So I am responsible for a OTT (Off the track) Standardbred racehorse. Can’t say I own her because the adoption agency that I got her from keeps its strings attached and has something to say about what happens to her.
Standardbreds are the breed that races at a trot or pace while pulling a cart. Despite this, they make good riding horses and are a great breed if you’re looking for an athletic animal with a good head on their shoulders.
He current name is one of those crappy racehorse names: Letshangon. She’s now at a dressage stable where she is being trained and will hopefully be adopted by someone who wants to compete in dressage. Towards that end - she could use a new name. One that is “dressage-y.” The stereotype of dressage horses is that they are named after obscure Scandinavian nymphs, German towns, or minor characters in classic operas. Right now I’m leaning towards Cophelia, but would love a better suggestion.
Scandinavian, eh? Well, it’s neither obscure nor a nymph, but my Scandinavian great-grandmother’s name was Ingeborg, which I’ve always liked. A great-aunt’s name was Synneve, ditto.
Speaking for dressage riders and horse owners everywhere, I wouldn’t worry about it. She’ll end up with a stable name like “Honey” or “Bobo” before long anyway. I rode a horse called “Windex”, for example.
I just found this word, it is an old alchemical name for a mineral pigment made from burned cobalt, a dark blue. Etymologically kin to ‘sapphire’ through Italian. It is what was used to make cobalt glassware and the blue of stained glass windows. I was saving it for something special but I gift it to you freely, because that’s just the kind of person I am.
I always thought dressage people just opened an Italian dictionary at random and whatever their finger landed on was their horse’s name.
Like … Calzascarpe. Means ‘shoehorn’ but it sounds pretty dressagy to me.
My suggestion for “what do I name my dog/cat/horse” is always Gary, but that won’t work for a mare. I assume she’s a trotter, not a pacer. My second level horse was Bob. I now have Ariel, an OTTB.
Personally I might keep her name and call her Letty, simply because it’s really nice to see the OTTbs and OTSTBs out there doing new things, and it’s easier to recognize them for what they once did if they keep the registered name.
