Naming a foal

ecaf

Ok, I was on the mare foaling thread earlier to say our mare had finally foaled this morning.
Now I'm trying to think how to name her. She's a skewbald filly - but I don't want to go for Dot or Patch or anything. I can't think of any nice names right now. Right now she's 'little one' but I think I call every foal that until someone names them, this is mine to name and I'm stuck.

Any ideas???

M25

How about Rain? Its the name of the skewbald in the film Spirit stallion of the Cimarron.

ecaf

Nice, but sounds masculine

Hope this isn't going to be the nameless foal! I'm going to have to put a few in a hat and go for it! :pac:

Edited to add: Just thought of this, her mother has a gemstone name, would it be too much to call her one too? Can't think of any that would suit yet though! (amber, opal...)

abcdggs

how about dog?

ecaf

abcdggs wrote: »

how about dog?

Why???

liah

Something feminine and gemstone-like...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gemstones

Anything there?

otwb

Boring, but why don't you play around with the mothers and fathers names...

ecaf

Yeah I'm thinking of doing that, but its hard. I've gone back a few generations from what I found on the internet this morning. Can't find the Dam's parents names, but there in her book at home.
I want a short name for her though, her long name can go on the papers.

The gem stone names aren't really working, pearl sounds like a granny, opal doesn't really seem right and topaz is now the name of a filling station. Ruby is the mare's name it's lovely but its gone, and the others are a bit long.... :rolleyes:

liah

ecaf wrote: »

Yeah I'm thinking of doing that, but its hard. I've gone back a few generations from what I found on the internet this morning. Can't find the Dam's parents names, but there in her book at home.
I want a short name for her though, her long name can go on the papers.

The gem stone names aren't really working, pearl sounds like a granny, opal doesn't really seem right and topaz is now the name of a filling station. Ruby is the mare's name it's lovely but its gone, and the others are a bit long.... :rolleyes:

What are the parents' names?

Lobelia Overhill

Aww, any pix?!

I was going to say Ruby, t'was the first name that came into my head! Oh well...


What about Rosie? Or April?

Jemmy

Lobelia Overhill wrote: »

Aww, any pix?!

I was going to say Ruby, t'was the first name that came into my head! Oh well...


What about Rosie? Or April?

Oh +1 on the April

ecaf

liah wrote: »

What are the parents' names?

Hallo Rossa & Wild Bil (Ruby)

April is going into the hat, but it wouldn't be top of the list for me!

Don't know how to post a pic, but if I work it out I will. She is only 2 hours old in it, took on my phone so it won't be great!

ecaf

Picture below - hope this works!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=548&pictureid=2824

liah

Oh dear lord, she is WAY too cute for her own good..!

Looked up some names with meanings;

"Airy" names
Azure
Sky

"Flowery" names
Ione (greek)
Hana (japanese)
Rose
Azalea
Clover
Lily

"Light" names
Wyn (welsh - could be cute as winnie!)

"Gemstone" names
Gemma
Rubena (esperanto)
Safira (esperanto)

"Small" names
Nina
Sindri (icelandic)

"Astronomy" names
Luna
Indu (indian)
Maia (greek/roman)

"Lucky" names
Lykke (danish - pronounce the "e" as an "eh" sound)

"Beautiful" names
Bella
Kallisto (greek - kallie/callie could be cute)


Loads here: http://www.behindthename.com/
The site also has a random name generator-- just pick whatever types of names you like, hit generate, and keep refreshing the page to get new names.

ecaf

Thanks, you've given me a lot to go on.
I tried looking up beauty in spanish - got belleza
It's OK, but not sure... what do you think about Opal? Not sure about this either.
I had a skewbald years ago, when I was 12 I named him patch (well someone else did and I kept it), which was fine for him, but looking back its such an obvious name!

I'm going to go to that link and play for a while with it when I've time.

liah

Opal just reminds me of sort of an elderly woman's name. It's nice, but fairly dated.. and far too mature for such a little sweetheart! Depends on her temperament though, if she's "wise beyond her years" or an "old soul" then Opal might fit.

Lobelia Overhill

ecaf wrote: »

Picture below - hope this works!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=548&pictureid=2824

Aww, she's gorgeous!!

I see you've titled the picture bab, so hows about Babs as a name for her?

How big is is going to be? Pony or horse?

and hows about Wild Rose as a fanceh name?

ecaf

Yeah I don't really like Opal either, was getting desperate yesterday.

I like Wild Rose as her official name, or Wild Hallo / Wild Rossa (you have to suggest 3 to register them anyway), they would combine the parents names well.

