So are apostrophe’s not allowed in registration papers? I had an AQHA grandson of Impressive whose registered name, as well as that of a number of other names in the line, began with “IM”, as in “IM A GOOD BOY”. I assumed they left out the apostrophe as a nod to Impressive. Like everyone else I would have preferred there be an apostrophe but figured I was breaking some unspoken rule if I added one.
Lol try an umlaut.
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AQHA got rid of punctuation what seems a long time ago. Gets rid of confusion over He’s Mighty White and Hes Mighty White. 😉
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I would do no apostrophe because the lettering on the halter is likely going to be all block uppercase. And it would bug me that it wasn’t an exact match of his actual registered name.
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A note about halter nameplates (no shaming me please).
I had my horse at a stable that turned horses out with their leather halters. My horse managed to get one of the rivets out and ended up with the nameplate sticking out at a right angle.
sort of like a shiv. Current stable removes halters at turnout.
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As someone who has owned and actually named and registered several AQHA and ApHC horses, I would be inclined to leave the apostrophe out so that it stayed true to what is on the horse’s papers and what the breed registry has on file for him. Stock breeds rarely have their registered names on their “show halters” because they’re shown in halters with massive amounts of silver on them. Their barn halters often don’t feature their registered names and instead have their barn names. And a lot of registered stock breed horses who wind up in sport horse careers often get new show names to go with those new careers, and those names may wind up on the brass plate of their leather halter. Or…they just get their barn names.
My appy’s registered name is RhythmNCruise (and I named him…don’t judge me, LOL)…but his barn name is Milton. He’s never shown ApHC and never will, in fact he doesn’t really show at all unless we have a schooling show at our barn. He’s known as Milton, he’s entered into those shows as Milton, and any halters or nameplates or whatever he has will have Milton on them. That’s his “real” name as far as I’m concerned. He was registered with the thought that he might compete in ApHC shows. That wasn’t the path we went down, so that name means nothing except for the nod to his sire CR Cruising Dreams whose barn name was “Cruise”.
All this to say…do what makes you happy. The lack of apostrophe wouldn’t bother me, and I’m a 19-year veteran high school English teacher. If you left it out in an essay, that’d be a problem. But your horse’s registered name is what it is, and it doesn’t have an apostrophe. 
Finally completed the order, and going with the apostrophe, because it makes me happy.
Don’t need one for his barn halter, everyone knows which is his:D
Funny got that for a mare I had, but didn’t use it often. My last gelding would have been mortally offended, if I got bling anywhere him. This guy, he just suits it.
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As an English major, I say yay to your use of the apostrophe! Also wanted to add that he is a real cutie and so clean, he sparkles.
Well that explains why my horse’s name lacked an apostrophe on his AQHA papers…
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🤣
He Gangsta!
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Put it in! It will make you feel better and no one will wonder about his pretty name! My daughter’s middle name is Alice’anna, it should have the wierd on it’s side apostrophe thing above the e in Alice, but none of the legal places did it when she was born. Annoys the hell out of me lol. People pronounce it Alice Anna down here in the south and it should be pronounced Ahh-lee-see-Ahh-naa. Always use the apostrophe if you can, I wish I could!
You can change a registered name on a QH? I dislike my Morgan gelding’s registered name but if they have farm initials included you need the breeder’s approval to change the name even if you commit to keeping the farm initials : (
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I saw a horse for sale this week named Enjoy The Go. Why, breeder, why?
Maybe Bad Horse Names would be a good thread all on it’s own.
My vote: apostrophe! I hate creative grammar. But that’s me.
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Following association rules in regards to naming isn’t really creative grammar though…
It can be quite the game though, length, allowed characters, if there has to be naming conventions, phrases that aren’t allowed…
True that! Helped name many QH foals at the farm I used to manage. I was quite the mental exercise to say the least!
That is where COTH the magazine and all those show results and special issues full of horse names winning in different regions helped.
Never knew COTH existed back then, (and living well north of the border) but spent lots of time half memorising the QH Journal, which was more relevant at the time. 😉
