The horse has been a reliable assistant and friend of man for a long time. This beautiful, graceful animal is distinguished by its amazing intelligence, obedience and, at the same time, a proud and freedom-loving disposition. You can earn the love and devotion of a horse only by vigilantly caring for it.
The choice of a name for a horse is very important, since the name, as our distant ancestors believed, is fraught with a magical principle and largely determines the fate of its owner. That is why you should choose a name that will reflect the character traits of your pet, at the same time bring her good luck and sound beautiful. Let's figure out what to name the horse.
Horse names: general approaches to selection
After purchasing a horse, you should decide whether it will take part in exhibitions, races and other official events. If yes, then you will need to obtain a passport, since without this document the horse’s “social life” will be impossible. And you will need to indicate in your passport full name, that's why it should be euphonious. If there is no need to obtain a passport, you will still have to think about a nickname for the animal, because this is your friend for many years, you will need to somehow address it affectionately.
The name of a horse has had a special meaning for a very long time, expressing secret meaning. After all, it was the horse that was the main assistant of both the peasant, the brave warrior, and the proud prince. Each of them valued their horse, so they approached the selection of the name with all responsibility. Since the 19th century, the tradition of naming horses in accordance with the rules has become widespread.
Popular horse names
The most popular nicknames for mares in the country are:
These nicknames are quite common, so if you don’t want to be considered an original, you can safely use any.
For stallions, you can also choose one of the most common names:
- Grand (a proud aristocratic name for a noble horse).
- Gray (a very popular nickname for horses of the same color).
- Bouquet and Wind (suitable for almost any gelding or stallion, they sound euphonious, and are perfectly remembered by both people and horses).
- Sirius (a beautiful sonorous name for a beautiful horse).
- Aramis (the proud name of a musketeer is ideal for a lean, athletic stallion).
- Bonaparte ( classic version for those who are not ready to experiment with the horse's nickname, but want it to sound good).
If a horse is used in the village to do work, then it will be a little strange to give it aristocratic names like “Gabriella”, “Marianna”, “Grant”, it will be much nicer and more interesting to choose a simple good nickname with a certain meaning: Zoyka, Serka, Buyan, Ryzhka or similar. You can also use owls that came from foreign language: Brown (brown), Black (black), Boss sound good.
But you will need to approach the name of a purebred thoroughbred horse especially carefully, since there are a number of rules How exactly should a horse’s name be formed:
- The first letter of the horse's name coincides with the first letter of the mother's name.
- The middle of the name must contain the first letter of the father's nickname.
Example! The horse's name is Nautilus, the horse's name is Theodora. According to the rules, their baby can be named TorNado.
Half-breeds must also be named in accordance with the rules:
Varieties of nicknames
How to name a horse so that the name is sonorous and interesting, and at the same time memorable? You can use the following categories of nicknames:
- From the animal world: Tiger, Leopard.
- From the natural world: Sunset, Dawn, Moon, Storm.
- Based on the characteristics of the horse’s character: Mighty, Strong, Terrible, Fighter.
- Using title or position: Baron, Prince, Vizier, Empress.
- Geographical names: Paris, London, Europe.
- Using proper names from legends and myths: Andromeda, Hephaestus, Poseidon.
- Unusual euphonious epithets: Wavy, Velvet.
- Names that came to us from Ancient Rus': Aksinya, Zlata, Dobrynya, Miron.
- Titles precious stones: Topaz, Diamond, Turquoise.
- Names of horses known from history and literature: Bucephalus (the horse on which Alexander the Great conquered half the world), Rocinante (Don Quixote’s horse from the work of Cervantes), the mythical Pegasus, Incitatus (the favorite of the Roman emperor Caligula, who became a citizen of Rome and entered the Senate at the behest of the cruel tyrant), Bolivar (literary horse from the story of O. Henry).
Nicknames for horses in alphabetical order
Those who do not want the horse's name to give rise to any direct associations can contact any encyclopedic dictionary
, where there is a list of names and choose an attractive-sounding nickname for your beauty (or proud horse).
A: Adelaide, Aurora, Athena, Alpha, Asian, Anabel. Or Ataman, Admiral, Cupid.
B: Goddess, Bagheera, Ballad, Beauty, Fast. Or Rebel, Noble, Bard.
In: Venus, Sorceress or Woland, East, Lord, Wizard, Babylon.
G: Mistress, Galaxy, Gothic, Harmony. Or Gallant, Proud, Duke, Gambit, Count.
D: Dejanira, Diana, Lady, Dakota, Kind. Or Joker, Dante, Don Diego, Dragon.
E: Egyptian, Blackberry. Or Ermak, Elisha.
F: Josephine, Giselle, Life, Pearl. And also Priest, Lot, Pearl.
Z: Villainess, Star. Men's options: Zigzag, Stargazer.
And: Empress, Isabella, Emerald, Spark. Or Ideal, Ishmael, Player.
K: Cleopatra, Clementine, The Witch, Caramel. Or Crystal, Prince, Cavalier.
