Changing a horse's name

mossycup

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Is it still frowned upon/considered bad luck to change a horses name? It would just be a stable name change, leaving their passport/registered name as it is....
 

paddi22

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I've changes a load of horses names and don't think it affected me at all. I just couldn't fathom chaouting 'Chelsea' at one across a field at high pitch (apologies to any Chelseas!) changed a few and most are still motoring around. they all picked up the name change quickly as well and respond to the new one fairly easily from what I can see.
 

ihatework

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I’ve never changed a horses name, I just can’t bring myself to! Or maybe I’ve just never had a horse with a name bad enough to do so. I have shortened a couple as I tend to like short / sharp names day to day
 

poiuytrewq

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I changed one once and the poor thing had a pretty tough time of it! Refused ever since, even when I got a horse with the same name as my daughter a few years back and then my daughter got a horse with the same name as the horse I already had!!
I would give a nickname instead
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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I bought a "project" mare who was called "Misty Black" in her passport, was called "Misty" where she was at.

Brought her home, and the name just didn't seem to fit her. Dunno why, but it just didn't!

I felt that the mare herself didn't like her name either; she's jet black with a white blaze, and the name "Misty" I've always associated with grey's, not a black horse.

Tried experimenting with things beginning with "M", and like-sounding names, but nothing seemed to fit!

Friend confirmed that mare wasn't happy with her name!

Then another friend who comes and rides the mare out with me, somehow started calling her "Moo". She seemed to respond to it, and the name stuck!!

Moo she is!
 

doodle

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I sort of changed solis. He only had a passport name and a stable number when racing. The people who had him the few months before me gave him a stable name dapple. I changed it to soli as racing name solas.
 

BeckyFlowers

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Is it still frowned upon/considered bad luck to change a horses name? It would just be a stable name change, leaving their passport/registered name as it is....
Does it matter if other people frown upon it? It's only considered bad luck to those who are superstitious. If you want to change it, and aren't superstitious, then there's no problem is there?
 

teddypops

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I always change names if I don’t like them. It’s only bad luck if you are superstitious and actually I have had the most problems with a pony that kept her original name! It’s your horse, change the name if you want and don’t worry about anybody else!
 

Griffin

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I changed the spelling of my mare's name but kept the sound the same (if that makes sense?). The original spelling was not the common way of spelling her name in this county, so it made sense to change it slightly for vets etc. She had a very hard and unlucky life before I found her, so if anything I think she had a fresh start!
 

SussexbytheXmasTree

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My old boy has a posh name and his stable name is a very short version of it but I’ve no idea if he had a stable name as he was from a dealer.

Latest horse had stable name “Euri” short version of his passport name which I loathe. So now he’s Ed / Eddie but more often called Edward.
 

Pippity

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I wish I'd changed mine - there are so many Blues around (including one on my yard) and she looks far more like an Eithne. However, two years in, it's too late for me to bother changing it everywhere, so she's stuck as Blue. Although she only responds to Sugarplum, so *shrug*.
 

Laurac13

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I bought a "project" mare who was called "Misty Black" in her passport, was called "Misty" where she was at.

Brought her home, and the name just didn't seem to fit her. Dunno why, but it just didn't!

I felt that the mare herself didn't like her name either; she's jet black with a white blaze, and the name "Misty" I've always associated with grey's, not a black horse.

Tried experimenting with things beginning with "M", and like-sounding names, but nothing seemed to fit!

Friend confirmed that mare wasn't happy with her name!

Then another friend who comes and rides the mare out with me, somehow started calling her "Moo". She seemed to respond to it, and the name stuck!!

Moo she is!
I like that !
I had a rescue dog called Mary it didn’t suit her at all I started calling her Missy then Missy Moo and she became a Moo too ?
 

Dyllymoo

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I couldn't bring myself to do it. All of mine have had people names anyway, so nothing too awful. J's is spelt odd on his passport but its still the same name. I quite like that he obviously had it when he was a foal and registered right up to now :)
 

Reacher

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My horse came with both a passport name and a stable name (Harvey). Not sure at what point he acquired the stable name but it’s nicer than the passport name. He has recently acquired another nickname (Harvester) based on his stable name! I’d change his passport name to this (official name has no stud prefix etc) except I begrudge the money. He’s your horse - call him what you like!

Plenty of women change their passport name when they get married without being cursed with bad luck so it seems a strange superstition !
 

Nasicus

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2/3 have had their stable names changed. The remaining 1/3 was going to have hers changed, but her current one stuck before I could think of a new one :rolleyes:
 
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