Exhilarating Rehabilitation

Aucklander Alan Wallace, who suffered a stroke in June 28 and was left partially paralyzed and unable to speak, has been able to find joy through harness racing, which involves people riding in two-wheeled carts behind horses that move with specific gaits. Wallace helps the Riding for the Disabled programme in his hometown by cleaning horse’ hooves and bridles two days a week, and he recently participated in a race for people with disabilities held by the Auckland Trotting Club. “You could just tell on his face how exhilarating driving that (horse) was,” Wallace’s partner Lynn Kurtovich told social networking site The Survivor’s Club. “I almost cried when Alan suffered the stroke and tonight I must admit I had a tear in my eye. I’ve never been so happy for him.”