How did you feel when a new owner changed your old horse's name?

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fine_and_dandy

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Now I know there is nothing you can do blah blah and why should you care because he has been sold to someone else etc

But...

It just feels ever so weird. I had a text letting me know how they are getting on (he is making lots of friends :D ) but they have changed his name to Woody from Krypto.

I've known him since he was a few days old and I got him at just over a year and he has always been Krypto, and will always be Krypto...it is just so so strange hearing him referred to by another name.

He has only been gone 5 days...maybe it feels funny because it is still a bit raw?

How did you feel if this happened to you?

Chocolate orange to all you that can be bothered to reply :D
 
I know just how you feel. I bred a TB out of my TB event mare, I called him Talisker Bay with my prefix in front of that name, they renamed him Henrys Fantasy, sounded like a wet dream to me!! He went on to be a successful event horse, again his name was changed. If Brook Staples is on this forum, I would love to know what happened to him. So a name is important to the breeder.
 
Not sure how I'd feel if I'd owned the horse but I did buy a chestnut mare a few years ago called Poppy and changed her name to Amber. :)

I suppose the important thing is that he's in a good home and being looked after.
 
i do find it strange, but it doesn't bother me. Though i'm always interested in knowing what they will be called with new owner. I did have Billy for a few years and then an old loaner of his (before i got him) told me his name has always been Milton, so it was weird talking to her, with the repeated reference to Milton lol. When i got Billy, i asked his last owner (non horsey guy who bought him for his kids who had no interest) what his name was, he just said "eh...Billy...i think." And so it stuck
 
I am very happy with the home he has gone to; his name being changed doesn't cast any aspersions as to their ability to care for him and how good they will be together.

As I said, it just feels very strange hearing a horse I have known for most of his life and owned for most of his life being referred to by another name.

I never thought it would really feel strange and I guess am a bit surprised at myself. I do wonder whether I will feel a bit better about it in time.

I still think if I ever went to see him that I would still call him Krypto out of habit; it would slip out by accident I think.

Don't think will tell the OH...he got very upset when Krypto went at the weekend so it would all probably be a bit too "soon" for him.
 
I register all my APHA, AQHA and CAHR foals so that their names cannot be changed, if someone chooses to change their barn names then that is up to them, they soon get used to it. Most of my babies are re-christened, Apollo became Bullet, Baby is now Willow, Persephone is Sephie, Isabella is Fortuna etc, etc.

I often change names, so it would be hypocritical of me to mind if someone else does it, although when I speak to old owners I do try to call them by their original name for the ex-owners benefit.

I had a new Boarder in at the weekend, I knew her before as Louise (she did have a friend called Thelma;)), but her name has been changed, I have to try to remember to call her Lilly everytime I refer to her.
 
I personally only change names if i think they are really awful when i get a horse without a name i always wait until a name comes to me that i think suits the horse.
If a horse i had sold had gone to a really good home then really that is all you can ask for then would overlook a name change.

There are alot worse things that can happen although you will always think of the horse as the name you called it in the first place and that is something almost impossible to change.:)
 
I don't think I would mind although it would feel a bit weird, especially if you still see the horse regularly etc. I used to share a gelding named Dancer, or Lanky Boy (very tall and skinny!) as we all called him. He was sold and his new owners named him Bertie....or Bertie Bullocks when he was naughty!

Don't think the old owner minded, although he doesn't really look like a "Bertie" and Dancer really did suit him. However I still call him Lanky and get odd looks from the owner, also when I hear someone talking about "Bertie"....it takes me a while to figure out who they are talking about!

I would change a name if it was something particularly bad!
 
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I changed our pony's name from the one his breeder gave him - sort of, anyway. Fieldside Millennium Star went from Star to Sid, which is still part of his name. I still call him Star when I speak to them, though.
 
That reminds me that I changed a pony's name from Star to Bug. I did start off calling him Star but a) it sounds too much like a girl's name (I used to know a girl called Sophia Teresa Alicia Robinson - STAR) and b) he didn't have a star - he had a blaze so that used to annoy me and c) he was one of the buggy-eyed Section Bs. Over the weeks he just evolved into Bug.

