When you aquire your new horse or pony, if you didn't like the name it currently had, would you change it to something you prefer, or is it considered unlucky??

liberty

the majority of my horses and ponies have been purchases from sales or i have bred myself or from dealers, all the grey ones from the dealers are called misty and the ones from sales are not named.
So unless i bought them privatly i changed their names as half a dozen misties in the field are a bit confusing!

One of my favorite names was for a foal who was anonimous (SP) so i called her Nonnie Mouse shortened to nonnie!

But you will take one look and decide if it suits her name.

I once called a heavily feathered black & white cob mare little miss muffet and its foal mirrie whick was quickly dropped and is now still called baby/babe at four years old!!!

I'm probably being a bit dim here, so do I understand that if you bought a horse privately, you wouldn't change it's name....... unless it was a grey called Misty of course ;) :)
Love the name Nonnie Mouse by the way :D :D

liberty

There are differing opinions to this as some people say a horse doesn't recognise it's own name just the phonetic sound yet others say it does. Most people have a shortened version of the registered name as a stable name ie. my horses registered name is Masai Man however we all call him Massey although this can change quite frequently dependant o his behaviour ;) Those I know who have changed their new horses name have gone for something not too different from the original Like Boris to Boss or Pardoe to Pod. I don't recall ever hearing anything about it being unlucky though. Whats the current name and what type of horse is it as name suggestions is a champdoggers speciality!

I was always brought up to believe that it was unlucky to change a horses name but I don't know whether that would stop me if I had a horse with a name I really didn't like. I don't walk under ladders either though :)
I had a black called Misty once :)
Lara x

Have always been brought up to think it very unlucky to change a horses name. Recently bought one called Pepper (Sargent Pepper infact) & think its a ghastly name but definitely wont change it because its unlucky!

Thanks Lisa, Lara and Sam for your replies :) Most horse owners I know don't seem to change their new horses names, as they consider it unlucky too. I try and ride once a week, I have private lessons as I'm not a natural rider, it's more like 99% persperation 1% inspiration ;)
Being the eternal optomist however I still hope to have my own horse one day :)

liberty :)

yeah, Joze, I love the name Nonnie Mouse..very witty :)

i actually breb a foal years ago and named her Shanief but she got scoured when her mum came in to season so was then aptly mamed Sniffy Niffy which then became Niff, but i have also noticed that when horses misbehave their names change quite colourfully too like my neighbours once thought one of mine was called,"you little....(make your own minds up here)"

Did you guess right?
The correct answer was "sweetheart" and often "darling"

Liberty,

Just a quick answer.....I haven't changed my horses names!! I heard before I had horses that it was unlucky to change their names so I didn't risk it....touch wood, I haven't had too many problems!!

Take care,

Lisa

OOps, sorry, I meant to say, the nags are Tango (Irish TB) and Pandora (Welsh mountain) They had these names when I bought them and thats how they're staying!!! Pandora has a foal now, and he's called Blue. He's staying with me so no chance of his name changing!

Lisa