Horses Can't Do That! Meet Lukas, The World's Smartest Horse and Yes He Can Do That!

Lukas, known to his fans as the World's Smartest Horse - a fact that's been verified by the World Records Academy and Guinness - doesn't believe there's much horses can't do. In fact, he's attracted world-wide attention for his cognitive abilities and performs a wide variety of liberty (free) movements. It's his way of sharing the happy results of kind training, and to prove just how smart horses are, if they're given a chance at success.

Lukas began life as a race horse. He ran in three races as a two-year-old before leg injuries put an end to his career and nearly cost him his life. He changed hands several times, ending up sorely neglected and emaciated in a yard belonging to people who didn't know how to care for him. A local trainer noticed him while she was driving by and bought the then eight-year-old gelding out of pity, "He was skin and bones and his tail was a solid bat of dried mud." She was hoping to recondition him and include him in her amateur jumping program. After two years though, he still wasn't fitting in, and he was once again offered for sale as an "Inexperienced project horse."

Trick-training was Lukas' last hope. By offering a way for trainers and owners to connect and bond with animals and develop their confidence and focus, trick training often produces fantastic results. And it worked perfectly for Lukas. His curious, eager nature sparked an exploration into cognitive and perceptual tasks as well. His current repertoire includes the smile, pose, yes, no, kiss, fetch, blindfold, catch, yawn, wave, pedestal work, Spanish Walk (high step), stay and come, jambette (three-legged pivot), sit, curtsey, passage (similar to skipping), bow, crossing his front legs, lay down, feet together (front and back), hide and seek, acting lame, pushing a cart and the rear. Most of his acclaim has come from his abilities to spell, count, identify shapes, discriminate colors and his understanding of spatial relationships, object permanence, proportion, same/different and absentness.

Lukas has been seen on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, HLN and Inside Edition. The Associated Press and American On Line released feature articles about him and he's been in magazines, newsletters, forums, blogs and newspapers world-wide. His story has been heard on Animal Talk Radio, Pet Place Radio, Pet Talk Radio, Pet Talk Live Radio and RFD-Radio among many others. He was nominated for the 2010 Equine Vision Award sponsored by Pfizer and American Horse Publications.

He's even the Spokeshorse for After The Finish Line, an organization helping to find homes for ex-racehorses. In addition, he's associated with HEAL (Human-Equine Alliances for Learning), a therapy practice that aids trauma victims.

With love and patience, horses can indeed do that. Lukas is living proof.