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Do you think it's bad luck to change a horse's name?

23K views 37 replies 26 participants last post by  Britt 
#1 ·
Hi all. So I'm buying my first horse (finally, after 12 years of riding and desperately wanting to own!) and I'm in love with her but not her name. I've recently heard that its considered bad luck to change a horse's name, and I have to admit I'm a little superstious. Have you heard this? And what do you think?
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#2 ·
I believe its bad luck- Dunno I really just have never changed anythings name. Its like if somebody randomly just started calling you Jill. Only reason I would ever change the name is if it was REALLY stupid like Cement or Wallpaper Nobody should suffer those names lol. After awhile you'll get use to it-
 
#3 ·
I wouldn't ever change a horse's registered name, but a barn name is fine. You should make it close to the last one though, or she might get confused.

I have a gelding I renamed Mack. His previous name was Mick and I didn't like it, so changed it to Mack. It was close enough to his old name that he had no trouble with the transition.
 
#4 ·
I'm sure it's probably fine, but I don't change my horses' names for superstition. And sometimes after a while, you start to really see how they reflect their personality. I had a horse named Larry, and even though that's not the prettiest name, he is definitely a "Larry" through and through.

Luckily I got a foal so I got to name her myself this time around! :D
 
#5 ·
I wouldn't change a horse's registered name (like SR) however I have no qualms about changing their barn name.

If you don't like it or don't think it suits the horse, there's no reason to stick with it.
 
#6 ·
Ive only changed one horses name. My new mare, i didnt like her childish name "Bitty" so i renamed her Rumor. So far, no pianos have fallen on me. ;-)
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#7 ·
I don't have a problem with it.

When animals switch ownes, names sometimes change. They will be confused for a couple weeks but they will soon understand that when you say this word, it means you are talking to or about them, and they'll respond. Animals are smart. They catch on.

I don't think its bad luck. I changed 3 of my horse's names and nothing bad ever happened. I kept 2 horses names because they actully fit them. If I rehome an animal or sell a horse, I let the new owner know that I won't be affended if they changed names. It's their animal now, not mine. Changing a name is the least of my concerns when I look at a seller/adopter.

I changed my cat's name from Rudy to Gandhi. He now responds to Gandhi. I changed my other cats name from Addison so Sage. She knows her name is Sage.
 
#8 ·
Umm... no, I absolutely do not think its bad luck to change a horses name, but thats just my opinion... My horses old name was Nacho. I abhored it. It was what he had been called his whole life, but I wasnt about to have a horse named "Nacho". So, his name now is Legend... He learned his new name in about a month. Didnt seem to do any harm in changing his name. If your going to have a horse for 30 years, might as well give him a name you like...
 
#10 ·
Like the others, a registered name should not be changed but I have no problem with changing a barn name.

My beautiful TB mix mare was sold to me with the name "Oatmeal". Horrible name for a pretty mare. She is unregistered and I changed her name to Isabella.

I like to thnk she was very appreciative of the name change. She knows her name and will come running when I call her.
 
#11 ·
lol, sometimes their registered name can be a doozy too. I saw a quarter horse whose name was "USmeltItUDeltIt" and I would pay the $200 or so to have it changed in a heartbeat.

Oatmeal. LOL. Poor thing. So many unimaginative owners out there. At this polo pony barn, all the chestnut horses are "Red", all the bays are "Brownie" and all the blacks are "Blackie."
 
#16 ·
lol, sometimes their registered name can be a doozy too. I saw a quarter horse whose name was "USmeltItUDeltIt" and I would pay the $200 or so to have it changed in a heartbeat.

Oatmeal. LOL. Poor thing. So many unimaginative owners out there. At this polo pony barn, all the chestnut horses are "Red", all the bays are "Brownie" and all the blacks are "Blackie."
Hubby and I went to a working cattle ranch in Montana last May. I was assigned a red roan named "Roanie".

The cowboys admitted they were the worst with naming horses!

Oh, and Isabella came from a polo barn....so that may explain her original name.
 
#13 ·
I've never changed an animal's registered name, but most of my critters haven't been registered anyway. I don't think it's bad luck.