L: Beloved, Liliana, Laguna, Ribbon. And also Lovelace, Legionnaire, Lucifer, Lucky.
M: Magic, Dream, Milady. Or Monarch, Tycoon, Dreamer.
N: Tenderness, Norfet, Nemesis. Or Neptune, the Beloved.
A: Octavia, Octave, Orbit, Olivia. Orlando, Mischievous, Opal.
P: Poetry, Paula, Paulina, Pamela. Or Prestige, Poseidon, Perseus.
R: Rumba, Regatta. Or Ronald, Ricardo, Robin Hood.
With: Serafima, Skazka, Sylvia. Or Symbol, Sable, Sapphire.
T: Tiana, Mystery, Mysterious. Or Triumph, Title, Tornado, Typhoon.
U: Threat, Smart girl. Or Hurricane, Unique.
F: Fantasy, Flora, Themis. Or Fenisk, Fast and Furious.
X: Chrysanthemum, Christina, Charisma, Holly. Or Cold, Khalif, Hunter.
C: Queen, Princess, Gypsy. Or Centurion, Caesar.
C: Enchantress, Black, Silver Fox. Or Chester, Champion, Roan, Chernysh.
Sh: Minx, Chocolate. Or Whisper, Naughty, Nimble.
SC: Generosity or Generous.
E: Erina, Erica, Emotion. For Standard, Epithet, Elixir.
Yu: Julianna, Judith. Or Jupiter, Junior.
Me: Yaroslavna, Berry, Fury. Or Jaguar.
We have given only a few examples; in general, the list of beautiful names for horses is quite impressive.
Let's consider what names for horses are absolutely unacceptable.
The owner is practically unlimited in choosing a horse's name, unless, of course, we are talking about a purebred breeding individual. Therefore, you can safely show your imagination, the main thing is that the chosen name caresses both your ears and the animal’s ears.
When a mare gives birth to a foal, the animal's breeder must decide on its name, which almost never changes. The foal's name is chosen not just any way, it should express his character, reflect the unique features of the future mare or stallion.
What nickname to give to a thoroughbred horse also depends on its pedigree. Therefore, choosing names is a responsible task filled with deep meaning.
Russian people have always been especially careful in their choice, as evidenced by literary works where foals were always given a beautiful and bright name.
Advice: If you buy an adult horse, do not rename it.
You can, of course, give the animal a nickname that comes to mind, but it’s better to fantasize and read about the meaning of names for horses. If the farmstead is private, for example, in villages, the foal is given any nicknames, this is a purely household choice, no prohibitions are imposed on it.
Livestock breeders can be guided by color, temperament or other qualities characterizing their horse. Some owners can take any foreign names as an example; the nickname can be seen in a film or literary work. In your private yard you can see Weiner, Black and other foals with beautiful unusual nicknames.
Advice: But if the horse has a certain pedigree, it is a thoroughbred or a sports horse, the name cannot be chosen at random, the nobility of blood requires special treatment even with nicknames.
What are horses called in breeding?
There are certain rules for giving a foal born at a special breeding farm a certain name. The first letter of the nickname must be the same as that of the mother. The nickname should be such that the first letter of the father's nickname is in the middle of the word.
For half-bred horses, the rules are softer, but the foal and the sire always have nicknames starting with the same letter. And the name of a mare or stallion that is being prepared to compete in sports tournaments is sometimes given with information about the stable or team. Many European countries strictly adhere to this requirement. European horses often have long and difficult to pronounce names.
It is prohibited to call the foal a name that is on the protection list, as well as an offensive or indecent word. A nickname can contain a maximum of 16 letters; rarely, 27 letter characters are allowed.
Russian horse breeding and animal name
In the 19th and 20th centuries, thoroughbred horses were called by traditional nicknames. Horse breeders tried to adhere to several requirements for naming the foal. The nickname was intended to consolidate family ties with one parent or both. Stallions and mares were often given victorious names or nicknames of famous animals, for example, in different generations there were Fighters, Mighty and others.
Etymology of a horse name since ancient times
Over time, the nickname began to be selected for the foal according to a completely understandable pattern. Mares and horses are such humanized animals that people love to communicate with, so thinking up nicknames has become an entertaining and quite active process. The semantic and functional meanings have been understood for a long time.
When horses were steppe animals many hundreds of years ago, there was no need for nicknames; it appeared when animals began to be exploited by people. Ancient world endowed horses with a special purpose and gave them appropriate nicknames.
Horses mainly took part in combat operations, so the nickname had to be formidable and intimidating. The meaning of this was both in the correct treatment of the horse by the owner, and in intimidating enemies, and directly in designating the purpose of the stallion or mare. This is an old kind of psychological manipulation for opponents to instill a sense of fear in them in order to win quickly.
