Is it really bad luck to change their name??

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montysmum1

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I have just bought a new horse, and he has a stable and registered name, both of which are on his Passport... but every time i look at him i don't see him as 'that' name, and I keep thinking of him as a Henry... would it be very bad luck to change his name? He doesn't seem to know his name as he's spent most of his life going through sales/dealers and not actually stopped anywhere for very long yet!!
 
I find that names evolve, so whilst I wouldn't set out and say "I want my new pony not to be called George anymore and he will henceforth be known as Prince Caspian" I would expect the name to change.

Our Georgieanna is known to my daughter as Pudding.

Our new lad, Alfie, who has been with us a couple of weeks, has already evolved into Schmoo.:eek:
 
I hope not, I've just brought a youngster, how had the worst name ever, Bay, as in he was bay in colour!
I've renamed him, so hopefully I wouldn't get any bad luck
 
I have tried to keep their names in the past, but like you said if it just doesn't suit them.

My Rosie was Lieveke (Dutch for Little Darling) not sure what is exactly little about her lol!

I also changed Alfie's name from Checkers. Just couldn't imagine shouting that up the field!
 
montysmum1 said:
I have just bought a new horse, and he has a stable and registered name, both of which are on his Passport... but every time i look at him i don't see him as 'that' name, and I keep thinking of him as a Henry... would it be very bad luck to change his name? He doesn't seem to know his name as he's spent most of his life going through sales/dealers and not actually stopped anywhere for very long yet!!
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Well, the only horse whose name I have ever changed has had a catalogue of problems since the name change! He is now a complete write off barring miracles and will have to be retired.

Having said that though, I do not believe it is the change of name that is responsible. Just bad luck. :(
 
i chnaged the name of both my horses first one was called Ambrosia like the riced pudding!! although he is my little pudding we changed his to domino 23years on he's still a domino or TW** depending on his behavour lol and my new one was called indi IV and ive changed it to oero like the chocy bicy so will hopefully be good luck as she's only 3. 1.2 I think a horse pics its own name if it fits use it.. i could never have imagined shouting ambrosia down the field would have felt a right plank lol xxx
 
I changed mine to a different, but similar sounding name as his original stable name was only one letter out from that of my deeply loved first horse who I lost to sarcoids and I just couldn't bring myself to use it. I don't think he cares a jot - it's just the tone in which it's delivered that matters to him!
 
I don't think it's bad luck. And since you just spent your hard earned money buying a horse, then you should name it exactly what you like.

I used to breed, racehorses mostly. When they were born they all got christened with people names. Most of the owners kept those. Even the warmblood I sold last year has been kept Iggy.

But what gets me is registered names. Especially Irish ones. You have some version of stallion name along with area of breeder along with some stupid phrase. Like Cruisings Athboy Rock Star. WTH people? Or the Belgian names. I try and keep it simple. My warmblood fillies are out of a mare called Heartbreaking so I use the designated letter and pick a word that ends in ing. So Abba had to be a B name and became Breathtaking. I try and pick names not only that I'm happy with but so any owners, if I sell, would be happy too. This way I can track them easier.

But like I said, change those barn names and registered ones if they are awful! You spent your hard earned money! I have one TB owner who keeps in touch with me. He changed the barn name and I'm always careful to call the horse by that name. Just because!

Terri
 
I was always superstisous about changing horses names, but when I bought my new horse, he was called 'Jet' and I thought it was the most awful name, I just couldnt live with it! Lol, (sorry if anyones horse is called jet!) so I changed it to Titch, lol, it suited him so much more, and so far (touch wood!) We've been doing pretty well in the dressage arena!

:D
 
My horse's previous owner changed his name and it doesn't seem to have done him any harm. Of course he might argue he has been unlucky as he's been stuck with me for the past 8 years!
 
I think the saying is; change the name change the luck..... (so if he's a regular rosette winner don't change the name! :D )
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
I don't think it's bad luck. And since you just spent your hard earned money buying a horse, then you should name it exactly what you like.

I used to breed, racehorses mostly. When they were born they all got christened with people names. Most of the owners kept those. Even the warmblood I sold last year has been kept Iggy.

But what gets me is registered names. Especially Irish ones. You have some version of stallion name along with area of breeder along with some stupid phrase. Like Cruisings Athboy Rock Star. WTH people? Or the Belgian names. I try and keep it simple. My warmblood fillies are out of a mare called Heartbreaking so I use the designated letter and pick a word that ends in ing. So Abba had to be a B name and became Breathtaking. I try and pick names not only that I'm happy with but so any owners, if I sell, would be happy too. This way I can track them easier.

But like I said, change those barn names and registered ones if they are awful! You spent your hard earned money! I have one TB owner who keeps in touch with me. He changed the barn name and I'm always careful to call the horse by that name. Just because!

Terri
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I am with you on the Belgian names, Fany is Fany Du Champ De La Petite Ville! I am all for changing names, unfortunately my daughter, who is Fany's official owner is against because she feels it is bad luck. I think if a horse's name is Fany it is already having the bad luck especially with our YO's OH and our farrier! I call her Dude, 'cos she is one!

I think most horses end up with a "family" nick name. Captain is always referred to as Cappy.
FDC
 
I've changed some of mine in the past if I dont like them. I try to keep them quite similar sounding though to not confuse the horse - last one was a pony called "Sandy" but she was very dark bay and just didnt suit it so I renamed her "Sadie".
 
I had a mare who went on loan for 6 months, the loaner bought her and still kept the same stable name. I didn't see her again for ages, but I bumped in to the girl her bought her a year later and she told me she'd sold her to somewhere in Scotland. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had a phone call out of the blue from her new owner, who had bought her at a sale and wanted some background on her and she now called her a different name.

It really upset me, firstly that she had been bought at a sale, and secondly that she would be in a strange place being called a strange name - she was a difficult horse. TBH she probably doesn't care one bit, but I did!
 
foxy1 said:
I think the saying is; change the name change the luck..... (so if he's a regular rosette winner don't change the name! :D )
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I hadn't heard this full saying before - i like it! He definitely needs a fresh start so thismakes me feel even batter about his new name :-)
 
A friend of mine changed a horse's name before it made it to the yard- she was too embarrassed to refer to the horse by its 'proper' name, so I was sworn to secrecy about it!
 
jemima_too said:
I find that names evolve, so whilst I wouldn't set out and say "I want my new pony not to be called George anymore and he will henceforth be known as Prince Caspian" I would expect the name to change.

Our Georgieanna is known to my daughter as Pudding.

Our new lad, Alfie, who has been with us a couple of weeks, has already evolved into Schmoo.:eek:
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That's like us too. Not sure why it just happens. My gelding is only ever called by his proper name when I'm cross with him otherwise its 'Shoes'. My mare (Mouse) has evolved to MooMoo or Moomee. However beware. My fugly foal was called Donkey and it only ever evolved as far as Honkey. Really will have to do something about that at selling time!
 
I had to name my horse when I first got him as he had been imported from Ireland with no passport and the dealer I got him from didn't know what his name was. So I guess I have changed his name but didn't know what he was called before so might not have done, depending on what it was! I wish I DID know what he was called before. Sometimes when I call him in he looks as if to say "but that's not my name!" LOL :) No real bad luck apart from a bolting and bucking incident a couple of weeks ago which prob happen to every horse owner at some point.
 
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