But then my little Sparkle was called Dusty before her previous owners got her and changed it.
 
I'd never change the registered name (although I've never disliked any of my horses registered names!) but I would change stable names if I didnt think their name suited them!
 
We have a foal that we called Poppy because it was the first thing my OH saw when I came running into the bedroom and told him she had arrived.

Her passport name is Celestial Diamond Flyte - new owner is calling her starlight and keeping the passport name.

Doesn't really bother me as I was always going to sell her.

However - I would NEVER change a horse's name as I think it is unlucky - sorry - just my feeling on that.
 
I used to own a lovely little welsh pony called Snippets. He was well known in parts of Australia for being a top novelties pony. Anyho, I sold him at the ripe age of 19 and the new owner changed his name from Snippets to Star. I didnt get it especially when he had a snippet of white across his face and no white star?
 
My mum is terrible for changing horses stable names when we buy them!

The first one we changed was a little blue roan welsh sec A that we rescued for £300, she was over weight and had sweet itch. Her mane and tail were rubbed raw, she was practically bald just covered in weaping sores (the people that had her were in complete denial that she had sweet itch). She was terribly headshy as someone had put an ear twitch on her and we were told she was so scared of jumping she wouldn't go over a pole on the floor. Anyway she turned out to be a fantastic pony with a great little pop and I even broke her to harness! We changed her name from Annie to Blackberry just to give her a new start.

We have also changed our chestnut TB x ID from Lizzie to Corrie (Corrib dimond mist). A dun connemara from Sam to Sandy (Kilkenny Sandman) the girl I sold him to use to call him Sandra...well he could be a bit of a girl. We bought Lady from BroadfordQueen and changed her name to Sadie. I personally didn't think there was anything wrong with the names they had to start with but my mum likes to change them! One of the names we didn't change was a connemara we had called Toad!! There was a bit of a story behind it and the breeder asked us not to change it. We thought it was funny and everyone remembered it.

We have never changed a registered name, mainly because I like all the proper names. I don't think I would mind if someone changed one of our names (as long as it was to something nice!)
 
When I sold my old mare I was talking to one of the daughters of the family who bought her a while after. She told me they'd changed her name from Bunny which really suited her and she had big bunny ears! To Bonnie which personally I felt really didn't suit her as it's too girly and she wasn't a girly mare at all.

But she belongs to them now so nothing I could do about it, plus it's personal opinion they obviously thought Bonnie suited her. Also they love her to bits and she has a great home so that's the main thing.
 
We've bred 2 to sell, & whilst they have their registered names which no-one can change (& a great deal of thought went into them), we also thought hard about their stable names. They both relate to the times they were born so are very personal to them. Once they were sold, it would be a rela shame to change them, as they are pretty names (Beau & Mae), but if the home was right I'd just have to live with it, Whenever I talked to the owners though, no matter what they changed them to they would always be called by the names we gave them.
 
Foxy53 said:
I'm sorry fine_and_dandy but if my horse was called Krypto I would change it too.......:p:D
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Wasn't asking your opinion on that but there we are.

Didn't name him myself; but have kept the name and just feels weird.

For everyone going on abou, "its a good home" for the last bloody time:

1) I am not disputing the home - do you think I would have sold otherwise??
2) I am not saying the name is amazing etc

The point of my post was MERELY to ask how people felt if they knew that a new owner had changed the name of their old horse.

I am saying it feels weird and wanted other opinions about that point - not whether you would change the name because you didnt bloody like it.

Yes I am in a grump about other things but for god's sake read the post properly next time and don't post comments about a post which clearly has a mite of sensitivity about it.
 
My yearling was called Moons Orbit aka Orbit. It just didnt suit him and I couldnt bring myself to shout Orbit across a filed, it sounded like I was calling for chewing gum! lol. So I changed his name to Dexter, he just IS a Dexter. I felt really shifty telling his breeder though! Saying that once I told her she agreed he was a Dexter. Its a bit odd when I talk to her as she calls him Orbit, but to me hes Dexy!