Animals could be called differently, and correspond to names and meanings:
- animals: Leopards, Rabbits;
- birds, symbols of strength and beauty: Eagles, Cuckoos, Herons;
- random or symbolic things: Brooms, Damask steel, Bullets;
- natural phenomena: Rumbles, Thunders, etc.;
- certain positions and ranks: Rich Men, Knights, Khans;
- qualitative human characteristics: Brawlers, Rogues, etc., this group has a very wide application;
- ancient, foreign language or literary anthroponyms: Dobrynya, Polkany, Mamai. Simple, unread people might not understand the meaning of many names, but this was considered romantic and connected the current generation with history, but only purebred breeds could be called with such nicknames;
- nationalities and settlements: Varangians, Tatars, Poltava;
- adjectives of qualities: Cheerful, Faithful, Angry. This group describes the temperament and habits of a horse, plus what emotion the horse owner experiences;
- horse breeding terms: Bay, Gray, Steel.
For any given nicknames from different categories you can understand horse qualities, real or desired. Names also have a bright emotional connotation. The owners wanted the boy, the offspring of the scans, to be known as noble, so that future owners or bettors in horse racing would pay attention to him.
Modern interpretation of horse names
Horse breeders of our time try to ensure that the nickname begins with the first letter of the father's name. The mother's initial is placed in the middle of the foal's nickname. It is no longer so fashionable to use horse morals and indicators of physical superiority in names.
Formalism prevails when parental initials have meanings. The emotional and expressive load is being removed from today's horse names, and horses are called more and more neutrally.
In the century before last, trotting horse breeding created a list, words from which had to be used when compiling a nickname for a foal. It was possible to make any modification.
There is no longer any need to look for a rational grain when naming a foal a certain nickname. There are no prohibitions left, apart from the pedigree connection. Selection from the dictionary is allowed; words with the main parent letters of the foal are selected from it. But even in the old days, the name of the horse was not always definitely associated.
There are modern horse breeders who are no strangers to the classics; as a rule, these are formal signs, for example, if the parents’ nicknames are Rakita and Debosh, the foal will be named Druzhok.
The fact that the nickname began to have a formal meaning comparable to a unique number does not have the most impact on communication with animals. in the best possible way, it only gets more complicated. Girls began to be called Sessions, Agendas, stallions are called, for example, Pavilions.
In order for the nickname to be successful, it is better to leave the choice on the name you like from the literary list, or select a letter combination, or watch the foal, understand what character it corresponds to, determine external characteristics, perhaps the ideal name will be determined intuitively.
It is human nature to give every living creature a name, investing in it a certain emotional meaning. The horse has been side by side with people for thousands of years and has firmly entered our lives and culture. It is not surprising that since ancient times there has been a tradition of assigning loud and beautiful nicknames to horses. Bucephalus, Incitatus, Bolivar and many other famous horse names are an integral part of the study of history. It is believed that previously the name of a war horse was not inferior in importance to the coat of arms or banners of the commander. But what role does a horse’s name play in modern world, let's try to figure it out together.
In ancient times, the name of a war horse was equal in importance to the coat of arms or banners of a commander, and it is no less significant now.
We do not know what people called their horses in prehistoric times. However, thanks to the works of historians, we can judge how names were given to war horses. As a rule, they were based on the principle of intimidating the enemy and strengthening them with the help of nicknames of a warlike nature. However, as horse breeding develops and horses move from the category vehicle In the category of “man’s friend,” the nature of the names also changed. Thus, over many years, certain rules were formed that still exist today.
The main principle of naming horses is to reflect the animal’s connection with its parents. This was especially important when breeding purebred breeds.
With the popularization of equestrian sports, another principle was added to this principle - the nickname of the future champion. The popular saying “whatever you call a ship, so it will sail” has become firmly established in horse breeding. They tried to assign each foal that was born - a future athlete - a nickname that would lead him to glory.
As for a horse in a private yard, everything is much simpler here. As a rule, the names of horses on farms are simple and sonorous, reflecting some quality of the animal. So, in almost every village or farm one could find Orlik, Buyan, Zorka, Kashtan, Nochka and other popular names.
They tried to assign young representatives of sporting breeds a nickname that would lead them to glory.
Rules and prohibitions
The assignment of horse nicknames should be taken quite seriously, taking into account the breed, scope of use and significance of a particular horse. If you are buying a horse, say, for yourself or for amateur riding, then here important rule There will only be your personal preferences, taste and imagination. But it’s a completely different matter if the horse has a known pedigree, is used for breeding purposes, and is of pedigree value. Here you will have to adhere to certain limits. Let's look at them in more detail:
- in Russia, representatives of the purebred English breed, Arabian, Trakehner and all trotters are usually named so that the nickname begins with the first letter of the mother’s nickname and in the middle contains the first letter of the father’s nickname;
- for representatives of the Budennovsky, Don, Holstein, Terek and Hanoverian breeds, the nickname is selected so that it begins with the first letter of the father’s name and in the middle has the first letter of the mother’s nickname;
- for representatives of the Akhal-Teke breed, the name can be selected according to the initial letter of the nickname of the father and mother - there is no difference;
- for Oryol trotters, the nickname should not be more than 16 letters, for English thoroughbreds - no more than 27 letters in Russia and no more than 18 abroad. But for horses of the Dutch riding breed, the name must consist of more than 20 letters;
- in England, names for horses of mares and stallions of the thoroughbred riding breed must be invented and communicated no later than February of the second year of the horse’s life. Otherwise, the owner will face an additional fee;
- It is always prohibited to use offensive or obscene words when choosing a nickname, famous names stud stallions. All of them are included in the international protected list. Of course, you can keep your Eclipse in your backyard, but to participate in, say, competitions, such a name will be rejected.
