those with disabilities. Equicizers are now owned and utilized by the world's most renowned jockeys and jockey schools; and for Lovato's Jockey Boot Camp, these creatively-designed mechanical steeds provided the participants with a safe introduction to the sport of racing. As the event commenced, a pair of Equicizers stood poised, ready for action, in front of a scenic Belmont Park backdrop at one end of the workshop where Lovato still hand-crafts his wooden horses.

"Because of the Equicizer, I am approached by so many people each year who want to be jockeys but who have no idea of how to get started or what the career is really all about," Lovato said. He remembered one of his first students being Marjorie Clayton-Cordero, late wife of legendary jockey Angel Cordero. Over twenty-seven years ago, she came to his house daily to practice riding on "Johnny Dance," the very first Equicizer Lovato built. Lovato also recalled teaching Declan Murphy and Phil Teator, who both went on to win Eclipse Awards as leading apprentice jockeys, just as Lovato himself had achieved.

Of the Jockey Boot Camp attendees, "All of my students already had horseback riding experience, but nothing like what they will need to prepare them for riding racehorses," Lovato explained. "There is so much I can teach and a rider can learn without ever having the risk of them sitting on a real horse. It's like the saying, 'Walk before you run' -- I can lay down a strong foundation involving theory, balance, reining, position, and track etiquette in a safe, controlled environment. Every athlete has a means to practice and simulate the techniques of their particular sport prior to having to do it at the professional level. In the case of riding racehorses, riders typically are faced with the situation of undergoing on-the-job training without first developing basic skills or fitness, creating a huge risk and unnecessary dangers. Before there were Equicizers, beginners were learning these basic skills on powerful, rambunctious Thoroughbreds on the racetrack, which was not only placing themselves in danger, but also all of the other horses and riders around them."

Stated attendee Katie K., "This is the first time I've been on an Equicizer and worked really, really hard. I thought it was pretty fun! It was so much like a real horse, and I love riding horses and I haven't been able to do that (recently), and I did not want to get off! I'm like, 'I'm on it -- I'm gonna keep riding!' And then, of course, I got off and my legs were all shaky."

Amanda L. commented of her first Equicizer ride, "It's a lot more challenging than I thought it would be."

It is commonly said that jockeys are, pound for pound, among the most physically fit of all athletes; and the Equicizers did indeed challenge the endurance, strength, and coordination of the Jockey Boot Camp riders. Since the mechanical horses are suspended above stationary framework even while moving at a full gallop, they served as an ideal training device, enabling Lovato to remain alongside the horses every stride of the way and coach the students as they developed their racing skills and techniques.

"Frankie is a very nice man, and he does try his best to teach us how to be a jockey... He shows a lot of effort, and I can tell he was a very good jockey," said Stephanie I.

"He's definitely a good teacher. He is very patient and understanding," added Amanda L.

Besides practicing astride the Equicizers, the participants also performed various walkthrough lesson activities on a small-scale version of a one-mile racetrack complete with furlong markers and a finish line, which Lovato had assembled on a section of his rural property for the Jockey Boot Camp event.

"My model track is for students to rehearse and learn track rules of riding, both for morning workout traffic and racing situations and strategies," Lovato said. "All of this can be done on foot while I explain such things as safely entering and riding off the gaps, the hazard of clipping heels, maintaining safe racing positions, even performing tasks such as following a trainer's typical morning workout instructions like, 'Back up to the eighth pole, turn around and gallop, and work a half in 50.' Before the camp, the kids had no idea what any of those things meant, but they surely do now!"

Stephanie I. stated, "I learned that when we race, we have to keep a big distance from our horse to the horses in front of us,(students wearing velcro belts signifying a horses heels in front of them to maintain that safe distance) because we could clip a horse's heels and our horse could stumble and fall."

Lovato's imaginative lesson plan, filled with interactive activities, contests, and viewings of videos and televised races, held the students’ attention. The enthusiasm of the participants was evident in their quick friendliness toward one another and their eagerness to mount an Equicizer and cue it into action.