I did take in an adult dog who's name was Zoe. MY name is Zoe. The previous owner thought it was karma or something and was very upset when she heard that I changed the dog's name to Gracie. I'm sorry... but having two Zoes in one household is just weird.
 
#15 ·
I think it's bad luck for the animal if you change its registered name, unless you keep it for life.

How many times have we seen post after post from people looking for 'Pookie' who was renamed from 'Suzy', and her new owner called her 'Gertrude', but someone else got her and we don't know her name, but PLEASE HELP US FIND HER!!!!

It might be much easier to track down an animal if each successive owner stopped changing its name. That's why I believe a registered name should never be changed, regardless of how vile someone thinks it might be.

I despise JJ's registered JC name, but I'd never change it. I'll never call him by it, so what does it matter?
 
#17 ·
Sorry SR I didn't make it very clear in my post - I meant I didn't think changing the animals call name is bad luck. Just reread that and that's not how it sounded.

I don't know if changing an animals registered name is 'bad luck' but I definitely agree with your point about finding lost or stolen animals that have had their names changed.
 
#19 ·
Yep, it frustrates the heck out of me when I see people who have changed a horse's name a dozen times, then expects by some miracle that other folks will be able to find the animal for them, even though they don't have a clue who the last owner was, or what the animal's name was at that time.
 
#20 ·
One of the new lesson horses current name is Tyrone... And it doesn't fit him the least bit. He's a dapple gray appendix gelding. Tye would fit, but everyone else likes the name Sneakers :0

Everyone calls him Sneakers, I just call him Tye. :)
 
#21 ·
I have never personally changed a horse's name, but my cousin's instructor changed a four-year-old mare's name from Phoenix to Gwen. I think Phoenix was the better name, but that's just my opinion :lol:. As far as I know, nothing unlucky has happened to them, and I personally don't believe that changing a horse's name is unlucky.

Oatmeal. LOL. Poor thing. So many unimaginative owners out there. At this polo pony barn, all the chestnut horses are "Red", all the bays are "Brownie" and all the blacks are "Blackie.
Reminds me of the book The Georges and the Jewels. All of the geldings are named George and all of the mares are named Jewel. (Fictional).
 
#23 ·
I dont think its bad luck, but if i know a horses name when i buy it ( I have never owned a registerd horse) i leave it. my horses names are buckshot and jersey. both mares. those names a horrable, but its alright. although I would change it if the horse had been abused or something. my friend/trainer/boss bought a horse thats had a bad life, her registered name is "armedtobeyours" but has always been and still is called "big red" (can you gess what she looks like?) if she was mine I would call her ginger, shes a sweetheart ( IWANT HER!!)
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#24 ·
I don't think it's bad luck, but I wouldn't change a name most likely. I don't really like my own name, but it's still my name. I wouldn't have chosen the name my horse has, but it's still hers and she does recognize it. If it was really bad I'd just change it to a similar nickname.
The only name change I really have agreed with is a rescue who was owned by some drug dealers who named him Coke, and the girl changed it to Pepsi.
 
#27 ·
I've never even HEARD of this particular superstition. What's supposed to happen that's bad if you change a horse's name?

My SIL got a horse and his name was "Yeltsin." The owners had bred him expecting a paint (Arab x Paint) and when he came out solid, they said he was "a failure." So, they named him "Yeltsin" since they said Boris Yeltsin was "a failure" as a president.

There's just no way we were going to let this sweet horse be deemed a failure his whole life, so we renamed him. We decided to call him Maverick, because he's quite the trickster. I think it fits!


A few years later, I got a rescue in that the horse trader called "Leroy." This was a very regal looking Arab and "Leroy" absolutely didn't fit. His registered name was "The Desert Splash." I decided to call him "Mirage" since water in the desert might be considered a mirage.

Mirage:
 
#28 ·
Well since the general consensus seems to be that it isn't that bad to change a barn name, who wants to help me name my new draft cross?



This is Molly, and she is my very first horse. I just adore her and her ridiculous tank-like build, but I hatehatehate the name Molly! Horses with people names just aren't my thing, and Molly is such a baby name for a big bruiser like her.

Any ideas???
 
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