Would you change horses name?

[Noisygirls]

Just curious if anyone’s done this before.

Depends how old

8yrs old. Not a bad name but a human one same as a family member. Just one we’re looking at but got me thinking. Where I grew up in farming circles you didn’t change names, ‘tis considered unlucky

Yes.
I changed a gelding called Beauty to Bertie. I had him for 2 years and the person who had him next renamed him back to Beauty. However I think they were similar enough for him not to notice!

Then I had a large mare called Pip. I didn’t feel the name was big enough for her and I renamed her something completely different. I had her for 7 years.

I couldn't at that age personally. Maybe if another name sounds similar?

Nah I couldn't, tis unlucky you know and there is nothing more superstitious than horsey folk.

Looked at a pony a few years ago, registered name was Stud Prefix Bramble so assumed pet name was Bramble. It was Piglet 😂😂😂. Bought her and her name is still Piglet or Piggy.

We sound knobbers shouting Piggy down the field but it's her name so it stuck.

Love the idea of you standing in a field shouting piggy :) must confuse people if they overhear :)

It being bad luck is just superstition. Nothing bad will come of changing a horse's name. But if the horse has got used to one sound being shouted at it, it may take a while to get used to another sound. Having the same name as a family member is quite funny though - I've known a George who rides a George, Sophie on Sophie, and we have several ponies at Pony Club with the same name as one of the other kids there. It's never caused any confusion. A horse's name is not like a dog's name, where people will assume you named your child after the dog! But change it if you need to. I gave my current horse a new name at the age of 4 as he had arrived in the yard of the dealer I bought him from with no name at all, she gave him a name and it was the same name as the other horse I owned at the time. I couldn't have 2 of them with the same name!

Yes, three of mine have been given name changes.

Jaffa never worked for me, but made me think of Jaffa Cakes so he became Cakey for the next 14 years. He was a massive HW cob with a heart of gold, so Cakey really suited him.

Had a pony called Disney but there was nothing particularly cute about him. Gimly suited him much better.

Bought a nice TB x Connie and when I asked the dealer his stable name I could tell he was making it up when he said ‘Harry’. He remained a Harry all his life, but when he passed away I wrote to the person who had brought him on to let her know. She very kindly wrote back and in the process I learnt his name used to be Snoopy! I was gutted, Snoopy suited him so much!

So yes I would change a horse’s name,

My daughters first pony had the same name as her brother - both called Teddy. We did contemplate changing it but in the end referred to them as either Teddy-Pony or Teddy-Boy. Teddy-Pony has long since moved on to another family however we still refer to her brother as Teddy-Boy...

My old mare was called Tilly when I bought her which I absolutely hated so had it changed to something more to my liking on the passport.

I did. My new horse was Missy and my old horse was Misty. Never liked the name Missy for a horse anyway so changed it to Shadow.

I had a pony with the same name as my brother

They were ‘Ted2’ or ‘Ted4’ to differentiate their number of legs..!

I have changed a couple of names also. One because it was the same name as another horse we had, and the other because the mare came to us called ‘Fanny’

I too agree with the bad luck principal! I bought my foal (now 5!) at 1 month old and she already had a name of a friend of mine.

I was lucky enough that the name was May so she just got extended to Maybel!