Ostrum became interested in horses when he returned from shooting Willy Wonka, and was particularly influenced by the veterinarian that tended to them. Receiving his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984, as of 2005[update] Ostrum practiced and lived in Lowville, New York with his wife Loretta (née Lepkowski), and two children: son, Leif, and daughter, Helenka.