[birds chirp]
*
[horse snorts]
>> There's something about
horses.
[horse whinnies]
Something about the sleek
muscles and the stoic eyes--
[horse knickers]
--that makes them a symbol
of strength.
[horse snorts]
But that strength doesn't always
come easy.
It takes good grazing,
the right exercise and every
now and then--
>> Easy.
>> --the healing hands of
Dr. Bill Sweeney.
>> You're all right.
Yeah.
You're okay.
>> As a veterinarian, Bill,
friends call him Doc, has spent
half a century in the company
of horses.
>> Every now and then I hear
people talk about, 'Well you
saved my horse 50 years ago.
Do ya remember me?
>> It's a career that started in
the 60s when Doc went to
veterinary school on the
GI Bill.
>> What got me interested in
horses was the veterinarian
at Iowa State.
And I really got involved them
Anybody that was interested,
he worked with.
>> After school, Doc opened a
clinic in Minnesota
and traveled to horse shows
and state fairs.
He was a large animal vet,
an increasingly rare breed.
There's a lot less than there
used to be.
A good small animal veterinarian
is pretty busy.
A good large animal veterinarian
is really busy.
>> That's how he met Jackie.
>> I had a very sick foal
up in Minnesota.
I called the local veterinarian,
which happened to be Doc.
>> In '96, the two were married,
and when Jackie bought
a horse farm in Dane County,
Doc came along to help.
>> He did all the vaccinations
and worming and lameness and
everything for the horses.
>> But even the simple life
can get complicated.
*
>> You know, he just started
with a little shake
in his hand.
>> It was Parkinson's Disease,
a nerve disorder that can
make it hard to do
simple tasks
and almost impossible
to care for a half-ton horse.
>> I did a couple years
that I did have
minor Parkinson's,
and then it's getting
a little bit worse where
it affects my talking
for any length of time
and it affects my thinking.
>> Of course, Doc figured if he
could get a lame horse back
on its feet, there had to be
someone who could
help Doc on his.
>> Just at your elbows.
>> 11, 12, 13--
>> Don't rock too much.
>> 14, 15, 16, 17--
>> For the past two years,
that someone has been
Paul Jones--
>> Seven.
>> Good.
>> --a physical therapy student
at the University of Wisconsin
who grew up just down the road.
from Doc and Jackie's farm.
>> Bill had been working with
a physical therapist in Verona
who had sent an email
to our director of our program
and said, hey, he's running out
of visits that insurance will
cover, he's looking for
someone who'll come out
here and work with him.
Is there anyone interested in
your class who wants to
do that?
Down, and up.
Good.
>> Paul jumped at the chance.
He worked with Doc on
seemingly simple movements,
like getting out of a chair.
>> Yup, bring your arms up.
>> Or walking up stairs.
>> Six.
>> Good
>> And on more complex tasks--
>> And to the right.
>> --like walking sideway
or playing catch.
>> Are you practicing?
>> They've also built a bond,
talking horses and sports.
>> I'm pulling for the
Pacers too.
>> Yeah, the Pacers look
pretty good.
>> I've learned a lot from him.
Some of it's hard to say
that it's all clinical,
I've learned a lot of
life lessons from him as well.
>> And they've built Doc
back up.
>> Seven.
>> One of the things
I'm proudest about working
together, he's made a big
reduction in the number of falls
he's had, which can be huge,
and in his population,
can be super dangerous.
[laughter]
>> Doc has another take.
>> If I wasn't getting
treatment, I'd probably
be dead by now.
I think that you really
need a purpose to get out
and get going
and to do things,
and I think Paul is
one of the reasons.
>> There's another reason,
the horses still need him.
>> I go out on calls.
I have a vet truck out front.
I usually have a driver
with me, so he gets me around.
>> And maybe Doc needs
the horses too.
>> He would say,
I'm just remembering what
the gal in the back barn
would say to the horses.
If you don't start eating
and feeling better,
you're going to be out in a heap
behind the barn
under a tarp like
the ones that didn't.
And that's how he is.
[horse snorts]
>> Every morning, if you don't
have a reason to get up,
you aren't going to get up
out of bed and get out to
the barn and do some work.
That's very important,
especially with a veterinarian.
He needs to be active.
If he doesn't, he's going to
go on the heap someday.
Have a reason to get up,
reason to get out
and do some work.
And good work, because a horse
will teach you good things.