Nickname copying

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peanut

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I know it's probably petty and trivial, but a friend has started calling her horse the same distinctive and unusual nickname she's heard me calling my horse for years.

Would you be annoyed or am I being daft?
 
id be annoyed but then again thats what im like :o i get annoyed over silly things but i would be peed for like a week or so then i would get over it :) but i would still get annoyed every time they said it... i would stop saying it myself but then i can be quite childish and petty so it depends how you are but i think most people would get at least a bit annoyed :)
 
It wouldn't annoy me but i would think she's clearly got no imagination to think of something herself. Every time she metions her horse with the pet name in front of you just say "oh he/she is great thanks, hows .... (use her horses name)" then say they cant share a nickname as its too confusing to work out who she's talking about.
 
Take it as a compliment. People only imitate those they admire, you'd never name a horse or a child after someone you didn't like.
She may not even be doing it consciously, I can't stop calling my mare,' baby', even though she's not a baby anymore, she's 5 yrs old and I mentally kick myself everytime I do it.
 
Good grief, what on earth are you going to call your kids if you don't want anyone else using the names you've chosen:D
 
It wouldn't annoy me - people tend to pick up on quirky use of names or language particuarly if it is clever. I have a friend and we have our own way of putting things to the extent that we almost have our own language. Hilariously, even the farrier used a bit of it the other day :)
 
No - this wouldn't bother me . . . but I can sort of understand where you're coming from. This nickname feels personal to you and your boy, right? Can you not be honest with your friend? She's probably not even aware she's doing it . . . people pick up words and phrases from all over.

But, no, it wouldn't upset me . . . and, honestly, I think you should see if you can find a way to park it. If you can't, see above.

P
 
Yes it would bug me - I'd probably just drop a casual comment about her not having any imagination and laugh it off - makes her aware that you're not happy but doesn't cause an atmosphere.
 
it's called 'echolalia' and is very common, usually as a subconscious way of fitting in. i'd ignore it, or change the name you call your horse, tbh!
i tend to use the same all-purpose nickname for mine for a while, at one point it was 'muppet' until someone new to the yard said 'is that his name then?'... oops, no, it wasn't! someone temporarily on my yard started using it... no worries. made me smile.
i tend to use "settle Petal" quite often too if a mare's playing up, and i nicked that from a trainer years ago!
 
Come on, what's the nickname then? To be fair, she may not know she is doing it. Another lady at our yard uses 'dude' a lot when talking to her horses, and now rather annoyingly, I have started using it too - Grrrrr! I think it is common to pick up on words that others use, and use the same words without realising - fortunately I have realised, so am doing my best not to call my horse a 'dude', however, I am sure the other lady does not mind, but I am a bit embarrassed that 'dude' just came out of my mouth a few times! :rolleyes::D
 
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