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Friday, July 06 2012 / Published in Weekly Feature

The World’s Smartest Horse

By Lukas, as told to Courtney Zimmerman

I love to say “cheese” for the camera and show off my Guinness World Record Certificate

While Sidelines Magazine isn’t in the habit of letting horses take the reins and write their own stories, it’s almost impossible to pass up letting the “World’s Smartest Horse” tell his own story. With that in mind, Lukas met with Sidelines intern Courtney Zimmerman who happily did the pecking on the keyboard while Lukas told his tale of what it’s like to be the smartest horse in the world.

 

My name is Lukas, and I’m an ex-racehorse that got a second chance on life. I am a Thoroughbred gelding (I don’t like to talk about it) and I ran three races at Santa Anita Park in California before I was retired. My owner, Karen Murdock, tells me that only the really good racers are retired after so few races, so of course I believe her because she is so nice to me.

 

Karen is the one who rescued me and helped me make a name for myself. She found me neglected and emaciated, with many issues that developed from my previous owner. Her patience and kindness built me up to be the confident and intelligent horse that she always believed I could be.

 

In case you haven’t heard of me, I’m kind of a big deal. I’m only 19 years young and I have already accomplished so much! I am the Guinness World Record Holder for the “Most Numbers Identified by a Horse in One Minute,” and I identified 19 numbers! I really set the bar high, didn’t I? There had never even been a record holder for this title before; it was created especially for me because I’m so smart. Karen says it’s a huge step for Guinness to recognize how intelligent animals can be.

 

Here I am with Karen, counting my numbers

On world record day, everyone was running around getting things ready for me and I felt like a king! I could sense that Karen was really nervous, yet I wasn’t worried at all. We had been working together for a long time for this moment. There were lots of important people at my house including a camera crew, photographers and official counters for the occasion and they had all come to see me. I wasn’t allowed to have a rope on Karen during the official timed event; but I was confident that she wouldn’t run away. Karen would call out the numbers 1 through 5 in random order and I would simply place my nose on the corresponding wooden blocks. It was so easy! I don’t understand what all the fuss was about; but I guess most intellects are just ahead of their time.

 

In addition to being a Guinness World Record Holder, I am also the spokeshorse for After the Finish Line, a non-profit that raises money to support other rescued Thoroughbred racehorses like me and I’m the first four legged to become a member of the Equine Welfare Alliance. Being the smartest horse in the world definitely has its perks!

 

Karen doesn’t like to take credit; but she really is the one who made me who I am today. She understands that horses thrive on patience and lots of love. Karen does not even own a whip! The times we have spent bonding together have been some of the happiest moments of my life. I have her really well trained, too: when I do a trick, she knows to give me a treat. I like to call that positive reinforcement. She gets really happy and showers me with attention, which is fine – I’ll let her pretend that it was her idea. Plus, Karen makes our sessions so fun that she doesn’t even realize I’m training her.

 

I have taught Karen lots of different tricks. We make a good team. I have trained her to perform at liberty, which means I don’t even need to hold on to her with a rope, I just communicate with her through my body language. I know she will give me carrots if I nod or shake, curtsy, bow, cross my legs, fetch or do the Hokey Pokey. Karen will do anything to give me a molasses muffin, so I will identify numbers, shapes and colors. She says I understand object permanence (whatever that means). My favorite trick to do is also the first trick that I learned, which is to smile. I know that if I smile, then Karen will smile, too — which I love. Do you know what else I love? That I found a home and a loving friend who recognized how smart and special I am.

 

About the writer: Courtney Zimmerman, from Cincinnati, Ohio, graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Equine Science and Management. She is currently working on her M.A. of Communication at Northern Kentucky University. She works at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden where she is an Animal Handler in the Education Department. Thanks to her experience, handling the interview with the Smartest Horse in the World was a piece of cake.

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Tagged under: Guinness Book, Lukas, sidelines, sidelines-magazine, smartest horse

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1 Comment to “ The World’s Smartest Horse”

  1. laela says :
    October 16, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    how did you train Lukas to do all those tricks

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Yay for June! We have another great edition for yo Yay for June! We have another great edition for you all that we can't wait for you to read. Up first are Evan and Ashley Donadt a dynamic duo that has won the hearts of many! Stay tuned for many great stories like this by following us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribing to get your very own copy of Sidelines Magazine!