For the descendants of horses with a known pedigree that will be used for breeding purposes, nicknames are given strictly according to the rules.
Modern pragmatism
If you look at the studbook of any sporting breed of horse, you can see that in the past the names of horses, although not always, reflected a clear characteristic of their owners and were selected with the aim of emphasizing the merits of the horse and its individuality. Today, romanticism has given way to stern pragmatism. Less and less often we see bright and loud names of stallions and mares, and more and more often they are selected “from the dictionary”, simply taking into account the appropriate letters. This approach is the result of industrial horse breeding, where a name is more of a serial number and a stamp than anything more. That is why more and more often at competitions we hear casual names or nicknames for horses: Pavilion, Seal, Girl, Pectin and so on.
However, if in our country they are still trying to preserve the sonority of nicknames for horses, then abroad they are often very long and awkward. It is especially fashionable to indicate in the name of the animal the name of the stables, factories, names of owners, companies and even stall numbers. With such a horse name, not only is it difficult to understand the peculiarity of the horse, but also its gender: girl or boy.
The name is entered into the horse's passport and remains for its entire life.
Name selection
The problem of what to name the horse is unlikely to worry you if you buy an adult horse. The most you have to do is come up with a “home” shortened version of the name or a diminutive form of it. However, in the case of a baby, most often you have to choose his name yourself, and here many people have the question of what to name the foal. Here your own imagination, associations, as well as some of our advice can help you.
- Expression of a horse's individual quality. Horses often boast rare colors or markings that help in choosing a name. The name can emphasize a certain character trait of the animal, its abilities, although it is difficult to discern them in a foal. And here it arises interesting point: Is the name so influential on the violent character of the horse with the nickname Buyan, or were the owners able to discern this feature in the baby?
- Favorite hero of a book, film, history, legend. If people's names are undesirable, then why not name the horse, for example, Zorro, Casper, Gene, Cupid?
- Geographical names, toponyms, names of cosmic bodies. Names for horses, stallions and mares in honor of toponyms and astronyms, for example, Cassiopeia, Pluto, Greece, Virginia, California, Elbrus and others sound beautiful.
- Dictionary to help. I would like to choose an original name for the horse and at the same time emphasize its quality, then you can look for something suitable in dictionaries. For example, in the dictionary English language many beautiful sonorous words. So, you can just call it Wind, but it sounds more unusual English version words - Windy, which means “windy”.
Name options
You can choose the name of your pet from a special table, which contains the most beautiful and euphonious nicknames of mares and stallions.
If you haven't found it yet suitable name your horse, then our list, which contains beautiful nicknames for horses, will definitely help. A separate column presents nicknames for mares and nicknames for stallions. It is very convenient to use the list, since all options are arranged alphabetically.
| Letter of the alphabet | Mares' names | Nicknames of stallions |
| A | Aphrodite, Antalya, Argentina, Alpha, Watercolor, America, Astoria, Artemis, Ambition, Amazon, Aristocrat, Gambling, Similar, Arabica, Athena. | Abakan, Adams, Argon, Entourage, Lawyer, Adjutant, Aidar, Apollo, Diamond, Alchemist, Altair, Alfred, Amigo, Amethyst, Cupid, Ararat, Aristarchus, Harlequin, Artist, Ataman, Aphorism, Vanguard, Atlas. |
| B | Fast, Belogrivka, Snow White, Bagheera, Boyarynya, Batista, Bulanka, Bavaria, Careless, Flashy, Young Lady, Beatrice, Joker, Banditka, Bravaya. | Fighter, Joker, Brave, Beads, Boyar, Blogger, Banquet, Benefit, Buryat, Basurman, Bolivar, Balovnik, Rebel, Bonus, Baron, Velvet, Buyan, Leopard. |
| IN | Venus, Windy, Virginia, Free, Messenger, Vidnaya, Varava, Sorceress, Card Holder, Byzantium, Victoriana, Flash, Spring, Venezuela, Virtuoso. | Babylon, Jack, Vanillin, Waltz, Pennant, Varyag, Vesuvian, Versailles, Vector, Virage, Voivode, Wyandotte, Wind, Veselchak, Polite, Vegas, Knight, Warrior, Virtuoso, Splash, Crown, Velvet. |
