Wisconsin Life

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>> There's something about horses.

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Something about the sleek muscles and the stoic eyes--

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--that makes them a symbol of strength.

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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.

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>> 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.

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>> 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.