What happens when a horse-crazy equestrian girl meets a never-touched-a-horse-before guy? If you’re Ashley and Evan Donadt, it might just be the beginning of a happily-ever-after that includes a solid dressage program and extremely popular social media channels featuring good-natured humor and horses.

Ashley, a lifelong equestrian, began her horse experiences with the local 4-H club, progressed to lessons with the local dressage trainer when she was 10, then her own pony when she was 11. Conversely, Evan grew up in Massachusetts, without any horse experience to speak of. The odds of them meeting were fairly low, until fate landed them both in Southern California.

Evan knew from the start that spending time with Ashley meant spending time at the barn. In fact, Ashley told him straightaway, “The horses come first always; you’re going to be second!” Evan wasn’t deterred, and instead found the loophole: spending all his own free time with her at the barn.

Read Ashley and Evan's full article in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! You can also click the link in our bio. Don't forget to subscribe to get your very own copy delivered right to your door! Thank you Evan and Ashley for allowing us to share your story!
📸Portraits by Jeni Jo Brunner

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As we head into June we wrap up our May women entr As we head into June we wrap up our May women entrepreneur, edition. We were so lucky to be able to feature so many amazing women within the Horse industry. We have one more to share with you, and if you missed any of the women entrepreneur stories head to our website for all of our past issues! Enjoy! 

Hurry Up and Wait” is a familiar saying at hunter-jumper competitions. Unlike other disciplines, where 
riders are assigned specific ride times, hunter-jumper riders typically must check in with the starter at 
the in-gate throughout the day to determine when they will show. In 2019, Emma Fass decided to put 
her computer science background to use in the show industry and created RingSide Pro to allow riders 
to be “ringside” wherever they are.
Throughout high school, Emma competed at horses shows on her horse Son Of A Sailor, aka Ernie, 
oftentimes trailering Ernie into the show for the day with her mom. “That was stressful because we 
didn’t know how the show was running until we got there. Even once we were on the show grounds, we 
struggled to find information. It’s a hike to the rings and the speakers in the barns tend to be 
unreliable,” Emma said. “I would think to myself, There’s got to be a better way.”

For more information, visit www.ringsidepro.com

Read Emma’s full story at sidelinesmagazine.com, and never miss an edition of Sidelines magazine by subscribing. 

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The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! G The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! 
Get ready to meet the cutest, funniest and very talented equestrian couple from California - Evan Donadt and Ashley Donadt. Thanks Jeni Brunner for the great cover photo! 

Evan is a Tik Tok and social media star, along with several of their horses and ponies. So get ready to laugh, and also be inspired by their relationship and Ashley's dressage goals - she's headed to the top! You will love them and their story will make you want to follow them on social media! 

We also feature hunter-jumper rider Will Baker who has a new farm near Ocala, Florida, complete with a cute donkey (and lots of amazing horses of course), equestrian artist Jan Lukens of Jan Lukens Fine Art (if you were a fan of Gem Twist you will love his paintings!), talented Texas dressage rider John Mason who has a great story, hunter-jumper rider Addison Reed who is now showing in the Grand Prix, and we catch up with the amazing Kate Egan and her larger-than-life horse and her story about how she won a car!

Former eventing groom Courtney Carson tells us about her new career, eventer Nicole Zardus shares her story of retraining racehorses for the eventing and foxhunting world, and we catch up with the very talented rider Luke Jensen who is now a professional rider for North Run's Missy Clark and John Brennan. Don't miss Luke's touching story about the horse Jamaica! 

We feature Robert Crandall in our Unbridled column, along with our great columnists who share their wisdom: eventing with Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing, dressage with George Williams, hunter-jumper with Rob Jacobs R.L. Jacobs and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. Also enjoy the Show Time pages from The FEI World Cup Finals and the American Equestrians Got Talent competition. It's another great issue!!

Don't forget to visit our website and order a subscription - one year for $14.95 - you can't beat that! In the meantime, enjoy the June issue. Link in bio! 
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