| G | Galaxy, Harmony, Grace, Guild, Loud, Graceful, Countess, Hussary, Duchess, Hypothesis, Proud, Glaze, Mistress, Graphics, Ingenious, Loud. | Homer, Hyacinth, Hercules, Hussar, Grand, Goliath, Graceful, Gladiator, Count, Tourist, Hercules, Loud, Geyser, Glamor, Hero. |
| D | Wild, Daring, Virtuous, Worthy, Maiden, Dakota, Valor, Lady, Dynasty, Delta, Demeter, Diadem, Drama. | Dallas, Dzhigit, Dragoon, Joker, Dandy, Deja Vu, Friendly, Dakar, Dobrolyub, Jazz, Daring, Worthy, Dobrodey, Armor, Dobrynya, Gentleman, Donjuan. |
| E | Eurasia, Egyptian, Yenisei, Caustic, Euphrosyne. | Eunuch, Yenisei, Euphrates, Yerevan, Esaul, Ezdovoy, Evdokim, Evstratus, Jaeger, Elizar. |
| AND | Priestess, Giselle, Pearl, Jellyfish, Geneva, Gesticulation, Vital. | Jargon, Pearl, Jacquard, Jasmine, Ginseng, Token, Lover of Life, Zhigan, Juggler. |
| Z | Entertainer, Mirror, Fun, Perky, Thoughtful, Golden, Villainous, Mystery, Caring. | Zorro, Design, Starry, Zephyr, Zeus, Sunset, Race, Zodiac, Stargazer, Conspiracy, Conqueror, Zigzag. |
| AND | Emerald, Graceful, Empire, Empress, Zest, Spark, Infinity, Intrigue, Illusion, Intuition, Idyll. | Interest, Emerald, Indigo, Hidalgo, Impulse, Emperor, Ideal, Seeker. |
| TO | Beauty, Queen, Magician, Sweetie, Comet, Classic, Caramel, Princess, Coquette. | Cavalier, Kabul, Idol, Caprice, Cardinal, Consul, Prince, Carnival, Commander, Magician. |
| L | Legend, Radiant, Flattering, Lady, Logic, Kind, Flying, Liberia, Avalanche, Gourmand. | Lovelace, Lord, Ludger, Amiable, Legendary, Likhodey, Leader, Laureate, Alright. |
| M | Lightning, Music, Magic, Dream, Malta, Melody, Mysticism, Milady, Fashionista, Monica, Mauritania. | Moor, Dreamer, Silent, Marksman, Montreal, Marathon, Master, Monolith, Malachite, Monomakh, Mirage, Musketeer, Magnet, Maestro, Myth, Marshal, Master. |
| N | Nymph, Reward, Heiress, Find, Note, Nostalgia, Nicole. | Reliable, Insolent, Nuance, Elusive, Napoleon, Jade. |
| ABOUT | Ovation, Octave, Mischief, Otrada, Olivia, Omega. | Amulet, Sample, Mischief, Orion, Original, Olympus, Optimist, Ornament, Orpheus. |
| P | Prima, Panther, Province, Pentagram, Premiere, Victory, Front, Perspective, Palette, Palmyra, Pandora. | Pascal, Paladin, Paragraph, Ash, Ghost, Poseidon, Prize, Ptolemy, Landscape, Messenger, Feat, Positive, Prestige. |
| R | Rhyme, Rhapsody, Roxana, Rubric, Robber, Rainbow, Rare. | Radical, Foreshortening, Raphael, Robber, Romantic, Ruby, Rendezvous, Frisky, Realist, Dawn. |
| WITH | Symphony, Strategy, Second, Obstinate, Freedom, Sahara, Element, Sonata, Soloist, Samara. | Sapphire, Socrates, Daredevil, Saxon, Salute, Solieri, Solomon, Sultan, Spartak, Sputnik, Stimulus, Secret, Sommelier. |
| T | Mystery, Silence, Tavrida, Mysterious, Snuffbox, Tactful, Tanzania. | Tagil, Typhoon, Timer, Talent, Talisman, Titan, Dance, Tamerlane, Dancer, Tempo, Theodore. |
| U | Luck, Smart, Ultra, Successful, Threat, Handy. | Unison, Success, Clever, Hurricane, Unique. |
| F | Fable, Faktura, Fantasy, Favorite, Frida, Fortuna, Felicia, Flicka. | Favorite, Faraday, Pharisee, Fan, Fragment, Pharaoh, Wrapper, Focus, Fast and Furious. |
| X | Characteristic, Charisma, Artist, Brave, Chrysanthemum. | Caliph, Character, Hacker, Hunter, Chrome, Sly. |
| C | Queen, Princess, Quote. | Caesar, Tsarevich, Cyclone. |
| H | Enchantress, Roan, Wonderful, Enchantress. | Sorcerer, Champion, Chicago, Churchill, Chaplin, Genghis Khan. |
| Ш, Ш | Chanel, Champagne, Generous, Naughty. | Shaitan, Caricature, Sheriff, Chandolier, Saffron, Shakhnazar, Sherbet, Shanghai. |
| E | Eurydice, Exotic, Eureka, Etoile, Elegy, Epoch, Emotion, Squadron. | Eurydice, Epilogue, Everest, Egoist, Einstein, Equivalent, Eclipse, Exclusive, Extreme, Standard. |
| Yu | Yunika, Junior, Juno. | Jubilee, Jeweler, Young, Comedian, Jupiter. |
| I | Berry, Brightness, Jamaica, Fury. | Yary, January, Amber, Bright, Yamal. |
Conclusion
The Russian language is rich and sonorous, so in the arsenal of domestic equestrians there will always be beautiful nickname for your horse. For thoroughbred horses, you will have to use your imagination, as there are certain rules for naming animals. But for a domestic horse, you can choose a nickname at your discretion. However, in any case, a name is not a simple necessity or a stamp, so you should approach the choice responsibly. Remember the famous names of horses from literary works. Perhaps in your stable there is a place for your own Gladiator, Arabchik, Karabakh, Ermine or even Frou-frou.
