We’re about to buy an 11-yr-old grade QH gelding. He’s currently named “Balthazar” (or “Bali”), which is… well… not our first choice of names.
Since the horse isn’t registered, is it common or acceptable to rename him? I’m not sure whether he knows or responds to that name or not. He will be our only horse (for now, anyway), so there shouldn’t be any confusion in our pasture when we come calling.
Can we change his name, or would that be akin to renaming a foster child?
Go for it !
Enjoy your new horse ~
Of course you can rename him. Even if he was registered with something or another, you still could rename him. Have fun and congrats on your new horse.
Yes do it!!
A lot of people I know won’t change a horses name but I have renamed most of mine! Good short names that suited the horses have been kept but when they come with names I don’t like I instantly change them! The majority of the horses I’ve had in the past years have been Standardbreds, and the tend to be given strange race names that don’t transfer into good barn names or I have actually bought horses with no real ‘barn name’- I literally got a horse who had the same owner for two years and this was his only horse and he called him “horse”!
Now if only I could change my horses race names I’d be all set!
If the horse is older and handled a lot, it’s likely they know their name. Sometimes switching to a similar name seems to work fine though. 
I think “Bali” is kind of cute - he could be Bollywood or something!
If it’s a younger horse, or not handled much, probably doesn’t know the name - so doesn’t matter. My rescue’s name was “Blondie”… but she was neglected and had no idea she had a name. She is “Fame” now.
Let the horse tell you.
Some horses know their name, some do and like to learn a new one, some names are just not good or suitable and it is ok to do whatever we want.
Most horses we keep their name if they have a nice one, a few we don’t, it depends.
Kids are good at naming horses, that is always a good way to go also.
Cochise is a fine name. Warrior spirit, dontcha know?
Ours were Bill and Buddy when they came to us. I thought Bill was a horrible name for a horse, but he knew it and he liked it, so Bill he was.
Buddy didn’t like his name at all. We let him pick, and he chose Jake. I have a feeling that really was his name, because he recognized it. Bill was 30 and Jake was 29 when we got them, and I think Jake’s name just got lost over the years.
All four of my current horses have had their names changed, but none knew their names when I got them young. I think two of them know their names now. They were all pretty bad, but the worst was “Mary Angela”.
This is going to sound a bit “woo, woo”, but I have had good luck naming animals by asking them. Go to them and say “What do you want me to call you?”, then usually within a week, a name will come to me.
I did this with my mare, and “Hal-y” became Holly.
I’ve heard it’s bad luck to change a horses name, so I try not to - but sometimes I’ll “adapt” it. :lol::lol::lol:
When I bought my current show horse, his barn name was ‘Hank’. Such a terrible, terrible, awful, no good name. It reminds me of either Hank the Cowdog or Hank Hill - neither of which are acceptable for a 17hh english gelding.
Since his registered name includes “Prince” - his barn name got changed to “Henry”… and Henry he’s been ever since.
…well, except for one trainer who named him “Recall” since he couldn’t seem to remember Henry and “had to fix all the holes your old trainer put in him”. :lol:
Don’t do it! It’s bad luck!
Forget the bad luck - consider it a new nickname.
It’s not bad luck. Rename the horse whatever you want. I lean towards Gary…
I’m following this thread closely – I renamed my last two horses and had terrible luck. I told my husband the next horse we buy, I’m not changing its name, even if it’s name is ‘Poopy McCraphead’. 
I never change names! It’s bad luck!
I’ve heard from others on this board that they think it’s bad luck. But since I’m not superstitious I went for it. My TB rescue horse (in my profile photo) was named Dusty and shown as Dusty when I bought him. Too me Dusty seemed like a low level string rental horse name. Since he’s rather a gangster type he mostly renamed himself Vinnie. I actually had a dream about his new name. He comes when I call him and knows it so all is well. If you find a name that you and your horse like better than “Balthazar” just go for it and change it!
I really like his current name and his barn name. But, your horse you can do what you want. I personally dislike when names get changed because I like to be able to follow horses and name changes get messy… but there isn’t anything that says you can’t.
Mine came to me with the name “Rock”. I found out his JC name was Top Lyric and decided to mesh the two so he kind of had the same name. He was dubbed “Rockefeller’s Top Lyric”.
I have renamed every horse I ever got and changed a few registered names too. Feel bad luck to speak of or at least, no more of than might be expected in the normal course of life. And I do like Cochise.
I’ve never changed a name. Just because I can live with what they came with. If you don’t like it than wait until you know his personality and something will come to you.
You do need a new gate though…
Does he always stand “parked out” like that? At least he looks it to me? Has he been vetted recently?
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