# Help me re-name my horse **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654 "2019-10-11T21:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/1 "2019-10-11T21:46:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/2 "2019-10-11T21:54:47Z")
Dressage, eh? I was thinking racing; in which case, [Beetlebaum](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp9xJ9PbclE). How about [Hel](https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/giants/hel/)? Or Sigyn? Njörun? Snotra? ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/3 "2019-10-11T22:12:24Z")
I don’t know if it is dressage-ey enough, but I suggest **Sloopy**. Why? Her racing name made me think of the Sixties song, “Hang on, Sloopy.” ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/4 "2019-10-11T23:05:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/5 "2019-10-11T23:13:49Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/6 "2019-10-11T23:15:20Z")
Another word for hangers-on is Entourage. That’s a very dressage-y name. StG ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/7 "2019-10-11T23:23:49Z")
The leading lady in the ballet _Coppélia_ is named Swanhilda, which means “battle swan”. “Swanny” for short. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/8 "2019-10-11T23:30:47Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > Another word for hangers-on is Entourage. That’s a very dressage-y name. > > StG I like it! ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/9 "2019-10-11T23:34:24Z")
“Wasabi” (Japanese Horseradish) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/10 "2019-10-11T23:40:44Z")
Sleipnir, Odin’s eight legged horse. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/11 "2019-10-11T23:50:13Z")
Zaffre. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/12 "2019-10-12T00:01:45Z")
Zamfirhäst Then you can pay tribute to Romanian pan flute artist Zamfir AND have a cool horse name. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/13 "2019-10-12T00:15:16Z")
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. How about Ophelia? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/14 "2019-10-12T00:34:42Z")
Well what color is she? I like ~VOWs choice. I’m going with Sloopy, as well. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/15 "2019-10-12T12:40:14Z")
Grape-seed. That’s what I call my gf’s mare, whose real name is Gracie. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/16 "2019-10-12T15:53:16Z")
Binky, it’s a nice name 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/17 "2019-10-12T16:54:45Z")
Names for horses are overrated. After all, I’ve been through a desert on a horse with no name.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/18 "2019-10-12T23:18:09Z")
Thanks you everybody - some excellent suggestions. She is a bay, btw. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/19 "2019-10-12T23:20:54Z")
Another vote for Entourage. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654/20 "2019-10-12T23:24:07Z")
I love Entourage, maybe with a barn name Emmy? 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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-re-name-my-horse/841654.md?page=2)