Liah suggested loads yesterday, I'm thinking about Sky??? Or a friend said Amber, I like it but I'm not 100%, and people were saying you could shorten it to Ambie, that really put me off. Kallie is another nice one / Kallisto

She's getting very inquisitive, sometimes comes walking right over to us, but is gone off the idea of letting us touch her much, she just calls out for mammy.

ecaf

ecaf wrote: »

Thanks, you've given me a lot to go on.
I tried looking up beauty in spanish - got belleza
It's OK, but not sure... what do you think about Opal? Not sure about this either.
I had a skewbald years ago, when I was 12 I named him patch (well someone else did and I kept it), which was fine for him, but looking back its such an obvious name!

I'm going to go to that link and play for a while with it when I've time.

guappa is beautiful in Spanish.

Lobelia Overhill

ecaf wrote: »

I like Wild Rose as her official name, or Wild Hallo / Wild Rossa (you have to suggest 3 to register them anyway), they would combine the parents names well.

why thank you

I'm thinking about Sky??? Or a friend said Amber

either of them is nice

She's getting very inquisitive, sometimes comes walking right over to us, but is gone off the idea of letting us touch her much, she just calls out for mammy.

awww

byhookorbycrook

Sioux?Works as Indian (for the coloured horse) and for a girly name?

Hobbidance

I called my little girl Neko as it's japanese for cat and she was just so like a cat when she was a baby, she'd rub up gainst you for scratches and want to play all the time. Plus her movements were so elastic aswell.

Here's some I thought of for your little girl. (I tend to go for unusual names myself) Personnally though you should figure out her personality first and then try picking a name that helps define her I didn't name mine for a few weeks.

Aythya (conjuctive with redheads)
Sora (japanese for sky seeing as you like that already)
Jenesia (latin for newcomer)
Freya (norse; lady)
Meave (irish; intoxicating one)
Zaida (arabic; the lucky one)
Valora (latin; brave one)
Eithne (irish; zealous and firey)
Aria (latin; beautiful melody)
Isra (arabic; journey by night)

Have fun, and I don't think your horse will hold it against you if you decide to change her name after you find it doesnt suit her after a while So don't worry about getting it perfect right away.

skywards

Inanna was the sumerian goddess of love. And warfare =P. I always thought that would be a cool name for a horse.

ecaf

OK so a few names that have made it onto the list (I know which one I prefare, but I want to run them by you first!):
Amber, Pip, Sky, Willow

Her official name will probably be: Wild Hallo / Wild Rose.... when I get around to registering.
Thanks for all the help by the way, thankfully I don't have to name the foal due next month!

byhookorbycrook

ecaf wrote: »

OK so a few names that have made it onto the list (I know which one I prefare, but I want to run them by you first!):
Amber, Pip, Sky, Willow

Her official name will probably be: Wild Hallo / Wild Rose.... when I get around to registering.
Thanks for all the help by the way, thankfully I don't have to name the foal due next month!

Pip to me sounds like a little fat hairy cob. I like Willow and Sky but our yard had dogs with those names. What about the Irish name Róise ( row-sha)?

Lobelia Overhill

ecaf wrote: »

OK so a few names that have made it onto the list (I know which one I prefare, but I want to run them by you first!):
Amber, Pip, Sky, Willow

in order of preference

1 Willow
2 Sky
3 Amber
4 Pip


Maybe you could post a poll?

Chindato

Sorry I'm clueless about names.
My latest foals were known as 'biggles' and 'you little...'
Chindato
(which is the name of another of my horses, a combination of his sire's name - Aldato- and a grandsire's on the damline - Chou Chin Chow)

Wicked

so ecaf did you pick a name yet?

heres my ideas for you

gizmo
commet
bella
breeze
ella
honey
spud (ha ha joking)
jenna
jewels


i can think of girls names.. no boys names come to hand!!

ecaf

Well Sky is the name I'm stuck on, but not everyone is so sure about it. I just read on the other thread Wicked - that your mare is also called Sky!
My OH keeps asking me how Willow is, and I reply that Sky is fine, I'm not gone on willow, its a nice name so I don't know why. If I find a better name I might go for it, but until then she's sky, although she still seems to small yet to have a name.

