The arrival of a new horse or pony is incredibly exciting, and so is trying to come up with the perfect name. Your horse may already have an official registered name, in which case you’ll just need to come up with a nickname, known as a “barn name.” But sometimes you’ll need to come up with a registration or show name, too. So many decisions! Let’s look at some tips, tricks and things to consider as you narrow down the field of choices when naming a horse.
Show Name
If your horse already has a registered name, you can use that as his show name. (If you’re showing at recognized breed shows, this is likely required.)
If you do need to choose a show name, you’ll want to think carefully. The show name will be announced over the loudspeaker and printed in show programs and show results, so you’ll probably want to choose something that’s easy to pronounce; is catchy, clever, or classy; and that suits your horse as an individual.
Show names are typically longer than barn names and often consist of multiple words, although this isn’t always the case. (Secretariat, of course, had a one-word registered name, while his barn name was “Big Red.”)
Unusual Spellings
There’s no question that cute and “punny” spellings can be fun and humorous, just be aware that you’ll likely be correcting misspellings on a regular basis.
You know your horse’s name is spelled Rockee Mountain Hi, but other people are going to assume that it’s Rocky Mountain High, and will most likely spell it that way.
Using Pop Culture for Naming Inspiration
You can find tons of inspiration for horse names in TV shows, movies, and technology.
These names can feel super fresh and fun, but keep one thing in mind: pop culture is heavily rooted in fads and trends, and that TV character everybody’s talking about today might be long-forgotten in a few years. Your horse, on the other hand, might still be toting around the name long after the connection has stopped being relevant.
Using Pedigree as a Source
Your horse’s pedigree can be a great source of name ideas. Let’s say your mare’s sire was named Golden Heart and her dam was named Music Note. You could draw inspiration from either or both names, and go with something like Heartfelt Notes or Golden Song.
You can go even farther back in the pedigree for more ideas—maybe you’ll notice that all females in the pedigree have names starting with M, or that they all have a particular theme. Then decide whether or not you want to keep up the tradition!
Barn Name
It’s not always practical to use a horse’s full registered name on an everyday basis. Can you imagine saying, “Good morning, SJ’s Splendid Little Ray of Sunshine III!” every time you go to the barn to feed your pony? Not to mention trying to fit a long name like that on a feed bucket or an engraved nameplate.
That’s why we choose barn names—like Sunny—that are shorter and easier to say. Additionally, here are a few more considerations when deciding on a barn name.
Be Unique
If your horse or pony lives at a stable with many other equines, you’ll ideally choose a barn name that’s distinctive from the others in the barn. If there’s already a Pepper, you might not want to choose Piper.
At my barn, we already have a Marey, so we avoid choosing names like Marie, Marcy, Mercy, or Merry for a new horse. It’s less confusing for everyone in the barn family (and anyone trying to keep track of feed and supplements) if each horse’s name is unique.
I will admit that my barn is home to ponies named Lili and Willie, but even though the names sound similar, the spellings and male/female names are distinct enough to avoid confusion.
Registered Name
There’s no rule that says your horse’s barn name must be connected to his registered name, but it can be a good source of inspiration or a springboard to get you started.
Maybe you’ll choose a barn name directly from the registered name (The Prospector = Spec), or maybe you’ll choose a barn name inspired by the registered name (Mr. Incredible = Bobby). Or maybe you choose something totally unrelated, just because you like it (Minute Maid = Cadi). It’s up to you! There’s no right or wrong answer here.
Meaningful Names
Your horse is a unique individual, including his personality, the things he likes, his color, and his breed. Let’s say you have a gray Welsh Pony gelding who loves people—especially people who give him treats.
You could consider barn names like Charming, Cookie, Snowy or Evan. Or maybe you have a Norwegian Fjord mare who loves trail rides and napping. You could consider barn names like Buttermilk, Pathfinder, Catnap or Freya.
Unlike baby names for humans, which cycle through many fads and trends over the course of decades, names for horses tend to follow more traditional paths with less variation in style. A show pony named Puff the Magic Dragon sounds just as cute today as it did in the 1960s, and classic barn names like Misty and Stormy never go out of style.
Most importantly, have fun as you make this special and important decision for your horse!
For a comprehensive list of horse name ideas, check out this list from Horse Illustrated.
These tips for naming a horse appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
