Prefrix, Suffix, is there a "rule"?

[Lord_Helpus]

I have been wondering this for a long time, and had finally come to the conclusion that a prefix denoted the current owner while a suffix denoted the breeder.

In jumperland many of the riders have sponsors, and often those sponsors want their horses identified as part of their program. So their initial(s) or name becomes a prefix.

Many of these lovely horses frequently have a suffix already attached to their name (i.e. Z).

The lovely horse C Coast Z is an example of this.

BUT, now I am finding that breeders add prefixes to their horses’ names. Color me confused.

This confusion reached it height when I bought a (wonderful) 3 year old from Silver Creek. In the Bill of Sale, I agreed to register/show him as either Silver Creek’s Catalyst or Catalyst S.

Maybe I should get really fancy and register him according to the rules I thought were correct. Since my farm name is Sterling Ridge, he would then become SR Catalyst S. That sure is a mouthful, though. (His friends will continue to call him Waldo, regardless of what official name he has. :winkgrin:)

What are the “rules” for this?

[bloomingtonfarm]

There is no ‘rules’ for performance horses but the convention is to have the suffixe identifying the breeder and the prefixe is usualy used by the current owner or sponsors to identify himsefl and change as the owner change.

But as I said there is no rules so we see often new owners tagging a new suffixe to the horse name which I found disrespectful.

Now the Z of Zangersheide is a bit different because he was first a breeder before he choose to create his own registry so all could add the suffixe Z.

I find ignorant when a breeder is having a foal from a stallion with a suffixe and use this suffixe at the end of the foal’s name such as Frosty du rouet offspring of Balou du rouet or even worst replacing or adding your own suffixe to a foal that you didn’t bred.

[Loopy]

Im in the UK so probably different to your rules, but any animal I breed has my (registered) prefix. I would be pretty darn upset if someone were to add to or remove my prefix, though it wouldn’t officially be allowed to be changed on the passport by my Breed Society, as a registered name is not permitted to be changed nor is a commercial name allowed to be added.

[DownYonder]

As I mentioned on the other thread, it depends on whether you are talking about USEF registration, or registration with a breed registry.

Most of the European WB type registries have naming conventions, and will not allow a prefix as a part of the registered name (unless, of course, the first letter of the prefix coincides with their naming conventions).

USEF doesn’t care, though, so you can use a prefix or suffix (or both) when registering a horse with that organization.

I am not a fan of prefixes, though, as it makes it more difficult to keep up with the horse as it goes from owner to owner, and can also be confusing for breeders to figure out how to name their foals. Solos Landtinus, for instance, was officially registered with Oldenburg as Landtinus, and since his sale to the U.S., is now again known as Landtinus, but some people think they are supposed to name his foals with a name beginning with “S”. Same with horses like Harmony’s Rousseau - I know someone who thought they were supposed to name their Rousseau colt with an “H” name (they actually tried to name him Harvey Wallbanger, but it was nixed by the registry).

[Janet]

Each breed registry has different rules.

In MANY registries, the breeder has a registered (with the breed) prefix. Only that breeder is allowed to use that prefix. People may change the name for showing, but for the breed itself they MAY be permitted (for a fee) to change the rest of the name, but not the breeder’s prefix.

OTHER registries have rules about the first letter of the name (sometimes tied to the year of birth, sometimes to the first letter of the sire’s or dam’s name). In THOSE registries, the breeder has a registered suffix which is added onto the end of the name. Again, people may change the name for showing, but for the breed itself, the name still has to start with the specified letter.

If, for showing, you want to add a sponsor’s name, you add it at the opposite end from the breeder’s prefix/suffix.

[Janeway]

@Lord Helpus;6864062

The lovely horse C Coast Z is an example of this.

I love this horse! Always wondered if the extra “C” stood for something, like his breeder or if was just added on because Coast is not an unusual name and they wanted to be different. Anyone know?

(*I assumed he has a C name in general because he is by Chamption du Lys).

[DownYonder]

Regarding C Coast Z - Horse Telex reports him as originally being named “Chuck Z”. At some point, his show name was changed to “Coast Z”, and I wonder if the “C” was added by Chansonette Farm. But “C Coast” (“Seacoast”), sounds better than just Coast. And a lot better than “Chuck”. :lol:

[Lorelei_Welsh]

As others have said, it depends on your registry and their rules. I register our ponies with the Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America (WPCSA), and breeders are allowed to register a prefix to use on the ponies they breed. It is very common for Welsh Pony breeders to give their ponies a prefix in efforts to keep track of them and for others to know who bred them. Unfortunately for many of us, the prefix does get dropped frequently for one reason or another when the pony starts trading hands.

I personally am not crazy about someone dropping my prefix, BUT, I would much, MUCH rather someone drop the prefix and still keep the breeding information (sire, dam, breeder) on a USEF registration. It is much more important for me to be able to keep track of the pony and ‘credit’ be given in that way than not at all.

As I kid growing up in a hunter barn, it was never a question of “do we change the name or not?” - it was “What show name do you want to give your pony?” Usually a ‘barn name’ would stay with the pony, but not the show name. In fact, my first pony I ever owned was given a new show name after I sold him, and he stayed in the same barn (was even purchased by my trainer at the time). I’m not sure if this is the norm or not in other show barns, but it was in mine!

[hluing]

I am another to be not a fan of prefixes or suffix’s for that matter. They make the name long, cumbersome and just plain unattractive. I refuse to use one myself as a breeder because I hated them as a horse owner. I get the breeder recognition part, but just can’t bear to do it, lol.

[Lord_Helpus]

[QUOTE=DownYonder;6864420]
Regarding C Coast Z - Horse Telex reports him as originally being named “Chuck Z”. At some point, his show name was changed to “Coast Z”, and I wonder if the “C” was added by Chansonette Farm. But “C Coast” (“Seacoast”), sounds better than just Coast. And a lot better than “Chuck”. :lol:[/QUOTE]

I had assumed that the C was for Chansonette Farm, but now I see that the C could stand for sea.

I did the same C = Sea with my horse. I named him “Two If By C”
(Carleton Warmbloods). For several years I cringed when I had to tell people what his name was, but it has grown on me and, since he will never be for sale, no one else has to like it.