“It’s an amazing experience -- and it's only the first day!” exclaimed Amanda L. on the first afternoon of the event.

(Students viewed numerous race videos together)

A movie night was enjoyed by the students and their parents. The feature film was distinguished jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr.'s "All About Winning," which Lovato admits still gets him choked up every time he watches it. "Laffit's story truly shows every bit of the dedication, desire, and danger involved in being a jockey -- something the students need to aspire to and measure up to if they truly want to become a jockey."

Beyond the physical aspects of the sport, Lovato also presented information on other significant topics pertaining to the business of horse racing, such as proper weight management and nutrition; work ethics; obtaining a jockey's license; and negotiating professional relationships with trainers, owners, grooms, hotwalkers, and spectators.

In addition to the personal knowledge and instruction shared by Lovato, the attendees received advice via telephone conferences with some of the most recognizable individuals in racing, including Hall of Fame jockeys Pat Day, Chris McCarron, and Mike Smith; accomplished rider James Graham; and successful trainer Michael Stidham.


Lovato commented, "I had an incredible lineup of the biggest names in racing supporting me for this event. I would like to thank all of those who offered to phone in: jockeys Angel Cordero Jr, Aaron Gryder, Chantal Sutherland, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Julie Krone, Richard Migliore and trainer Steve Asmussen." He explained that due to time limitations, "I literally ran out of time to schedule all of the calls with those who were willing to speak with my students."

Camp assistant Kate Harbert observed of the students and their progress after the first day of training, "Frankie can put them on the Equicizer and show them (how to perform a skill or technique), and then he can take them out onto the (small-scale) track and show them how to do it, and then he can talk them through it. There are just so many tools they can put in their toolbox and carry with them. I am so excited to see how they come along... They're learning today, and they keep learning more and more."

The students participated in a series of contests to earn points toward winning the grand prize of a complete racing saddle package. The challenge was won by Kayla J., with the runners-up being Christi M. and Tim L.


One of the fun activities was the Hipity Hop Derby where Christi took the lead and won!


"The Jockey Boot Camp was sensational for the attendees and myself," Lovato stated. "I have to say that even for myself, it was a great learning experience and made me realize even more the need for such an event to be in place. It drives my passion even further to offer direction for those whose dream is to pursue a career as a jockey or exercise rider. The students all were so wonderful and showed me they have the desire and dedication to take it to the next level. If they are seriously considering this career path or thinking about enrolling in Chris McCarron's North American Racing Academy (NARA), this was a huge 'leg-up' for them! I am also producing a DVD called 'What it Takes to be a Jockey' for those who were not able to attend my workshop." He added, "We did make history with this event, and Sandy and I are already planning another one for next year. I have a page for the Jockey Workshop on my website (Equicizer.com or Exercisehorse.com) where people can read more about it and view photos from this event. We can also be contacted by e-mailing ;Equicizer@aol.com"

As a professional jockey, Lovato's last ride took place on September 19, 2004. But as his inaugural Jockey Boot Camp came to a close, he brought six more winners across the finish line... Six hopeful individuals who look forward to their continued journey into the exciting, competitive world of Thoroughbred horse racing.



Copyright © 2009 All rights reserved. The above article is the property of the Author and may not be duplicated or redistributed in any way without permission.

About the author:
Lori K. Black is a longtime horse enthusiast and Paso Fino owner with an appreciation for all breeds and disciplines of riding. She is an avid fan of Thoroughbred racing, the history of the sport, and the fascinating horses and people who bring Thoroughbred racing to life. Lori and her husband, Dan, reside in Berlin Heights, Ohio.E-mail: lkblack@centurytel.net

Frankie Lovato's Online Jockey School

This is a video playlist of techniques and thoughts I have put together for anyone that wants to learn more about being a jockey. Enjoy!