Beautiful Jim Key, the True Horse Story We Need Now

Horses and history are two forces that inspire me and drive my curiosity. Last year, the owner of Hoof Prints, an online horse-themed shop, recommended Beautiful Jim Key, a nonfiction horse book that has been out for many years, but that I had never read. She shared the remarkable origin story of Jim Key’s book, which involved a rediscovered steamer trunk from the 1800s filled with newspaper clippings about a brainy, unbelievable performing horse. I was eager to learn more and ordered a copy from her!

Beautiful Jim Key book on red sofa next to a Baker plaid blanket and reading glasses

Here is a general synopsis of Beautiful Jim Key by Mim Eichler Rivas and a smattering of my impressions.

The two main characters of Beautiful Jim Key are Jim Key, the handsome half-Arabian, half-Hambletonian stallion and Dr. William Key, a former slave/self-taught veterinarian. (If, like me, you’re wondering what a Hambletonian is, it’s a precursor to the modern Standardbred.)

Horse and owner traveled throughout the country performing acts that showcased the uncanny intelligence of the horse (Jim was purported to have the smarts of a 12-year-old child), and encouraging adults and children alike to act with kindness toward animals.

I was hooked from the first chapter, which opens at a performance in St. Louis where President Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter, Alice is in the front row. One of Jim Key’s skills was spelling. He would select from a collection of cards labeled A to Z, displayed on a rack and then one by one pull out with his mouth each letter and line them up in a row left to right on another rack.

After a warm-up with names like “Mary” and “George,” an audience member shouted, asking if he could spell Alice’s full name. The tall bay stallion nodded and proceeded to spell A-L-I-C-E R-O-O-S-E-V-E-L-T correctly, to the delight of attendees. Jim also predicted who Alice would marry, but you’ll have to read Beautiful Jim Key for yourself to take in that scene. 🙂

Beautiful Jim Key—Not Your Typical Horse

Spelling was just one of Jim Key’s talents. He also could write, do math, tell time, use a telephone and cite passages from the Bible. These were just some of his unique skills demonstrated during his nine years of performing on the road at fairs, World’s Fairs and theaters.

How did this extraordinary horse learn to think and act and perform this way? Through hours and weeks and months and years of tireless dedication of William Key, a man with endless ingenuity and patience.

William “Doc” Key was a self-taught veterinarian who had invented a healing ointment he called Keystone Liniment, which could be used internally or externally and was said to treat maladies such as colic, lameness, splints and more. Doc owned Jim Key’s dam and the gangly foal (baby Jim Key) had some life-threatening health concerns. Due to the colt’s precarious condition, Doc was very hands-on with the foal, spending vast amounts of time with him. Apparently, the first of his many tricks began after Jim Key was studying the family dog’s fetching skills.

Jim was not to be outdone by a simple canine and also began retrieving sticks as a way to comfort a bereaved Doc Key (who had suffered a deep personal loss which I won’t get into because you will want to read this for yourself). Next, the young equine taught himself to open a gate, he was housetrained (much like a dog), learned to say yes and no with a nodding or swaying side to side of his head and more.

William “Doc” Key—Not Your Typical Horse Trainer

William Key was born a slave in Shelbyville, Tennessee in 1833. He once stated he was fortunate to have a “kind master.” The author expresses a theory that perhaps he was the son of the “master.” As a youngster, William learned how to be a blacksmith and shoe horses. He also picked up cooking skills from his mother, who was part Cherokee, part African descent.

When the head of the household died, William and his family were sent to live with a nephew whose father was a drinker, gambler, womanizer. Long story short, this difficult human now in William’s life apparently was taken with him. William had a soothing, positive influence, and everyone in the new family was impressed with both the charisma and poise of young man.

Animals especially loved William. He trained a rooster and a yellow dog to do tricks. He was also said to “talk horse.” Besides spending time with animals, young Bill/William devoured books, thanks to the new slave owner/nephew’s encouragement for book learning (even though it was against the law to teach slave to read and write).

Over time William would earn a reputation for reforming balking, kicking mules and vicious dogs with “kindness and patience.” In only a week, he kindly, gently trained young horses so they could be ridden!

As a young man William developed what would become his famous Keystone Liniment. One of the funniest things I read was that Jim Key was trained to fake colicking as part of the “show” promoting the tonic.

From being a traveling salesman’s sidekick, to one day having a custom exhibition stage with his name emblazoned on the front and performing for hundreds of thousands of eager fans, Jim and William Key’s story is one that I believe will bring a smile to your face and fill you with wonder.

Summary Thoughts on Beautiful Jim Key

I dogeared so many pages and underlined passages while reading this book. I especially loved the paragraphs that depicted particular stage performances of man and horse. Jim was truly an equine celebrity, with socialites, politicians and even presidents comprising his fan base. Jim and William were leaders in the humane movement—challenging the notion of animals as unfeeling machines or useful tools for progress.

As a history lover, I appreciated the sections that told of the nuance in North v. South relations, the insights into the lives of enslaved people. There was wonderful attention to the varying regional views on the Civil War within the state of Tennessee.

Beautiful Jim Key is not an easy read, but it’s a satisfying read. The twists and turns of a talented African-American trainer and his smart Hambletonian stallion who championed kindness and shattered stereotypes is inspirational. I was left to question, “Am I selling my horse short?” Maybe Knight has more to offer than just being my riding companion and secret keeper. I guess I won’t know until I try to get him to fetch.

You truly need to read this book for yourself!

Grab your own copy of Beautiful Jim Key:

✅ Recommended Option: buy from Hoofprints (support a fellow horse owner)

Or from Amazon (affiliate link): on Kindle or Audible audiobook

Thanks for reading about Jim Key! And if you love horse books, grab a copy of my free guide to help you plan your next feel-good read. And I’d love to know what horse books you recommend. Leave a comment. 🙂