According to the rules of modern selection, all animals have nicknames, which are formed according to certain laws. For example, the names of horses show their origin. According to tradition, the foal is named according to the first letters of the names of its mother and father. In Russia, a sacred meaning was often invested in the name of an animal. It was believed that whatever you name your pet, that’s how it will behave. Take books on literature and see for yourself.
How are nicknames given?
If you buy an adult horse, it already has a specific name. Often owners shorten or modify it. For example, according to established tradition, filly girls are called Mashami. If the horse is not purebred, then it is named at the discretion of the owner. For example, Zorkoi or Spot. They are often placed based on the character of the horse, its coloring and the like. There are no restrictions here. Breeding horses are named according to the rules - the first letters of the names of the mother and father are used. Nicknames often use the stallion's letter at the beginning. Sometimes in everyday life a foreign word is turned into an ordinary one, for example, this is how the nickname Black easily turns into Blackie. Here is a sample list of nicknames starting with the letter A:
It’s interesting that if a horse is bought for a girl, then she chooses a name for it accordingly. For example, something fabulous. So, a mare can bear the nickname of a princess or a favorite cartoon character. As for boys, they usually prefer fighting names for horses.
What to call a horse in a breeding farm?
For thoroughbred horses, a nickname is given according to certain rules. They must be observed as this makes it possible to trace the origin of any pet born in a particular breeding farm. Therefore, a thoroughbred horse is named after the first letter of the mother's name, and in the middle of the name there should be the first letter of the father's name. Therefore, if the mare was called Grape, and the boy Zorky, the foal will be called Windsor.
There are different rules for those horses that are recognized as half-bred or half-pedigreed. For such children the name begins from the first letter of the father's name. It is noteworthy that the tradition of calling horses this way was formed in Russia in the 19th century. It was then that Count Orlov brought out his trotting horses and set out to breed fast horses. Therefore, it was mandatory to clearly track the origin of a particular pet.
By the way, in the West there are slightly different traditions. In addition to the letters, the name of the breeding farm or stable where he was born is included in the foal’s name from the parents’ names. Therefore, if you look through the lists of foreign horses, you will notice how their nicknames consist of several words.
Famous horses
Interestingly, some horses are included in world history thanks to your merits. In this case, the nickname becomes the calling card of the mare or stallion. For example, our famous athlete Filatov on a stallion nicknamed Absinthe set a record on the road and won the Olympic Games in Rome. Thus, the horse forever entered the history of sports.
Interestingly, in the West there is a tradition of naming a girl or boy foal with the same name as its famous parents. To do this, simply assign a number.
- For example, if a stallion's name is Princeton, then his child will be named Princeton First or Princeton I;
- In part, this tradition of forming nicknames was adopted in Russian horse breeding;
Great Russian horse
People in Rus' have always been able to appreciate horses. Considering that racing came from abroad, our country was still able to raise a great horse. His name is Analin. Under the control of jockey Nasibov, he received the best title in the racing world. He was called “thrice crowned.” Only those who win three different prizes deserve this title. In the history of racing, few horses have been able to pull this off. To this day, echoes of Anililine’s blood can be found in the nicknames of many stallions.
The science of horse names?
Today you can find mentions of zoonymy. This is a science that studies the names of animals, including horses. For example, they suggest forming them into groups.
- For example, according to the aggressive and combative nature of the stallion - Fighter, Terrible, Hurricane, Glorious. And the mare is Great, Powerful, Military, Threat, etc.;
- In villages there is a tradition of giving a horse a nickname based on Slavic names. For example, a mare can be called Fekla or Zlata, Arkadia, Pelagia. But a stallion’s name can be determined by male names: Tikhon, Dobrynya, Efim and so on;
Esotericism and nicknames
Since ancient times in Rus' there has been a belief about the sacredness of names. Therefore it was considered necessary hide your true name, especially the one under which the person was baptized. The witches tried their best to find out the real name of the offender in order to curse him. The same applied to any animals. For example, if the mare's name is Midnight, then she is unlikely to be able to leave the stable during the day. The thing is that she will react poorly to the sun and the rays will burn her skin.
Or earlier in stud farms large number stallions and mares were called simply according to the dictionary. Nachkon took a regular dictionary , chose the desired letter and looked at the words. So, one horse was named Devil. This affected his character and the stallion was simply uncontrollable. Therefore, think carefully about what to name your pet so as not to attract trouble. It is better to call the mare by an affectionate name so that she is kind and gentle.
