Foaling season is drawing to a close and registration efforts are in full swing. However, not everyone is breeding for their own show horse. In fact, most breeders breed with the intent to sell the foal – hoping it gets in a show home where their program is acknowledged.
Beyond limitations on number of characters, duplicates, and objectively “offensive” terms/phrases, the “name game” is fairly open-ended. However, for those looking to breed to sell, it is important to recognize the impact a registration name can have on the marketability of an animal as both a foal and into its adult life.
We spoke with AQHA breeder and exhibitor Sarah Rosciti (Easy on the Eyez) to get her input on important considerations when naming an animal that will increase its marketability instead of limiting the number of prospective buyers.
Also, a plus is that Rosciti is a graphic designer/photographer (SRimages) and designs many of the ads in our digital magazine, GoMag. She has her finger on the pulse of our industry and what effectively works best for a memorable name that will help make the right impression in the show arena.
The User-Friendliness of the Name
Most breeders breed with the hope of hearing their foal’s name announced over a loudspeaker at a show. And it is incredibly important to consider how the name will read to an announcer – especially where the horse isn’t established yet.
When a name is smashed together without capitals or spaces, it creates a high likelihood the name will be misread by announcers and potential buyers alike. We will call this the “hashtag dilemma.”
For example, the hashtag #whoremembers is popular online for accompanying nostalgic photos. It is intended to be read “who remembers,” but with the letters smooshed together, it is easily mistaken for “whore members” – and this is just one example of the chaos that can ensue when a name isn’t user-friendly.
“If I absolutely have to have a name, but it won’t fit, I will still go ahead and smash it together. I just try to make it spaced out more on entry forms to help the announcers,” Rosciti admits.
“However, if you are trying to come up with a name that has wide appeal, I wouldn’t advise smashing together a name that isn’t so special that you have to have it. These names can be hard to read and difficult to advertise – so they need to be something that is recognizable and not just a mashup of random words.”
Also, initials with vowels in them risk a reader trying to pronounce it as a word. For example, the initials “SAR” can be pronounced as “sar,” (rhyming with car) instead of “S. A. R.” – which may have an impact on whether the name is recognizable.
The Discipline the Horse is Bred For
It is not enough to consider the bloodline alone when naming a horse. The intended discipline will also have an impact on the marketability of the horse where the name clearly doesn’t fit.
For example, it can be difficult to market a Hunter Under Saddle prospect with a name like “Low Rider,” or a Western Pleasure prospect with a name like “Turn N Burn.” The first name gives serious Western vibes while the second sounds like it is better suited to a 1D barrel racer. The names themselves are cute, but they have connotations that clash with their intended recipients and could hurt their marketability.
Rosciti explains, “We tend to avoid names that sound fast or scary because we are breeding for well-mannered rail horses that will have success in the pen. We don’t want a name that implies the opposite of what we are hoping they will have success in.”
Potential Future Riders
Choosing a name that is appropriate for a variety of riders will also increase the marketability of the animal. For example, AQHA judge and champion trainer Clint Ainsworth chose not to pursue a horse for a specific client simply because of its name.
“I found a great horse for one of my youth riders, but the name sounded like a sexual innuendo and I couldn’t bring myself to hear my little youth rider announced over the loudspeaker in the same breath as that name,” Ainsworth chuckles. “It would’ve worked fine for an edgy adult, but not a ten-year-old.”
Names that sound sexual or incorporate boozy references can be fun for adult exhibitors, but likely would not work well with a future youth rider. By the same token, “Little Miss Muffet” or “Eat My Unicorn Dust” may work great for youth riders, but they likely wouldn’t be fitting for animals an open rider wants headlining their show string.
“We actually bought a horse that was named SST Buckle Bunny – which was an adorable name, but the horse was intended for my husband,” Rosciti laughs. “He didn’t want to show a horse with that vibe and, since she hadn’t been shown, we changed her name to Strait Tequila Nite, which is basically the opposite end of the spectrum.”
“I think having a horse whose name makes you smile or fits your vibe as a person and exhibitor really adds to the fun of showing. So, if you’re trying to think of a name for a horse you are selling, it’s always good to think of what you would look for in a name if you were the one buying them.”
Offensive Connotations
Major breed associations will not allow a horse to be registered with a name that is objectively offensive – like those that utilize curse words (or sound like curse words). However, there are certain names that may be “offensive” to buyers even though they aren’t objectively offensive to associations.
For example, the names “Crazy Like Her Mama,” “Gotta Screw Loose,” or “Sir Bucks A Lot” might not go over well with an audience looking for a pleasure horse, regardless of whether the association will allow those names.
“It can be difficult to predict what names the association will allow,” Rosciti admits. “My good friends had a foal that they wanted to name ‘Your Mamas Easy’ and were denied because it was offensive. But then we had another Anakin foal that got the name ‘Easy To Sleep With.’ So, your guess is as good as mine as to what qualifies as offensive to the association.”
“I recently saw a horse posted on social media with the name ‘MorQualifiedThnBiden.’ Names like these can be a double-edged sword. They will offend a certain group of buyers, but they may actually attract another group of buyers,” Rosciti chuckles. “If your goal is to have broad marketing appeal, it’s best not to offend any sector of your market. But if your goal is to attract attention, sometimes these names can be a hot ticket.”
Make it Stand Out for the Right Reasons
Rosciti’s main consideration when naming foals is making sure the name stands out from the crowd and piques interest in the horse.
“My goal is to name my babies something that I would want to show and hear announced. I tend to gravitate to names that mirror popular idioms, pop culture references, are a play on words, or make you smile.”
“My market tends to be more adult riders and trainers, so I tend to lean into names that are a little edgy. I also do graphic design work and so I like to think, ‘How will this name advertise?’”
Rosciti believes that naming foals is one of the most fun aspects of breeding. In fact, she changed her stallion’s name specifically to promote naming opportunities for breeders.
“Easy On The Eyez was originally named Anakin Skytrotter, which we actually loved. But when we were starting to look at him as a future stud prospect, we needed a name that could generate more names for future foals and would work easily with a marketing scheme without facing potential copyright issues.”
Rosciti is particularly proud of recent names that she’s picked for Easy On The Eyez babies, including Eye Noah Guy, T M Eye, and Poison Eyevy because they are fun, easy to say, and they make the horse stand out for the right reasons.
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Remember: names are powerful and they will likely follow the animal for the rest of their life. There is more to consider than simply the bloodline or breeding program when coming up with a name. Our industry thrives on advertising and name recognition, so it is critical to put your best hoof forward when selecting a registration name.
If you can settle on a name that is fun yet unoffensive, easy to say/read, suitable for the purpose the animal was bred for, and appropriate across multiple divisions, that individual will be a lot easier to market to a broader audience both as a foal and down the road.
