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Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Horse and pony names

115 replies

FellaZephyr · 23/11/2024 16:24

A fun thread really. I was thinking about this on a long drive this morning. I learned to ride in the seventies and a yard was not complete without a Misty, a Fella, a Shadow, a Blue and a Prince.
Fast forward, and every horse in a yard of eight where i keep mine have 'human' names ie Arthur, Bob, Tom, Jasmine, Henry, Mary.
I learnt to ride on Hawk, moved onto Flurry, and worked with Zephyr and Solo when I was younger. It seems horse names go in fashion just like baby names.
I'd love to hear the names of horses you started out on, and the kind of names belonging to horses you know now
I've got dozens of names of horses I've known, but I'm curious to know if the human name thing is just round my way!
Ok I'm adding Flossy, Blossom and Laddie from my 70s childhood.

OP posts:
Tinselinthewhoopsiebasket · 06/01/2025 18:49

Never rode as a dc.. Massively allergic. A relative had a huge dark brown mare Edelweiss, she had a dd lady x same colour, her dd was Heid, lighter colour.. Her dd was Sunrise. A bright golden colour.. Her huge stallion was Dicky Bell. Grey dappled giant to a small me!! Oddly have outgrown allergies and can ride now in 50's!!

Chipshopninja · 06/01/2025 18:53

Can't really speak about now but 80s/90s names I knew were

Meg, flash, Rosie, jigsaw, charlie, Murphy

Frankincense88 · 06/01/2025 18:53

This thread is lovely!
Riding in the 90s:
Tango, Star, Sparky, Prince, Tessa, Sampson, Holly, Pepsi, Maverick, Cherry, Shadow, Rocky, Minnie, Melody, Shep, Bess.

GarlandaChynoweth · 08/01/2025 20:24

In the 90s:

Huntsman, Tumbleweed, Warwick, Sailor, Sunshine, Shade, Breeze, Muffin, Laddie, Charlie, Polly, Bandit, Katy Brown

queenofthewild · 08/01/2025 20:28

In the early 2000s I used to ride a Kevin.

Beautiful looking but a temperamental bitey monster.

Iamblossom · 08/01/2025 20:41

My ponies/horses were called:

Costa
Twilight
Easter
Alwyn (known as Winnie)

Tara336 · 08/01/2025 20:48

Ben (my favourite).Rulah, Luca, Kimble, Jimmy, Lady, Fudge, Bubbles, Dawn, Lady, Cindy, Candy, Shiloh, Quicky, Sovereign, Merry, Gem,.Buttons all 70s/80s

CheerfulBunny · 08/01/2025 20:51

I think every riding school I went to as a child had a Smokey! I was chucked off one of the Smokies when I was roughly eight or nine, little monkey! Other ponies I knew and loved included Didi, Cochise, Sadie, Misty, Firefly, Polo, Blackberry (who would noticably speed up on the way home), Diamond and Beauty.

Austrianmilk · 08/01/2025 21:27

Lesina · 30/12/2024 22:16

Learnt as a young adult on a Dolly, Blue and a Chester. My current horse is named Daniel 😂. He is very much a Daniel :)

Oh my word, I also own a Daniel!! Everyone thinks it's hilarious when I'm bellowing Daniel at the field gate for him to come in, he most definitely suits his name!

Thindog · 08/01/2025 21:48

In the 70's I remember ponies called Silver, Merlin, Joey, Buttons, Lady, Snowball, Frosty, Captain.
Now we have Princess, Magic, Fella, Bella, Percy, Puzzle.

ClassicBBQ · 08/01/2025 21:50

I had Velum and Britney as a teen. The first horse I rode was called Stroller, the first horse DD rode was Colin and the first horse DS rode was Swanny.

TallNeckedGiraffe · 08/01/2025 21:57

My niece has just got her first little pony - Twinkle 😍

Redflagsabounded · 09/01/2025 00:04

70s to early 80s at different yards, many more whose names I can't remember...

Sonny, Shalako, Sunshine, Nancy, Spot, Copper coin, Tom, Polo, Puzzle, Patch, Bumble, Belle, Cygnet, Orinoco, Foxy, Snowy, Ripple, Lady, Princess, Tiddler, Twinkle, Ben, Harry, Si, Puff, Colombo, Dunhill (!), Whiskey, Apollo, Drummer, Samson, Barney, Red, Mork, Black Dan, Friday, Captain, Socks, Peggy

loropianalover · 09/01/2025 00:08

I learned to ride in the 2000s and had ponies called Del Boy, Star, and Ducky!

I remember some others.. Brownie, Misty, Shadow, Snowy, Tinkerbell 🤣

SnowFrogJelly · 09/01/2025 00:58

Boris

Relaxd · 09/01/2025 01:26

Some of the early ponies I rode - Robin, Pebbles, Mr Chips, Flash, Shadow, Rupert, Lucky, Cloudy. Eventually my stable friends bought two of the riding school ponies, mine came from a dealer I think,

Beowulfa · 23/01/2025 13:20

Common names in the late 80s/early 90s:

Misty
Gypsy
Frosty
Willow
Dandy
Diamond
Magic
Ebony
Silver

Unusual names, possibly unique:

Quilty
Granite (he was very solid)
Slipper
Coe
Aqua
Charity
Maranja (garbled from the Spanish for orange; he was a fancy palomino)
Shah

The RDA place I coach at now always keeps the names of horses they buy, even if they're clearly awful.

mybelovedghostandme · 25/01/2025 02:29

I learnt in the early 80s and my fave point was Whiskey , his friends were Silver , Rosie , Fred , Basil lol
My current horse is a TB called Joy
We have jack and Milly too

mybelovedghostandme · 25/01/2025 02:30

Fave pony sorry *

FellaZephyr · 25/01/2025 07:38

I had forgotten about this thread! I am glad that it has brought up memories for a lot of people. We have just had another horse come to our yard, and she has a human name too.
I'm remembering a lovely grey boy called Silver.

OP posts:
FellaZephyr · 25/01/2025 07:40

TallNeckedGiraffe · 08/01/2025 21:57

My niece has just got her first little pony - Twinkle 😍

Perfect name for a child's first pony 😍

OP posts:
Brunelofbrio · 26/01/2025 22:03

@ConnyComesHome I knew a Welsh yard with alphabet names too… Bb, Candy, Diabalo, Ebby, Frodo … I wonder if we knew the same Warrior?

ConnyComesHome · 27/01/2025 07:47

Warrior was a 14h dun who kept up with the big horses in fast canter by slipping into a gallop. Did you ride there @Brunelofbrio ?

JBJ · 30/01/2025 14:11

80's/90's riding school ponies: Ben, Toby, Nella, Miranda, Cinders, Fern, Seamus, Rocky, Gordon, Willow, Buttons, Bob, Copper, Emma, Shadow... plus more I just can't remember!

My own horses have been Bramble (Bay Section C), Blue (Grey Section A, bought as a field companion), Sussex (Bay ex racer), Fella (old, decrepit black cob rescued from a horse auction as I felt sorry for him), Risky (Bay ex racer), Minstral (Chestnut with dark brown spots ID x TB) and Pedro the ex beach donkey!

Currently horseless due to disability and total lack of funds, but hoping to get back into horses at my local RDA once I've lost enough weight to be allowed to ride. Miss it so much.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 30/01/2025 22:48

Lovely thread
Every yard had a Honey

My favourite school pony was a dapple grey called Clay who was like an overgrown Thelwell pony . Beautiful sweet temper and a trot as smooth as silk.

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