I've kept his proper name as Moons Orbit. Mainly because I've just bought his mum and shes called Moon. I'm not really keen on Moon either TBH, but wont change her name as shes 12 yrs old. I'll probably give her a nickname of Moomin or something though once she arrives.
 
I never change their names. Not that I don't belive you should, just that they are always called the old name in the interim period when thhinking of new anme and by the time we've though of something the old name has stuck and seems odd with new one. So I have 3 of the oddest named horses in the world - Zoon, Aladdin and Ice
 
fine_and_dandy said:
The point of my post was MERELY to ask how people felt if they knew that a new owner had changed the name of their old horse.
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I could not care less if someone changes the name of horses I sell. Their registered names remain with them for life but if some one wants to change the stable name they can. Once the owners tell me they have changed the name I also use the new name in communications with them. I have also changed stable names of horses I have bought. It is not important to me if the new owner changes the name.
 
jaypeebee said:
I could not care less if someone changes the name of horses I sell. Their registered names remain with them for life but if some one wants to change the stable name they can. Once the owners tell me they have changed the name I also use the new name in communications with them. I have also changed stable names of horses I have bought. It is not important to me if the new owner changes the name.
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Thanks :) the kind of response I meant!

I know what you mean about it not being important; it wasn't ever something that I thought would bother me but for some reason it has. If I went to see him I would always make the effort to call him by his new name; understandably it would be incredibly difficult given I knew him all his life and owned him for over 2 years.

That said, he is in a brilliant home and I am looking forward to receiving the updates :)
 
When is sold a horse they changed his named and although i didnt like it, i would have like to have said something as hed had the same name for 8 years i had to bite my tounge just mad me feel sad. I must admit though when i once loaned a horse and they said they wanted to call him something else i kicked up a stink!!! ;)

My previous horse i was going to change there names a ISH called ceaser and a mongrel 11hh pony called sweetpea!! But while we were thinking of names i kind of came round to there oringinal names and they stuck, and i actually grew to like them!!
 
I have bred all of mine so I am the one to blame for giving them all their registered names and their stable names. I try to give them nice names to match their personalities or a spin off from their registered names but if people who buy them dont like the name then what can be done. I just accept it. I sell a lot of horses though so may be I am more used to it than you. I think if you dont sell often then it might be a bit of shock you are having. It will pass :)
 
jaypeebee said:
I have bred all of mine so I am the one to blame for giving them all their registered names and their stable names. I try to give them nice names to match their personalities or a spin off from their registered names but if people who buy them dont like the name then what can be done. I just accept it. I sell a lot of horses though so may be I am more used to it than you. I think if you dont sell often then it might be a bit of shock you are having. It will pass :)
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This is it I think. When I had a few more neds (3 youngsters and one ridden) before just getting down to Bailey due to time and money; Of the 4 I have sold over last 3 years or so, I thought the one with a likely name change would have been Wonka!!!

I think it will get easier. I guess as I don't sell horses as a living etc and have a different, more emotive relationship it isn't as easy to get the detachment that for example a dealer/breeder may get.
 
I did find it odd the first time I sold a horse but quickly realised all that matters is that they are properly cared for. However, if a horse has a prefix, I don't think anyone should ever be allowed to change that even if the name that comes after it has been changed. Have mixed feelings about the BD rule that horse can only compete under name on passport, but it is good for the breeders as prefixes can't be removed.
 
Sometimes names get changed by accident:D
YO at the time was buying horses from abroad, one was a very pretty bay mare called Leisel.
Yo's dad said "what? oh Diesel!"," no Leisel",but he could never remember so she became Diesel :)
 
This thread is making me feel bad.

I picked up my new (and first) horse last Saturday. I've changed her name to Rabbit (which everyone hates but I love :p ) Her old owner is coming to see her soon and i'm too embarrassed to tell her what i've changed it too!
 
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