The horse has been man's faithful companion for thousands of years. Horses helped cultivate the land, transported goods, participated in wars, were a symbol of prosperity and wealth, and a source of pride. Animals not only have unique personalities, but also names. Choosing a nickname for a newborn foal is not always the easiest task - you need to take into account many nuances, the character and color of the animal.
A correctly chosen nickname or nickname for a horse is no less important than a name for a person. An outbred foal or a foal that has no further breeding value can be called any name you like.
However, for sports horses and horses with breeding value, there are special regulations for the formation of a foal's name.
Formation of nicknames in Russia
In Russia, the names for the following horse breeds begin with the first letter of the mother's name, and the first letter of the father's name should be in the middle (Malpost - father Present, mother - Miropia). This is the rule for the following breeds:
- Arabian purebred,
- Trakehner,
- English thoroughbred (English riding horse),
- Oryol, American and Russian trotters.
The name for foals of the following breeds is selected in the opposite way and begins with the first letter of the father's name, and the first letter of the mother's name should be in the middle (Crimson - father Breter, mother - Hortensia):
- Budennovskaya,
- Hannover,
- Holstein,
- Donskaya,
- Terskaya.
For horses of the Orlov Trotter, Don and Budenov breeds, only Russian names are allowed by the state stud book.
In the Akhal-Teke breed, the name of a foal can begin with any letter (Patron - father Paradox, mother Triad, Mangyt - father Gaigysyz, mother Millet). Most often, Akhal-Teke horses are given eastern and Turkmen names (Mikhman, Garayusup, Tykma-Serdar, Farukh, Yalkym, Taymaz).
The limitation also applies to the number of letters in the horse's name. For Orlovians, a maximum of 16 characters is allowed, and for the English purebred breed - no more than 27.
It is not allowed to give offensive and obscene nicknames, as well as repeat the nicknames of famous horses and use the nicknames of stallions and mares that founded lines and families (Aniline, Peony, Square, etc.). Akhal-Teke and Oryol foals are also prohibited from giving an existing name.
For a long time, in the Oryol breed, nicknames were given to horses at the age of 3-4 years. Breeders carefully observed the development of the horse, its character, peculiarities in work, relationships with other horses and people. The nickname was given individually and fully characterized this particular horse. So Polkan was distinguished by his courage and strength, tirelessness in his work, and Pustyako was quite simple, but honest in his work.
The rule for forming nicknames abroad
In European countries there is a tradition of naming a foal after the first letter of its father's name. This tradition applies to many breeds, but is not mandatory, but breeders prefer to adhere to this unspoken rule. The exception is the Trakehner and Dutch half-bred breeds. Among the Trakehners, a foal is named by the first letter of its mother's name, regardless of the country of birth. In the Dutch breed, the foal is named according to the year of birth. That is, foals born in 2008 receive nicknames starting with the letter D and so on. The breeding union of the Holstein breed adheres to the same rule. Nicknames for girls and boys horses begin with the first letter of the year of birth. Only "X" and "Q" are not included in the alphabet, and "J" and "I" are combined into one group.
In the Hanoverian breed, the names of horses often go back to the names of stud stallions, the founders of the lines. In the Oldenburg breed, there is a difference in choosing the name of horses intended for sport and breeding. If a sports career is expected, the foal's name begins with the first letter of the mother's nickname. If fillies are raised for breeding, they receive a nickname starting with the first letter of the father's name.
Dutch riding horses are given nicknames consisting of at least 21 characters. The nickname must be registered with the breeding union before the first of March following the year of birth of the foal. The owner writes down six possible names for his horse on a special form and sends it to the Dutch Horse Breed Association, where leading experts select one of the proposed nicknames and enter it into the official register.
Horse names are often supplemented with factory prefixes. So for Russian trotters in Russia the prefix is registered - Lok (Malvina - Lok), denoting the Lokot stud farm, the prefix - Shah is registered for Akhal-Teke horses born on the Shah-Teke (Gerkana-Shah) breeding farm, in Europe one of the most famous prefixes is Glock - (Glox Undercover), registered for horses owned by the largest breeder Gaston Glock and his stable Glock Horse Performance Center.
In England and Ireland there is no clear connection between the foal's name and the names of the father or mother. Most often, a witty and associative nickname is chosen, containing a whole story (I’ve Got A Bad Liver - literally “I have a bad liver”).
The purebred horse breed has the largest number of strange names and the largest number of restrictions, rules and prohibitions for the name of a newborn foal.
Racehorse named "Sit on the ass"
It is prohibited to give an already existing nickname or a nickname consonant with it. More than a quarter of a million words were included in the banned list, so breeders are faced with a difficult task - what to name a horse and not be banned. This is how horses with nicknames are born - Excuse My French (I apologize for my French), Under the table, Egyptian Rose.
Often the horse's name in the breeding and sports passports is different. This happens if the breeder gave the horse a dissonant name. Thus, the eminent Rusty, multiple European and World Dressage Champion, as well as a medalist of several Olympic Games under the saddle of Willa Salzberg, was listed as Rotor in the breeding documents.
