Changing a horses name?

H

HeatherAda

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 January 2006
Messages
880
Location
Northampton
Visit site
out of nothing but idol curiosity what are your thoughts on changing a horses name?

A friend of mine is just about to buy a new horse but hates his name and will be changing it.

What do you think? If you have done this did they get used to it soon enough or do you think it's not really fair.

Discuss...
 
I don't see a big problem, unless you're superstitous of course! Chex doesn't know his name, I could shout anything at him and I get the same response. Mind you, his name is Chequers, and I've called him that about twice in the last 5 years! Apparently his name was changed from Minstrel to Chequers before I got him anyway!
 
Changing a stable name is no big deal in my opinion but as for showing or competition names, they should be left alone as this is the only shop window breeders have.
 
Unless it was REALLY awful I'd probably keep the name as it was, you soon get used to it!
I bought a horse once that had been called Arnie, was sold through a dealer and they named him trevor but I changed it back to arnie (I thought that was the better of 2 evils!)

I'm not particularly keen on one of my current horses names but it has started to grow on me eventually!
 
I really didn't like Cat's name when I first got him, but I kept it as I felt funny about changing it. I didn't mind it so much shortened to Cat, & then I got to like the whole thing as it's unusual. It wasn't his orig name anyway cos his papers were lost en route from Ireland so the dealer renamed him.

He didn't answer to it particularly & mostly got called 'horse' in any case...

Don't like my (prospective) new horse's show name but he's already reg'd under it BD & I'd still feel funny about changing it. Totally irrational...
 
My boy had the stable name Mutt when I bought him - his previous owner bought two unhandled youngsters for backing at the same time & he called one Mutt and one Jeff (awful I know!!!)

Needless to say I changed his name pretty quickly!
 
2 of my horses are from dealers. One was bought as a 9year old, and the other as a 3 year old. Neither had names. I'm assuming that they DID have names before they went to dealers, but the dealers didn't know them. Anyway, they were given names and we never had a problem at all!
smile.gif


Lou. x
 
I changed my old horses name, even though i was warned not to because of supersticion. Anyway it did turn out to be bad luck hence i would never change a horses name again.

Im not saying it was anything to do with the name change but once bitten and all that!!

xx
 
Apparently, when you name a ship and change the name its bad luck. Because when you name something you give it a soul.

I kind of feel the same about horses, so have never changed a name.

Superstitious (sp?) me.
grin.gif
 
it is true that you can get used to a horses name whatever it is. there are some very odd names on our yard but having heard them so often i don't give them a 2nd thought... mention it to non-horsey people and they will often be very amused
 
I didn't really like my boys name when I got him (Bradley) because it was too much of a human name, although it has grown on me a little. I often shorten it to Brads, the Bradster or Mister Bragglesby!!

I'm a bit superstitious too so didn't want to have any bad luck!
 
I've changed a number of my horses names.....mainly because I already have one with the same name. They don't care and all you have to do is repeat the new name over and over again and they soon learn it.

I have also just changed one of our new horse's names as I didn't like it......and he didn't appear to know his name anyway.

Tell your friend to change it if she wants - it's her horse, she can do what she likes.
smile.gif
 
I don't have a problem with changing a horses name. When they come to a new home I'm sure they are far too concerned with all the other changes in their life to really note it.

Admittedly the best two horses I've owned I didn't change theirs, but with plenty others I have. Or I've bought them from auctions when you don't know their names, and they seems to adapt pretty quick to whatever you give them.

I don't think it really confuses a horse that much as with different voices/accents names can sound all together different. Star gets called Bessie half the time as she got nicknamed Stressy Bessie years ago, and it stuck. So she gets called Star half the time and Bessie the other half. She knows we're talking to her. However, if a stanger walked in the yard and called her either of those, she'd totally ignore them (she doesn't like strangers
smirk.gif
) so it's not always WHAT they're called, but who is talking to them I think.

Anyway, I don't think it's a big deal. But then I'm changing my own surname by deedpoll and see it as a very positive thing
tongue.gif
 
I once bought the most stunning little dark bay horse called Gilbert, and they used to nickname him Giblets
crazy.gif
crazy.gif
I changed it to Bailey
grin.gif
 
we got zeus when he was 18months and his name was charlie... we changed it even before we brought him!! had one bad year and no bad luck since! getting on for 13years now. and he knows his name.

if herbie was mine i would have changed it, but now iv got used to it, i think it suits him. i would change a horses name, without worrying, probably keep it to something simular, or stand there all day with a baby name book (or dictonary) calling it and see what it reacts to!
 
My last mares name was Billie now correct me if im wrong but isnt billie a male name ??


Well I changed it immediately to a more girly name and named her shannon .

Her dam is wild civil

So her show name was Civil shannon
 
Change it! My horses names sort of just happen. I don't 'decide' on one as such they just come out and before I know it he is named. They all have about 5 each anyway! (one official and several pet ones.) My Merlin is also known as 'Biggist', MerMer, Merlinator and foolish to name a few depending on my mood!
 
I wouldn't change a horse's name because I am very supertiscious, BUT if you really don't like the one he has, try to think of a nice one that rhymes. As long as it sounds similar he won't notice! I can't see how they can possible learn a completely new one, once they get passed a certain age. The first horse I ever bought was called just plain old MICKY so, being as he was grey, I changed it to SILVER MINK, and he didn't notice when I called him Minky from across the field.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top