Opinions on Changing Horses Names?

I had one come in to be sold with the name Buck, part of his registered name, that was changed as I felt it may put people off if they though he would live up to it, another was called Mizzy , people really were put off when they heard that even though she was not a miserable mare, a change of name and she sold to the next viewers in part because they loved her name!!

I do find that having a good name does have benefits, often people ask the name before viewing and it really can help sell them, a bad name would not put off most people but a few will conjure up an image of one with a name that implies a certain type of behaviour or personality, of the ones I have now most arrived with good names, all registered, apart from the ISH who was unnamed and was given a name which comes from his sire and dam and suits him well, he is a Harley at home.
 
I'd change my share horse's name (Boris) if I could, just to avoid all the, "Ha ha, Boris Johnson!" comments. I just refer to him as B or Bozza when talking about him to non-horsey friends, and I only call him Boris to his face when he's forgotten his manners. Otherwise he's whatever weirdness comes out of my mouth - currently most likely to be Fairy Bogbrush for some reason!
 
Alf has always been Alf at home, but his BD registered name was changed by his last owner. I think it's a bit sad that he had one registered name, which he was pretty successful under - and a completely different one for the last few years of his competition career. If I were ever to compete him again, I'd change it back to his original (nicer) registered name.
 
I never changed my first horses name which was Andee (mare) as just couldn't think of anything that suited! So she had that her entire life - caused many a confusion lol!
New horse changed his as worked with someone of the same name - Harry and just seemed a bit common for him, so he's now Harn (after captain Solo - Star Wars, husbands suggestion) but suits him to a tee and he totally know his new name.
Just acquired a project and his name had to be changed as he was called Rodney - which I just don't like lol so he's now Jester.
Oh and one other years ago a pony called Robin, didn't like that so kept along the same lines and he became Loxsley.

I wouldn't ever change a passport name, just their stable name.
 
I have named those I bred myself, changed some names, kept others and adjusted passport names to make stable names. None of these changes seems to have affected my or their luck in any obvious way.
My last but one horse had a silly passport name which I couldn’t change but as I don’t compete I was able to keep it a secret. Her stable name was even sillier so that was changed very quickly. She didn’t seem bothered and learnt her new name in a few weeks.
My latest horse has no known breeding or history but when I told my best friends what her name was they said “You can’t possibly call her that!” After some thought and help from HHO I found both her new passport and stable name.
 
My veteran traddy cob has three names!

One is the name in his passport which was a showing name he was given; the other is the name he was given before I had him by one of his previous owners (two owners ago); and the third is the one he has now!

I managed to trace his previous owner last autumn; she called him by his old name, which must have been confusing for him! It was very strange to hear "my" horse being called another name by someone who'd had him as a youngster (he's now 21). Must've been strange for her too to hear me calling him something else!
 
I wouldn't change a passport name if it had a breeder's prefix. I changed my first horse's stable name, before passporting came in - so he was passported in his new name from the start. I would've changed it on the passport if they'd existed then, as he was just called "Curly", which I think is daft, so he became Jasper forever more.

The other two kept their passport names, and their stable names - though I do give them nicknames, and Dae is called Daemon as often as he is Darach.

Most recent one kept her name, but acquired an "e" on the way home - I'd have changed the whole name if I didn't like it. However, I wouldn't change her passport name, though it's not really what I'd have chosen myself. Again, though, she has so many nicknames, people often have to ask what her "real" name is - because apparently Captain Carrot isn't real enough :p
 
My pony was bought by a friend from a sale in Wales so I didn’t know what her name was. Years later I found out it was Fairy which doesn’t suit her in the slightest since she’s a stroppy ginger welsh mare!
 
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