Playing with Lukas: How a Woman and a Horse Found a Private World of Animal Intelligence and Themselves, by Karen Murdock
Who is the world’s
smartest horse?
For at least a century, horse lovers have pointed to Jim
Key, the clever trick horse of Civil War veteran William Key, D.V.M., as the
smartest horse ever. Today, however, a chestnut thoroughbred gelding named
Lukas (registered as “Just Ask Mike”), may have challenged Jim Key’s
longstanding status for equine intelligence.
Playing
with Lukas, by Karen Murdock, offers an inside look at a remarkable
partnership between a human and a horse. Lukas, a discarded retired racehorse,
was labeled unmanageable and unfit for jumping, dressage or any other
equestrian discipline. With two bowed tendons and an unimpressive racing
record, the horse was headed for a most uncertain future.
However, Karen Murdock, a determined horsewoman and former psychiatric
nurse, saw a potential in the off-the-track thoroughbred (OTTB) and rescued
him. With plenty of time, careful observation, training and patient interaction,
Karen Murdock and Lukas actually rescued one another, forming an astonishing
alliance through trick training and horse play. The retired racehorse, once
deemed distrusting and dangerous, surprised Karen Murdock and the equestrian
world with his ability to balance such physical challenges as the passage and
Spanish walk with such cognitive achievements as matching colors, shapes and
numbers.
In her 2010 book, racehorse rescuer and trainer Karen
Murdock outlines this process, sharing her personal experience with her now
treasured equine companion. What is Karen Murdock’s secret, as she works with a
challenging off-the-track thoroughbred? “A genuine sense of appreciation and
enthusiasm go a long way in training – and in life,” she writes. Perhaps herein
lies a lesson for us all.
Karen Murdock’s book, which began as a collection of
training tips, actually offers more of a personal memoir. The opening pages of Playing with Lukas, by Karen Murdock,
include dozens of quotations and endorsements from diverse equestrian leaders
and animal lovers. Playing with Lukas
is filled with personal anecdotes and memorable musings from the author, who
traces her seven-year initial relationship with Lukas, as he learned to trust
her and to perform far beyond anyone’s expectations.
“When your training is correct,” Karen Murdock says, “the
tricks are only a by-product and happen in an almost effortless, uncalculated
way.” The author confesses that she does not even own a horse whip.
Included in Playing
with Lukas, by Karen Murdock, is plenty of the author’s own biography,
setting the stage for her compassionate friendship with her special rescue
horse. With a difficult childhood and few long-term relationships, the author’s
own personal transformation of trust is as amazing as that of her beloved
Lukas.
Early in her story, Karen Murdock pens this most telling
statement about Lukas, her equine companion and project: “I now knew that I
wouldn’t give up on him the way I had been cast off. I was determined to find a
way through.”
Available in paperback and
Kindle formats, Playing with Lukas
is an intriguing and heart-warming read for anyone who loves horses or simply a
feel-good story. The book displays penetrating insights into the possibilities
of human-to-animal friendships. Could it be that animals (such as horses) are
smarter than humans may have suspected?
The author’s technical training tips
may prove useful to equestrians. Many horseback riding enthusiasts may be
surprised to discover how much of the horse training and equestrian recreation
may occur on the ground, rather than under saddle. What’s more, Karen Murdock’s
transparent tracing of her own personal development make Playing with Lukas a gripping read, filled with hope and potential.
Reviewer’s Note:This book reviewer received a complimentary copy of the book described and evaluated here, although the reviewer has no prior or existing relationship (either familial or professional) with the author or publisher.
Lukas quickly became a darling of the equestrian world,
thanks to owner/trainer/author Karen Murdock and her compassionate network of
horse-lovers. Major media outlets (such as ABC, CBS, CNN, HLN, NBC and RFD),
major media (such as the Associated Press, American Horse Publications, Blood Horse Magazine, The Mane Point and The Horse) and internet sites (such as EquiSearch
and Equine Connection) have featured Karen Murdock and Lukas, tagging him the
world’s smartest horse.
About the Author: Karen Murdock
Karen Murdock, author of Playing with Lukas, is a retired nurse who has spent more than three decades working with difficult horses. Throughout her equine experience, Karen Murdock has employed clicker training, liberty exercises and positive reinforcement to build confidence and willing compliance with her horses. Karen Murdock is based in Walnut, California.
Karen Murdock, author of Playing with Lukas, is a retired nurse who has spent more than three decades working with difficult horses. Throughout her equine experience, Karen Murdock has employed clicker training, liberty exercises and positive reinforcement to build confidence and willing compliance with her horses. Karen Murdock is based in Walnut, California.
Image/s:
Book cover/ promotional photos/fair use
