Nicknames for horses: a list of popular and beautiful names for mares and stallions

The name of a horse speaks not only of the breed, color or thoroughbred, but also endows it with a certain character, which, together with the name, will remain with the stallion for life. Some horse breeders prefer sonorous and great names, hoping to assign some unique qualities to their horses, while other owners are interested not so much in the beauty of the name as in its practicality. This article will consider the most interesting and famous nicknames for horses, and also present the criteria for choosing a name for a specific animal.

Selection features

Most often, when choosing a nickname for their horse, owners prefer short, sonorous and easy-to-remember names. However, if we are talking about a breeding farm with thoroughbred horses or simply a desire to give a horse a beautiful and unusual name, breeders adhere to certain criteria for choosing nicknames. You can find them below. It is recommended to give the name only to young stallions that have not yet been on the farm. If you decide to change the name of an already adult mare or horse to something completely different, it is highly likely that the horse will become aggressive and will not obey you.

Experienced owners adhere to 4 key criteria when choosing a name for their horse.

• External distinctive features. Very often, the owners prefer to name the horses depending on the specific color. For example, a black horse can be called Ember, Velvet, Nochka, Black, and a white horse - Diamond, Tundra, Gray.

• Depending on the breed of the horse. The Frisian horse can be called simply Frize, Arabian horses are often called Sultans, Oryol horses can be called the Eagle.

• Nicknames depending on the character. In this case, the name is chosen based on the behavior of the horse in certain conditions. If the horse is quiet and calm, you need to choose soft names with smooth transitions and without hard and voiced consonants. For example, Tikhon or Smirny, Silence, Bunny. Active horses should be given sonorous, fast and playful names: Excitement, Meteor, Tempest, Figaro.

• The choice of a name depending on a famous person or a figure loved by the owner. A wide variety of names are found here, from Caesar and Achilles to Hippocrates.

There are also additional, more local criteria for choosing a nickname for a horse. In them, the owner may not be limited in fantasies.

• Origin or ancestry. In this case, not only the pedigree of the individual is taken into account (Count, Baron, Lord, Tsar, Lady, Duchess, Princess, Prince, Lady - for purebred breeds), but also the purpose of the horse. If the horse will be used only for decorative and walking purposes on the farm, then the names should be chosen softer and simpler, but if we are talking about preparing stallions for racing, then it is worth choosing the appropriate, fast names: Lightning, Arrow, Whirlwind, Mig, Buran, Daredevil, Grace.

• If we are talking about breeding horses in pedigree farms, then the name of the stallion should contain part of the name of its parents.

• Gender. Horse breeding originated a very long time ago in England, where, according to tradition, horses should be called famous Greek or Roman names, and horses - English. Today, few people adhere to this custom among the Russian population.

• Favorite food of the horse or owner. In this case, the owners call the horses, focusing on the horse's favorite treats: Apple, Chestnut, Sugar, Tomato. Often there are nicknames where the name is based on the fruit, vegetable or product beloved by the owner: Ginger, Toffee, Berry, Turnip, Parsley.

• Myths and legends. Many owners like to choose famous and great names for their horses and stallions, known to each of us from the myths of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome: Apollo, Aphrodite, Venus, Romulus, Zeus, Hades, Persephone.

• Associations with flowers. In this case, the owners choose names for their stallions associated with the names of famous flowers and plants: Chamomile, Peony, Rose, Astra, Hyacinth, Lavender, Lotus, Daisy, Poppy, Tulip.

• Associations with stones and minerals. Less rare, but no less sonorous and interesting version of the nickname for a horse or mare: Opal, Turquoise, Amethyst, Coral, Ruby, Agate, Graphite, Quartz. Basically, such nicknames are given taking into account the color and external features.

• Musical name. Most often, these are popular female names: Nota, Nona, Muse, Tertsia, Liga, Rhea, Quinta. Mens: Waltz, Rem.

• Space objects. The original version of the name, which is usually given for a beautiful color or eye color: Orion, Andromeda, Neptune, Jupiter, Mars, Flora, Venus, Centauri.

• Associations with other living things. Animals: Leopard, Tigress, Trotter, Fox. Birds: Eagle, Kite, Tit, Swallow, Cuckoo. Fish: Roach, Pike, Carp, stickleback, Burbot.

• Character traits. There may be the following names: Bravy, Proud, Kind, Grumpy, Faithful, Smirny or, conversely, Brawler (including female variations of these names - Bravaya, Proud, Grumpy and others).

• Associations with power and strength. Some owners believe that such nicknames give their horses more determination and give them extraordinary strength. Boys: Hero, Fighter, Warrior, Gladiator, Champion, Invincible. Nicknames for active girls: Rage, Power, Victory, Strength.

