Whats in a name?

There was a topic going around on ridecamp not all that long ago about renaming a horse. Some people talked  about naming a horse after something they wanted the horse to be like.

Interesting idea.

Quite a few years ago I read an article about the silly names you see in children’s hunters (the writer was a horse show mom who’s daughter did hunters). It was both interesting and funny. She came to the conclusion that they should just name then honestly:

“We spent so much money on this horse, he better win a blue!”

Or, much simpler:

“blue ribbon” or “I win”

Some horses are given regal names, some are given names that are named after something popular (why? I could never figure this one out!)

What about endurance horses? What names should they be given?

“passed the vet check!!”

 

“I go fast” or “I never stop” might also work!

Might make a bit more sense then the many odd registered names you see on these Arabs! Some are really cool, and others are just impossible to pronounce!

But what about “barn names” as we refer to them? We rarely refer to our horses by their registered name ( I would never refer to Huck as Goose Downs Little Obsession, in fact I try not to embarrass him by telling people that was his name!), so we come up with barn names.

Sometimes they are a variation of the registered name, sometimes not. What is important is that we like them and they fit our horses.

 

Now I only have one horse that came with a registered name, all my other ones (excepting Lucy) just had barn names. All of them (except Lucy and Detta) I renamed. I just couldn’t help it!

I have several rules when it comes to my horses names:

1. Cannot have the same name as: a horse I previously owned, a horse I used to ride, a horse I know personally, a horse that friend owns but I have never met, a horse that I have never met nor know the owner of but saw the same and didn’t like it.

2. Cannot have a name that I do not like

3. I simply like getting to name my horses, so really all the other reasons are moo points (like a cows oppion, doesn’t really matter!)!!!

 

So what names did my horses previously have?

 

Detta, my first horse, well that was her name! Never accured to me to that I could change it!

Lucy, did not have a name when she came to me.

Huck, was Obi (short for his registered name) hated it, considered calling him Ozzy (he had a LOT of mane!)

Ollie was Doc, but I had a friend with a horse that name, plus I didn’t like AND I wanted it to match Hucks name (Huckleberry and Olaliberry)

Keziah, was Wendy, knew a horse with that name, and didn’t like it.

 

So why the question of names all of a sudden? Because whenever I see a horse I might want to buy, I HAVE to rename it! When I was looking at the anglo arab, I had renamed him Mie Tei (like the drink, no idea on the spelling) even though I never got him.

I am more or less obsessed with renaming horses!

But no, this new one does not have a name yet. But not for a lack of trying! I have decided to name him after a sports car, he is fast, therefore he will have a fast name! I will hold off on giving him an actual name until I go see him (and bring him home)