History of Russian horse names
In Russia, the names of horses changed depending on the period, time, city and circumstances. In pre-revolutionary years, there was only one prohibition - calling horses by human names.
In the course of a semantic analysis carried out by scientists using the example of the nicknames of Oryol trotters of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries, linguists identified several groups of names:
- Nicknames based on the names of birds or animals (Ermine, Cuckoo, Cheetah),
- Nicknames based on natural phenomena (Thunder, Comet, Rain, Fog),
- Nicknames derived from titles and professions (Lord, Khan, Teacher),
- Nicknames reflecting physical or moral qualities (Kind Man, Giant),
- Nicknames that have a mythical, book or foreign language origin(Venus, Mamai, Pegasus).
- Very often names were supplemented with adjectives (Crow Night, Bygone Dream).
Since the thirties of the last century, a connection between parents and offspring began to be traced in the names of horses - Danube from Dobytchik and Dubrava.
Nicknames of village horses
Horse names play a big role not only in the sports arena, but also in everyday life. For centuries, for peasants, the horse was both transport and an assistant (work in the field, harvesting), so horses were often given sincere and simple nicknames, reflecting not only the kind attitude of the owner, but also the characteristics of color or character:
- Ryabushka,
- Henbane,
- Burushka,
- Sivushka,
- Igren,
- Burko,
- Chubar,
- Voronko.
People believed that the nickname subsequently influenced the fate of the horse. So, in order for the stallion to grow up healthy and fast, he was given the nickname Wind or Bogatyr, and for a good-natured filly they chose the nickname Swallow or Zoryushka.
The funniest nicknames
The rules dictated by stud books and breeding unions very often push breeders to invent not only unique, but also funny names, and the palm in this belongs to trotting horse breeding. Thus, horses with the following names are officially registered:
- Hedgehog Fast,
- Fenced River,
- Kasatik Azartovich,
- Let me try
- Gypsy Fortune Teller,
- Main Entrance,
- Empty Head,
- Golden Horde,
- Apogee of Love,
- Royal Suite,
- Fly Dashing,
- Ukulele,
- Beautiful Check-in,
- Living Memory,
- Torrential Rain.
Names in history
In World History there are many not only human names, but also horse names, and the famous Bucephalus is not the only one example.
Bucephalus
Bucephalus was the faithful and beloved horse of the great Alexander the Great. Translated from Greek, Bucephalus means “bull-headed.” According to historians, the stallion was indeed distinguished by a wide and slightly convex forehead. He was restive and rather capricious, even evil, and only Alexander the Great managed to pacify and saddle this noble horse.
Incitet
Incitatus was a favorite of another great emperor, Caligula. According to legend, the emperor loved and respected his four-legged pet so much that he first made him an honorary citizen of Rome, and then a Roman senator. A spacious marble stable with drinking troughs made of ivory and gold was built especially for this magnificent and strong stallion. He even had his own servants.
Hambletonian
The lesser-known but equally important stallion Hambletonian founded the modern American trotting breed. During his life he fathered more than a thousand foals! Most of the foals were stallions, and the names of Hambletonian's sons - Dictator, Happy Medium, George and Elikshionir are still the most popular and common in the breed.
Rusk
Seabiscuit is a thoroughbred stallion who became a symbol of hope for many Americans during the years of the Great Depression. He was born an unsightly and weak foal, no one expected any victories or any results in racing from him. However correct work The new horse owner and trainer did the incredible - they turned Seabiscuit into an invincible racetrack fighter who won record amounts of money and also won the title of “horse of the year.”
Absinthe
The legendary black Absinthe long remained a dressage horse with an unbeaten record. Under Filatov's saddle he won individual gold at the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960. The bright and tall representative of the Akhal-Teke breed shone for many years on the international sports arena, although initially no one believed in the abilities of this stallion. After his retirement, Absinthe continued his career as a stud stallion and left numerous offspring not only in the Akhal-Teke, but also in the Russian riding breed.
Examples of nicknames
For stallions and mares (alphabetical list)
- Avalon
- Avela
- Avatar
- Austria
- Abrek
- Asian
- Apricot
- Azbar
- Promotion
- Akbash
- Alushta
- Baghdad
- Bavaria
- Baysad
- Balaclava
- Dagdan
- Danuta
- Daryal
- Player
- Highlight
- Lagoon
- Lovelace
- Blade
- Lorgnette
- Lucca
- Magnate
- Magma
- Milan
- Mirabeau
- Muscat
- Murava
- Naples
- Heavenly
- Seine
- Nocturne
- Novella
- Norton
- Olyushka
- Oparis
- Frame
- Oscar
- Siege
- Pavic
- Plastic bag
- Pavlinka
- Paikend
- Pamella
- Rumaysa
- Sable
- Solomeya
- Suffist
- Sumatra
- Songhua
- Sulima
- Luck
- Fabius
- Phagia
- Fabian
- Falcona