|
|
| |
|
|
|
        
Skip to List of Links for Horse Names
A name is a
name, right?
Well, if you are a horse owner, you know just how wrong
that statement is. Horse owners go to great lengths to
find that perfect name, just as human parents take a
great deal of time and consideration for the special name for
their new bundle of
joy.
So, what's
in a name?
A horse's name can come to be as a result of many
prevailing factors. Aside from just being a nice name or
the favorite choice of the owner, there may be other very
specific requirements one must consider based on the breed,
origin, and registry. Let's look at Canadian Horses for an
example:
The Canadian Horse names are lengthy and sound rather
pompous, however you can tell a lot about a horse from his
name. The names contain three parts: the herd name, the
sire's name, and the subject's name beginning with the
letter assigned to the year of birth.
The Herd Name
Canadian Horse breeders register a herd name with the
Canadian Horse Breeders Association to use when naming all
foals born to mares they own. This herd name may be the
person's last name, their farm name, or another name that
they select. For example: "Hidden Meadow Star
Gambit" and "Hidden Meadow Charbon Fargo" are
not related at all, but Hidden Meadow Farm owned both of
their mothers at the time of their births.
The Sire's Name
Only one stallion may use a last name. All foals sired by
the stallion will have his name in the middle of it's
registered name. For example, "Hidden Meadow Adanac
Hudson" was sired by the stallion "Adanac"
(Piggott Xavier Adanac). The horses "Cosyland Lalou
Desiree" and "Piggott Lalou Shimmreee" have
the same sire.
Assigned Letters
Each year has been assigned a letter (letter G for 1997, H
for 1998, J for 1999, etc.) and foals will have the last
part of their name beginning with that letter for the year
of their birth. "Hidden Meadow Adanac Jamieson"
was born in 1999, "Rose's Velour Dolly-April" was
born in 1994. While this part of the naming proceedures has
been inforced in recent years, that was not always the case.
Many older horses do not have names beginning with the
letter representing the year of their birth.
As you become familiar with Canadian Horses and Canadian
Horse breeders, you will be able to tell a lot about a horse
by picking out the information contained in its registered
name.
Registered
Names
Certain breed registries also have rules and guidelines for
naming a horse. Let's look at the Jockey Club rules for
naming a Thoroughbred for an example:
A Thoroughbred must be named by February of its 2-year-old
year or a late fee will be charged. Six names in order of
preference are submitted by the owner and the Jockey Club will
decide which they can have. Names can be changed for a fee
unless the horse has already raced or been bred. Names can be
up to 18 characters, including spaces and punctuation. All
names must be approved by the Jockey Club and there are a lot
of rules about what you can't use:
 | No initials such as C.O.D., F.O.B., etc. |
| No names ending in "filly," "colt,"
"stud," "mare," "stallion,"
or any similar horse-related term |
| No names consisting entirely of numbers, except numbers
above thirty may be used if they are spelled out |
| No names ending with a numerical designation such as
"2nd" or "3rd," whether or not such a
designation is spelled out |
| No names of persons unless written permission to use
their name is on file with The Jockey Club |
| No names of race tracks or graded stakes races |
| No names clearly having commercial significance, such as
trade names |
| No names that are suggestive or have a vulgar or obscene
meaning; names considered in poor taste; or names that may
be offensive to religious, political or ethnic groups |
| No names from the restricted list (Hall of Fame members,
Eclipse Awards winners, Kentucky Derby winners, etc. To
see all names that meet the restriction requirement check here
in rule 6(F)(15). |
The list of rules and restrictions is much longer than this
and you can view them all here.
The suggestive names restriction is the one many people try to
get around with creative spellings such as Hoof Hearted,
Isitingood, or Peony's Envy. You can browse the list of names
currently in use or restricted at the Online
Names Book. Names currently in use or which sound too much
like them can't be reused until 5 years after the horse has
left racing and/or breeding.
As you can see, there are a lot of requirements to meet
when selecting a name so it can often be a tough task coming
up with six names you like to send in on your request. If you
are careful to check the Online
Names Book to make sure your choices are not currently in
use or reserved, it ultimately it comes down to whether the
Jockey Club likes the names you selected and they can be quite
picky.
Changing a Registered
Name
Even to change a horse's registered name can be difficult
to impossible, not to mention expensive. As mentioned
above in the Jockey Club guidelines, if the horse has already
been raced or bred, you cannot change the name. Let's
look at the Swedish Warmblood Association of North America for
another example:
Horse Name Changes
ASVH strongly discourages the changing of a horse's
registered name. Nicknames (or show names) can be entered into
the SWANA database at no charge without changing the name
recorded on the horse's registration papers.
To change the horse's registered name, the current owner of
the horse must send the following to SWANA:
- The original registration papers for the horse.
- A signed letter requesting the name change.
- A name change fee of $500.
Summary
As you can see, naming your new equine friend can be a
daunting task. You could have to consider breed and
registry specific guidelines for your horse's name. You
may also consider your horse's show name, and/or his every day
barn name.
Whether you have a brand new baby horse to name, or you
want to rename a horse, finding the perfect name can be both
fun and a bit of work. Therefore, in an attempt to make
the task somewhat easier, we have compiled the following links
to assist you. So when you think your brain just cannot
think of anymore names, perhaps these links will provide you
some new ides and inspiration.
Link List
A Horse Named Bill
Please sign our Guestbook
   
   
©Copyright
2003 Moniteau Saddle Club
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
