How to Find a Great Name for Your Horse
How to Find the Perfect Name For Your Horse
Having trouble finding a good name for your horse? You are not alone. Let's look at a few aspects to consider when naming your horse. After all, it's not only the horse that has to live with his or her new name, it's also you!
Whether bought horse, gifted horse, adopted horse, or new foal - the question is puzzling: What name is suitable for my horse? [The quarter horse on the left changed his life's purpose after being renamed from 'Good Lord I'm Sizzlin' (Barn name Jimmy Dean like the sausage :-( ) to 'Yogi'. He went from bucking bronco to therapy horse. Of course, not just the name is to blame... but it helps put out the right intention!]
When wondering what name fits your horse, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is your horse's gender and would you like a distinctly 'stallion', 'gelding', or 'mare' name or could be 'unisex'?
- What is your horse's personality? Is he or she shy, bold, curious, gentle, or goofy?
- Do you need your horse's name to start with a certain letter (for registering, for example)?
- Do you believe that a horse's name can influence his or her behavior or personality (for example: A bucking horse named 'Thunder', a pony named 'Daisy', a dressage horse named 'Regal', etc.)?
- Is it important to you to pick a horse name that can be easily abbreviated? (Example: Tomahaw - Tommie, Tallullah - Tally, Regalito - Reggie, etc.)
- What is your horse name preference? Do you like names that are
- cute
- historical
- serious
- sophisticated, etc.?
- What 'flair' or 'flavor' should your horse's name exude?
- Does the horse have a 'public-facing' job? For instance therapy horse, dressage horse, actively competing, school horse, performance horse, show horse, etc.? Would that job require a suitable name? (Example: A Spanish horse performing 'Airs above the Ground' may named Ronaldo (barn name Ronnie) and not Mr. Ed - while Mr. Ed (barn name Eddie) would be a great name for a therapy horse.)
- Last not least: Should the name be appealing in case you sell the horse?
I have come across some awful names, that - in my opinion - set the horse up for failure. Naming a horse 'Jimmy Dean' when his registered name is 'Good Lord I'm Sizzlin'' - which immediately brings sausage to mind - is not a good choice. Naming a gelding 'Mr. Bean' after finding 'gold' during the annual sheath cleaning procedure may be funny at the time, but may not make your horse appealing to a new person in his life. Naming a horse 'Felix' because he jumps like a cat when spooking, also does not set him up for success.
All said, consider this: I suggest to look at your horse and notice the most appealing feature of his her personality, then find a name that would reflect this in some way. This is a safe and positive way of going about naming your horse.
Now, below you will find a list of horse names in alphabetical order. Perhaps this will give you ideas. Would you like to contribute a name to our list? We would love to hear from you! Please email info@horsehaus.com - subject: Horse Name.
Enjoy your horse!
Stefanie Reinhold
www.HorseHaus.com
www.ReinholdsHorseWellness.com
| A | Male/Female | Meaning |
| Asher | M | Happy (Hebrew) |
| Aurora | F | Roman goddess of dawn |
| B | ||
| Bijou | F | Jewel (French) |
| Bodhi | M | Awakened (Sanskrit) |
| Bruxo | M | Wizard (Portuguese) |
| C | ||
| D | ||
| Draco | M | Dragon (Greek) |
| E | ||
| Echo | ||
| F | ||
| Forio | M | unknown |
| Freya | F | |
| G | ||
| Griffin | M | Power, protection, enlightenment |
| H | ||
| I | ||
| Indigo | M | Indian Dye (Greek) |
| J | ||
| K | ||
| Kismet | F | Fate |
| L | ||
| M | ||
| Magus | M | Sorcerer (Latin) |
| Merlin | M | Sea fortress (Welsh) |
| Mirri | F | Beloved (short form of Mirjam) |
| Mystic | M/F | |
| N | ||
| Nixie | F | Water nymph (German) |
| O | ||
| Othello | William Shakespeare | |
| P | ||
| Phoenix | M | Rebirth, rise from the ashes |
| Q | ||
| R | ||
| Rondo | M | Plump, round (from French "Rondeau") |
| S | ||
| T | ||
| Taj | M | Crown (Persian) |
| Tara | F | Queen, Star, Goddess of the Sea (Indian) |
| Traveller | M | General Lee's famous steed |
| U | ||
| V | ||
| W | ||
| X | ||
| Y | ||
| Yogi | M | oooohhmmm! |
| Yoshi | M | Good Luck (Japanese) |
| Yuri | M | George (Russian) |
| Z |
