How is a horse's name chosen?

In the last post, we explained that each horse has a number for each race, but horses also have a name, from birth to death and beyond.

But how are the names of the horses chosen? Is it free or are there any restrictions? What are the determining factors in its attribution?

Table of Contents

• A horse's name is a freedom filled with constraints
• What are the exceptions?
• The names of the most unusual horses!
• Conclusion

A horse's name is a freedom filled with constraints

The name of the horse is chosen by the breeder and for each of them, the choice of the name for their foal is always a very important moment because it must appeal to the punters to remember it easily.

This choice of name is free... as long as certain constraints are respected.

Indeed, all foals born in France in the same year are given an identical letter which must appear at the beginning of their name.

The name of the horse must not exceed 18 letters (including signs and spaces). This maximum number of letters has been set at 18 in order to be entered in the computer database of theFrench Horse and Riding Institute.

The name of the horse must not be the name of a famous person, a brand name or the name of a famous horse. The name of the horse should not contain numbers or initials and should not evoke foul language.

Once the breeder has found his name, he submits it to theFrench Horse and Riding Institute who will study it and validate it or not.

What are the exceptions?

All generalities have exceptions and the equestrian world is no exception.

The constraints listed below all have exceptions, except for the number of letters.

Concerning the first letter of the name, which is given each calendar year, certain breeds, in particular thoroughbreds (purebred gallop horses), are not subject to this obligation.

For the first letter of the name, all the letters of the alphabet are used one after the other, except for W, X, Y and Z, as these letters give too few possibilities. Therefore, after the year of the Vs (planned for 2031) we will return to the beginning of the alphabet, to the letter A (for 2032).

In the case of celebrities, the agreement of the person or the beneficiaries is required to be submitted to theFrench Horse and Riding Institute.

To take the name of a famous horse, the Trot's code and the Galop's code state that it is necessary to wait 25 years after the death of a horse to be able to reuse its name, provided that the letter of the year is that of the famous horse that the breeder wishes to reuse.

The names of the most unusual horses!

If some breeders lack ideas, others have a more overflowing imagination. Thus, we can find unusual names belonging to the animal family: Orang Outan, Ouistiti, or even culinary names such as La Patate, L'osso Bucco. We also have names linked to the cinema such as Rabbi Jacob, Poltergeist, Silence On Tourne, or names from everyday life such as Un Café L'Addition or Un Euro Cinquante. Some breeders have come up with puns like On Vient de Bouère, Kilo de Trot and finally we can find naughty names like Nuit Torride, La Turlutte or Le Petit Kiki.

It should also be noted that some owners use the same suffix to all their horses in order to better identify them. For example, we will find Jolvik De Guez born in 2019, Kroskof De Guez born in 2020 and Misulie de Guez born in 2022, all three from the same stud.

Conclusion

The names of the horses make it much easier to remember them and it allows you to follow their career instead of remembering the horse's number which changes with each race.

As we have seen, the attribution of a name is an important step for the breeder because this name is given for the whole life of the horse, it is thus necessary to choose an original name to allow the punter to remember it more easily and to mark the minds.

Many professional players have an alphabetical directory to note the horses they have observed in order to play them in their next race.