Choosing a Show Name For Your Horse
If you’ve never been to Stacey’s Behind the Bit horse blog, you need to check it out. She always has a wealth of great information, from types of bits and saddle pads, to interesting videos, equine health, different disciplines, and more. She always injects highly informative research with her own commentary and thoughts.
Today she wrote a post about choosing a show name for your horse, and I think it’s got to be one of my most favorite of hers ever. She shares some great tips for what to do and what not to do. Her best tips are to select a name that is timeless and easy to pronounce.
When I was in high school, I spent several years showing my mom’s thoroughbred mare, Penny, Penny’s brother Little Jack as well as their since-gelded father Big Jack. They had a lovely family name:
- Princess L’Heureux
- Lord L’Heureux
- Jacques L’Heureux
L’Heureux is apparently French for “the happy” and is pronounced “Le Her”. Yeah. That’s definitely not what we got. Pretty much everything but. Eventually, we just started registering Penny as “Peppermint Penny” for horse shows, a cute play off of Peanuts and her favorite treat, which she’d turn herself inside out to get.
I heard some good ones at Quarter Horse Congress Congress last week, also. One was “How Do You Like Me Now.” In a few years when Toby Keith is no longer popular, this will probably violate Stacey’s “timeless rule” as long as the “keep it short” rule. I also heard one that had the words “zipper” and “down” in it’s name. No explanation needed.
For some other great names (Stacey uses actual horse names to demonstrate her tips), and naming ideas, go check out her post on Behind The Bit about Horse Show Names: a call for reason. Be sure to subscribe to her blog while you are there.
Genny’s show name is Mexican General…and it fits. There is an old spanish (well mexican really) cowboy saying that goes “The Only One Who Can Stop To Shit Is A Mexican General”. It is a mark of arrogance, and fits him perfectly! I wasn’t loving the show name he came with General Lee and was thinking about changing it to General Lee Speaking (get it?) but when I looked up his tattoo and found his registered name I knew I had to use it!
I’ve found that the shorter and easier a show name is the less likely it will be that it is mispronounced on a regular basis. I can’t imagine what they did to your horses show names, and can understand why you changed it.
The last colt I showed had a crappy name. (He came with it!)
IMA LUCKY WHIZZER.
The folks I showed with all laughed and said it fit me- as I had always been a lucky p*sser.
*groan*
I can really get caught up in picking names. LOL
My mare, Annie, has an easy to pronounce show name: Annes Easter Ink. MY name, however, is a pain in the neck to explain to hurried announcers. Spelled Elvira (yeah, like the vampire lady) it’s pronounced in the old world way ‘El VEE da’. Whenever we won a ribbon the joy was dampened by hearing ‘Ayl VIRE ah’ over the speakers and seeing my friends and their horses rolling around laughing. It took a while but eventually I got wise and wrote my name out phonetically on the application form. Finally I could accept a ribbon with dignity.
Mrs Mom – Too funny for names.
dr aletta – maybe I need to write a second post telling the parents of potentially horsey children to be careful in what they name them.
Your name is gorgeous, but I can see why it gave announcers such trouble. Spelling it out phonetically was very smart! I suppose that you could take that a step further, and if you had a horse with a good name that isn’t obvious in pronunciation, do the same thing.
hi,
i am having so much trouble finding my horse a show name…maybe someone here can help me out!
he is a 1 1/2 year old palomino gelding…his regular name is tucker….im looking for a really breath taking name…. i would really appriciate the help…thx!!
You should try to use somthing that has the dam and sire involved in the name somehow. My AQHA Mare reg. name is Signed Holly we show her as Hollywood Tans. This name fits her becuase shes flashy and elegant. I know this name is dull but my older paint mares name is Miss Katie Hawk and her mothers name is Miss Kitty Hawk. Alot of times you should use the Stallions name in the horses show name if there well known. Like my 3 year old geldings Magic Zipper Bar which he has a well known line. Hope this helps at all.
I need help finding a show name for a horse named Freckles! Hes an appaloosa!!! so far I have “Ive been Spotted”, “Freckles Is All I Got”, and “Connect The Dots”.
Ashley! Since your horse is a palomino, you could do something to do with his golden color! Like “Into the Spotlight”! I had a palomino paint named Tempo and he was called “Keep The Tempo” but that was one that I had picked! I was on the news about him. He was a rescue pony and he had to go back to the people who starved him! There was a technichality in the warrant so he had to go back. Im devistated. If anyone reads this PLEASE contact LISA HARTMAN!!!!!!!!
ok i need big help wiht picking a show name for the pony i ride he’s a 3 year old QH and has a lot of spunk but is kind of lazy at times his name is snickers like the candy bar he dark bay and has a really small star on his face if u have any kind of show names that would be awasome
I have a Quarter Horse pony, her name is penny. She is a mare and her coat is a copper color. She has one blaze going down her nose and one white sock. I’ve thought of the name “Penny for your Thoughts”, but I’m still not sure… If you have any cute ideas please tell me!
I need a name for a horse named Penny
I want Copper Penny in the name; and something with her pedigree; she has Mucho Leo Ray and Doc Bar and Major Bonanza…AND COLONEL FRECKLES maddie! xD
How about whiskey for my men and beer for my horses? lol