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| Name: |
Amos
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Age: |
Thirteen years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Miniature Horse
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| Home: |
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Amos
the Wonder Horse is known across the world for his basketball skills.
He's worked with the Harlem Globetrotters who also named him an honorary
goodwill ambassador for his community service work with special needs kids
and adults.
Amos has been featured on dozens of TV programs including Fox and Friends,
Right This Minute, Daytime, Sabado Gigante and the Today Show, where he won
Best Pet Trick in America. He's been in many lifestyle and equine magazines
as well as National Geographic Kids and one of their books, 125 Amazing Pet Stories.
In addition to basketball, Amos also plays the xylophone and the piano, does
beanbag toss and ring toss, can do a puzzle, shakes hands, and nods when he
wants something. He even paints.
Amos is also a registered therapy pony, visiting seniors in nursing
facilities and children in hospital or medical facilities. He is also an
official equine volunteer with his local police department, where he visits
local schools with his officer partner and teaches children about bullying prevention.
There are so many things that make Amos special. From his sweet, quiet nature
when he works with seniors and kids to his mad basketball skills, he really
works hard to bring smiles to people everywhere. He has his own Facebook page
and Twitter account (Amos the Wonder Horse)
where he has fans from around the
world who follow his daily adventures. His goal is simple: to bring smiles to
as many people as possible!
His mane and tail are really due to his great genes, I think. We do so many
appearances that it is brushed regularly. His favorite treats are peppermints
and a sip or two of Starbucks coffee on a chilly morning. He also loves
carrots and apples. I do teach him new tricks or encourage him to do new
behaviors using carrots.
I decided to get Amos when I had decided to start a pony ride business. I had
looked for about a year to find just the right mini and actually found him
listed on craigslist. After chatting on the phone with his owner at the time,
I drove three hours to visit him and knew almost immediately he was the pony
for me. I had no idea at the time, though, that Amos would become far more
than a little "pony ride" pony. And we've gone far past that in a short
period of time.
About two months after I had him, I got him to lay down for me on cue. I
thought he must really trust me...I wonder what else I can teach him. I
started with basketball and he learned it in three fifteen minute sessions. From
there, I just kept teaching him new things which he picked up quickly. In the
meantime, I started volunteering with an organization that provided ponies
for therapy-like activities. The director accessed Amos and determined he had
a great disposition and he was invited to join. So we started doing visits
with that group.
When I returned to my home town two years later, I decided to start doing
therapy visits here, as well as volunteering with the police department with
our bullying prevention program. And the rest, as they say, is history!
View more images of Amos!
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Talk about Amos in Pet Talk!
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