• Appearance and characteristics. This applies primarily to parts of the body or structure of the body: Tailed, Mane, Horseshoe, Shaggy, Humpbacked, Belly, Critter, Limousine or Pony, Shorty.

• Associations with geographic features. Some owners prefer to give their horses names associated with the name of a place or city: Volga, Moscow, Paris, Lida, Don, Cairo, Crete.

• Alphabetical gradation. In large breeding farms, names for young animals are selected exclusively in alphabetical order, so that it is convenient to keep track of the entire farm.

• Name, like the character or hero of a book, story or novel. In this case, it is recommended to choose only characters with a heroic and glorious destiny. There is a belief that the fate of the character can spread along with the name to the foal. There may be names such as: Don Quixote, Sherlock or Watson, House, Bond, Robin, Anna Karenina, Bender, Lolita, Beatrice, Faust, Onegin, Taras Bulba.

• Depending on the nationality of the owner and the breed of the horse. Some Russian names have already been considered in the article; now some common foreign ones will be considered. Arabic: Narsil, Dastan, Zephyr, Sahara, Nougat. English: Merlin (universal for boy and girl), Amanda, Camellia, Boy, Duncan, Ophelia.

Anthroponyms, or words (in this case, nicknames), derived from human names, are also often used by both simple owners and owners of breeding farms.

Most often, preference is given to either widespread names, or well-known and significant names in some area. If we talk about Russian-speaking farms in ordinary villages, then the following nicknames are most often found: Petrushka, Arkashka, Vasiliska, Asya, Marfusha, Zlata, Anfisa, Innokenty, Kuzma, Potap. If we are talking about purebred breeding farms, then foreign sonorous names are used more here: John, Jack, Isolde, Aaron, Alester, Gabriel, Alice, Anna, Charlotte. Often, the owners call horses or horses certain nicknames, hoping that the abilities and qualities of this personality will be transferred to their horse. Famous names here are: Napoleon, Zeus, Caesar, Cleopatra, Moses, Confucius, Voltaire, Homer.It is necessary to understand in more detail the nicknames and names of horses, depending on their color or suit.

• White color with pale or bluish shades: Siva, Steel, Gray, Rosa, Albus.

• Black or dark color: Night, Darkness, Darkness, Sunset, Evening.

• Red, brown or brown color: Ogonyok, Kashtan (-ka), Rif, Dawn, Kaury.

• Indefinite and discontinuous colors with impurities and spots, stripes. There are the following names: Mirage, Dalmatian, Sivka, Zebra, Gradation.

The choice of a nickname depending on the season and weather conditions. In this case, the owner chooses the name for the horse based on temperament, color, or the time of year when the horse was purchased.

• Winter season. For boys, names are suitable: Snowball, Frost, January. For girls: Ice, Blizzard, Blizzard.
• Spring season . Nicknames are suitable for boys: May, Snowdrop, Stream, Leaf. For girls: Willow, Kapel, Grass.
• Summer season. Here the boy can be called by the following names: August, Luchik. For girls, the names Sun and Heat may be suitable.
• Autumn season. Stallions born in the fall or at the end of summer are usually calm and friendly, even a little sad, so the names are suitable for them: Fog, Rain, October. Girls may suit: Haze, Autumn.

In addition to the names associated with a certain season, nicknames with associations to various natural phenomena are often found.

For boys: Hail, Rain, Volcano, Hurricane, Downpour. For girls: Thunderstorm, Lightning, Star, Tornado, Blizzard. These names are intended to endow horses with strength and resistance to natural phenomena.

List of names for mares

Mares are often used in households, walking tours and riding schools, as well as actively exploited by experienced owners at exhibitions and sporting events. That is why a name for a mare should be not only beautiful, but also noble, bright and sonorous.

Below you can see a list of the most popular female names for horses, some of which have already been mentioned in the text above.

What can you call a stallion?

Professional breeders should familiarize themselves with the list of rules and guidelines for choosing a name for stallions intended for participation in sporting events or exhibitions. You can read this set of rules below.

• As already mentioned, the name of the stallion must include part of the name of its parents. Most often this is done according to the following principle: 1 letter of the mother's nickname = 1 letter of the stallion's nickname, the middle (3 or 4 letters) of the foal's name must be present in the name of his father (most often 1 or 2 letters of the name). For example, if the female's name is Anna, and the male is Bogatyr, then the foal should be given the following names: Abram, Albert, Albus. Filly: Alba or Albina.
• It is not uncommon for both parents of a stallion to have earned certain awards in sports competitions, and also have a good pedigree. In this case, the stallion can receive a double name, which will be recorded in the documents. If the stallion does not have a good pedigree, and his parents do not differ in merits in sports competitions, only one name is written in the passport.
• It is possible to choose a name for a stallion based on the name of a particular equestrian club, stable or farm in which he was raised. It is in such cases that long names of several words are most often encountered.
• Some stallion names are chosen based on the breed, and not formed on behalf of their parents. This applies to representatives of breeding farms, whose nickname is directly related to the breed and will not have analogues in other languages.
• Long tribal and beautiful names are often seen at exhibitions, however, do not use them in everyday life or during training. For example, a mare with a pedigree pedigree name Eleanor Van Ponte should be called simply and briefly - El. Horses do not understand long phrases, even if they have been said by the owner several times. In the best case, the first word or the first 3-4 syllables in a long word will remain in their memory.

