 Soon after Ostrum returned home from filming Willy Wonka , his family acquired a horse ; while the teenaged Ostrum was interested in the horse , it was the animal 's veterinarian that left a lasting impression on him . Taking a hiatus from school between high school and college , Ostrum groomed horses and worked at the Delaware Equine Center in Pennsylvania . Ostrum contemplated a return to Hollywood , and even visited California for a week to " test the waters " there . He ultimately decided to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine instead , feeling that he would forever berate himself if he didn 't . In 1984 , Peter Ostrum received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine . 
