Meet Amos the Wonderhorse

Photos courtesy of Shelly Mizrahi

About a year and a half ago I interviewed a little horse with a big personality for a story in National Geographic Kids magazine. Amos is a super-cute basketball playing equine that made for a super-cute story. His story also appears in a book I contributed many stories to for Nat Geo that came out this month. So I got in touch with Amos to see if he’d be up for a quick interview. Since we talked, he’s been to New York to appear on NBC’s Today Show, played lots of b-ball with the Harlem Globetrotters and is even working on an anti-bullying program with his local police in his home-town, St. Petersburg, FL.

His owner, Shelly Mizrahi (Amos refers to her as “the PR Girl”), kindly held the phone to Amos’ ear so he and I could chat this week. Here’s what Amos had to say.

Where were you born and raised?

Long before the PR Girl found me, I was living on a little farm in the middle of Florida. I had been brought there to be a pasture pal for a giant draft horse. I’m not sure why they call them draft horses. It’s not breezy when they’re around. I lived there till I was 10 years old when my pal was sold and I had to find a new home. The PR Girl found me on Craigslist. It was love at first sight.

 

What do you like most about your “job?”

Sometimes I visit schools to teach about bullying prevention with my pals from the Harlem Globetrotters or my police partner. Sometimes I visit sick children in hospitals or senior citizens in nursing homes. Sometimes, I go to birthday parties or go on TV or do photo shoots for magazines. But no matter what I’m doing, the best part of my job is making people smile.

 

What was the best part of your big trip to New York?

There were lots of great things about my trip to New York City. I loved riding with my favorite horse transportation company, Brook Ledge Horse Transportation. (Did you know that they are so good that they shipped this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, California Chrome?) I loved meeting new people. I loved taking a walk through the city and posing for pictures in front of Grand Central Station. But the best part was appearing on the Today Show, where I played basketball and won Best Pet Trick in America. Lots of people saw the show and I made them smile!

 

How often do you get together with the Harlem Globetrotters and what’s that like?

I started working with the Globetrotters three years ago, after they discovered me playing basketball. They made me an honorary goodwill ambassador for all my volunteer work in the community. Each year when the team comes to Florida, I travel to cities across the state with them, making appearances at TV stations and local schools, where we teach their “ABC’s of Bullying Prevention” program.

I make lots of new friends and I get to play basketball with the coolest players on the planet. Now, if I could just learn how to spin the basketball on my hoof…

 

What can you tell me about the bullying program with the police?

I help teach a program called “Just Say Whoa to Bullying.” We explain how everyone is different and that we should embrace our differences and not be mean to other people. My officer and partner explain that I’m different than big horses but just because I’m different, I’m not bad. In fact, my differences make me special. I show them how I play basketball and everyone is always amazed. I’m not sure why. It’s like no one has ever seen a tiny basketball-playing horse before.

 

What’s a typical day like for you at home?

When I’m at home, I’m like every other horse. I eat. I run and play in the pasture with my friends. I eat. I lay in the sun. I eat. I go in the pond to cool off. I eat. I paint. I practice the xylophone. I play sports – like beanbag toss or practice my lay ups. Of course, I have room service. It’s like magic. I go out and when I come back, my stall is clean. That’s always nice. I also enjoy watching TV. (What? Doesn’t every horse have cable?)

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