There is also a list of requirements for the names of stallions intended specifically for sports competitions.

• The name must not be the same as the name of a horse of a known breed. It is unacceptable to name your stallion after a horse that regularly wins world or international competitions. The same applies to famous historical names: Bucephalus (the famous horse of Alexander the Great, whom he tamed at the age of 11, and then conquered many nations), Incitatus (the horse of Caligula - the great emperor who proclaimed his stallion a senator), Weiegold (German horse , multiple champion of world sports competitions).
• If you want to add the surname of any famous, popular or media personality to the nickname of an individual, then it is prohibited to do this without the official permission of this person.
• The nickname should not contain any name-calling or obscene language. In addition, if you are going to a competition in another country with a different language, make sure that the name of the individual does not sound the same as some vulgar word from that language.
• The length of the nickname should not exceed 18 letters - this is a standard rule that applies to everyone without exception.

If you have completed the process of choosing a name, this does not mean that the whole work will end there. If in the future you are going to exhibit your stallion at exhibitions or present at competitions, then you should take care of all the necessary documents. Below you will find step-by-step instructions for registering your stallion or filly.

• The first step is to register your animal with an official horse breeding organization.
• Seek expert advice on the condition of your animal, its suitability for competition and the pedigree itself. Get ready to bring all the necessary documents for the assessment: passports of his parents, as well as medical documents and certificates confirming the current state of health and the absence of pedigree diseases on the parental line.
• To confirm the medical indications, additional research may be needed - donating blood from the stallion and both parents (to establish the relationship).
• After passing the commission, you will receive a passport indicating the name, age, parameters of the stallion, its suitability for the competition, including information about the parents and pedigree.
• It may also be necessary to register your stallion in the studbook if it belongs to a poorly distributed breed. Once registered on this document, your horse will be monitored by the rare breed control committees.

Only after you have figured out the list of requirements for names for a stallion, you should familiarize yourself in more detail with all the available names for your animal. The following alphabetical list of names is for guidance only and can be supplemented by the owners themselves. Some of the names not listed in the table have been presented in the headings above.

At the moment there are online generators of names for horses, you can go to one of these resources and choose the nickname you like most.

Famous nicknames

Since those ancient times, when the horse began to serve man, many brave and strong names and nicknames of horses have entered into history, which each of us, no doubt, has already heard about.

• Absinthe . Black Akhal-Teke horse from the Soviet Union, in 1960 was named the world's best sports horse (with rider Sergei Filatov). The reason was the stallion's phenomenal victory at a sporting event in Rome. The horse retained its champion status until 1970. After numerous victories, he began to be used as a breeder of young animals and in his entire life managed to give birth to more than 70 strong individuals.

• Lisette . The famous Russian mare of Peter I, on which, according to the surviving records, he successfully fought many battles and battles. Peter I, riding on his faithful companion, can still be seen at one of the memorials in Riga dedicated to this ruler.

• Rusk (English thoroughbred horse). In some way, the legendary horse, whose victories during the Great Depression symbolize a real indicator of the tenacity and aspiration of its owner. Only when he was born, this stallion was absolutely weak, in addition, he had problems with limbs. By all indications, the horse had no chance to overtake the wind, but thanks to his experienced and hardworking trainer Tom Smith, Seabiscuit was able to win many high-profile victories at the races and gained the title of "Horse of the Year" (for 1938). Many documentaries have been filmed about this horse, which have become a real guiding star for many horse breeders.

• Idol . The stallion of the great Marshal Zhukov, in which the commander met the Victory Parade in 1945.

• Gambletonian . The founder of the modern American trotting horse breed. It is known for its extraordinary fertility - there is information that in its entire life this horse managed to give birth to about 1 thousand individuals.

• Eclipse is another legendary and mysterious name. Red stallion, undisputed racing champion - 19 wins in a row. It is believed that Eclipse was born in the 18th century during the largest solar eclipse at that time, for which he received his unusual nickname (translated from French, the word eclipse means "eclipse"). It is believed that over 90% of all purebred racehorses have Eclipse roots in their pedigree. During his life, he was able to give the world more than 400 individuals, almost 80 of which successfully won in races.

For information on how to choose a horse name, see the next video.