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Beautiful Jim Key and the former slave who taught him to count and use the alphabet
William Key was born into slavery in 1833 and grew up on his owner's farm in Shelbyville, Tennessee. He found that he had a serious bond and a spiritual connection with all animals, but horses were extremely special to him. Even as a kid, William Key was known as a horse whisperer of sorts, and as his skills developed, he became a well-respected horseman as a young man.
After he had achieved some success as a trainer and self-taught veterinarian, William decided to enter the world of horse racing. He stumbled upon an offer to purchase a famous Arabian mare named Lauretta that was in foal to a top Hambletonian horse named Tennessee Volunteer. Lauretta had been a former circus horse that was neglected and abused and William bought the mare and nursed her back to health. He traveled throughout the South with the horse, while peddling his "Keystone Liniment," claiming the ointment played a large part in Lauretta's recovery.
Lauretta would foal in 1889 and William was excited. He thought the mixture of an Arabian and a Standardbred would produce a horse for the ages, and he was correct, but it didn't happen the way William had envisioned the dream, as the horse never even stepped foot on a racetrack.
The foal was frail, sickly, weak and could barely walk. When the colt did start to stretch his legs he staggered around sideways and fell often. William decided to name the horse after the town drunk and the colt's name was now "Jim." William added his own last name to the paperwork and the horse was officially "Jim Key." A stage manager added the name "Beautiful" some time later.
Jim's talent was first noticed when the horse began picking up small tricks here and there, mostly from the family dog. Jim would often mimic the pet, picking up sticks, rolling over and sitting for treats. The horse spent a great deal of time with William and the family and Jim even slept inside the house on a stack of blankets near the fire at night.
William's wife, Lucinda, was extremely tolerant of William's unique relationship with this special horse and it was she who first discovered that Jim was even more talented than they had originally thought.
It started out with yes or no questions. "Jim, would you like a piece of apple?" The horse would nod his head up and down in response. "Do you want to go outside in the cold rain?" The horse would shake his head from side to side. Jim just seemed to understand human language.
Full story that gets a lot more remarkable:
https://www.thespectrum.com/story/s...rtest-horse-and-owner-william-key/3267109002/
A short-form introduction to the story:
William Key was born into slavery in 1833 and grew up on his owner's farm in Shelbyville, Tennessee. He found that he had a serious bond and a spiritual connection with all animals, but horses were extremely special to him. Even as a kid, William Key was known as a horse whisperer of sorts, and as his skills developed, he became a well-respected horseman as a young man.
After he had achieved some success as a trainer and self-taught veterinarian, William decided to enter the world of horse racing. He stumbled upon an offer to purchase a famous Arabian mare named Lauretta that was in foal to a top Hambletonian horse named Tennessee Volunteer. Lauretta had been a former circus horse that was neglected and abused and William bought the mare and nursed her back to health. He traveled throughout the South with the horse, while peddling his "Keystone Liniment," claiming the ointment played a large part in Lauretta's recovery.
Lauretta would foal in 1889 and William was excited. He thought the mixture of an Arabian and a Standardbred would produce a horse for the ages, and he was correct, but it didn't happen the way William had envisioned the dream, as the horse never even stepped foot on a racetrack.
The foal was frail, sickly, weak and could barely walk. When the colt did start to stretch his legs he staggered around sideways and fell often. William decided to name the horse after the town drunk and the colt's name was now "Jim." William added his own last name to the paperwork and the horse was officially "Jim Key." A stage manager added the name "Beautiful" some time later.
Jim's talent was first noticed when the horse began picking up small tricks here and there, mostly from the family dog. Jim would often mimic the pet, picking up sticks, rolling over and sitting for treats. The horse spent a great deal of time with William and the family and Jim even slept inside the house on a stack of blankets near the fire at night.
William's wife, Lucinda, was extremely tolerant of William's unique relationship with this special horse and it was she who first discovered that Jim was even more talented than they had originally thought.
It started out with yes or no questions. "Jim, would you like a piece of apple?" The horse would nod his head up and down in response. "Do you want to go outside in the cold rain?" The horse would shake his head from side to side. Jim just seemed to understand human language.
Full story that gets a lot more remarkable:
https://www.thespectrum.com/story/s...rtest-horse-and-owner-william-key/3267109002/
A short-form introduction to the story:
