We visit MGM Studio's zoo and animal training facility where trainer Joe Adkinson wants to put Bess, the world's smartest horse, through her practice drills. But before he can start, Bess opens the gate to the compound and heads for a pond, taking Joe's hat with her. Back in the paddock, in front of a lion, a couple of elephants, and Lassie, Bess shows off her ability to respond to Joe's commands. With a receptive vocabulary of more than 500 words, she backs up, trots, speeds up, pivots, stretches, and, in her most complicated maneuver, follows Joe's instructions to lie down and then ignore his commands that she rise.