I'm getting lots of nuzzling now from her on the back of my legs, this evening she did about 4 laps of mammy (her mammy) while she was eating, and each time came to check me out. I'm rubbing her mammy and then can turn to give her a little rub. She stood for a good while to let me rub her.
When she walked past I rubbed her backside but I noticed twice when I did this she did a little buck or something as if she was thinking of kicking me away, checky brat! :P

Hope your getting on well with your one too Wicked, its great when the mares trust you and aren't wicked. My mother was chased out of the field one year by the other mare we keep, but she was in the other end of a field looking at another foal when this mare came running from the top of the field to chase her out. Now though a good few years later and foals later we have her in our yard and she is totally different and totally trusts us, which is much better. I'm still very wary though for her first few days after foaling.

InTranceWeTrust

Call the young nipper "wee Betsy Seamus McGlynn" after Paddy Murphy from down the road, I'd be much obliged to you.

InTranceWeTrust

Wild ROse, lol.

Harris

Bella Rosa

convert

Have you decided on a name yet?

ecaf

NO! I like Sky but no one else seems to. Haven't called her anything now
Amber might be back on this list but I'm not 100% about it, don't know why! My niece suggested Sapphire, which is nice, or saffy / sapphie for short, but the way I say 'F' sometimes sounds like 'S' so nobody will hear me properly, I don't want to have to keep repeating myself. (Although as I'm typing I'm thinking that I might just go with it)

What do you's think? Amber / Sapphire / ... something else...


On another note, she's now 3 weeks old, and I'm still just petting her in the field, but it is very much under her terms (if she feels like letting me). The mare was in season and very narky anyway so I wasn't getting in her way too much, but she didn't mind me there with her or the foal. When they are separated from the 'due' mare soon I can start bringing them in and out of a stable. Its a bit of hassle right now unless I bring them all in - with all the calling and that, but the due mare is like an elephant now so I don't want to bother her with that.

Anyway - what else should I be doing with the foal, with out pushing her too much? I have gained her trust now, but we took the foal slip off her a while ago because it was slipping over her ear. Should I bother putting it back on her yet? When we are moving field should I leave her to follow the mare still or should I lead her (and put my arm around her backside)?

convert

Sky seems like a nice name - plus it's short and easy to say, especially if you have to call them out in the field, etc!

When we handle the foals at home, we pet them as much as we can when they're in the field or in the stable, but tend to leave them alone when moving them from the field to the yard. That way they can see the mother being led and it doesn't then seem to strange/traumatic when we do it with them later!

We also tend not to put head collars on the foals when they're in the field incase they get it caught in anything or put their foot through it (even if it's properly fitted). It's something we do if they're in the stable/around the yard so we can kep an eye on them and be close to hand just incase....

miss.lost

What about Aura or Ianna (pronounced I-Anna), both simple but different.
Ameerah or Amira are the arabic words for princess. I like the full name wild rose... you could go for rose in a different language for a shortened name ie Rosa-spanish, calanta and kalika are greek for blossom and rosebud respectively so maybe Callie for short??

Shes lovely by the way!:D

Thoie

She looks like a Topaz Sky to me

ecaf

Trying to call her Amber this morning, it still isn't sitting very well with me though!

On a better note, we've had another addition to the family! A little colt this morning, which was surprising as the Mare has had 8 others (I think) and previously alternated between filly and colt every other year, we were expecting to see a filly! Both are fine and all 4 are now in doors with all the fields really soggy!
Here's a pic - but not great on my phone first thing this morning...

he's very wonky looking, naturally at under 2 hours old.
P.S. - not mine so thankfully I don't have the naming issues all over again!

Wicked

Hey ya,

i think if you like sky you should go with it. My mare is sky, i think its a great name for a horse.

The foal's pet name is going to be... wait for it... Sonny!!

so yes now i have Sky and Sonny!

waiting on our next one now, pony is due tomorrow fingers crossed all will be ok. haven't managed to put a picture up yet but will soon.

Wicked

Sareail

Yeah I like Sky thats an easy one to make into a registered name too.. Though if you're lucky enough to have a skewbald filly maybe you should name her appropriate to her colour!

ecaf

Sareail wrote: »

Yeah I like Sky thats an easy one to make into a registered name too.. Though if you're lucky enough to have a skewbald filly maybe you should name her appropriate to her colour!

Glad you like Sky, because I just cannot call her Amber, for some reason.

What do you mean by a name appropriate to her colour? Nothing springs to my mind for anything related? I had a skewbald gelding years ago, he was called Patch!!! (sorry,I was young, and someone had put the name on him already) I don't really want to go for something obvious like that - but if you have suggestions then let me know.

TwilightWillow

I love Sky. I think it really suits her. I also like Winnie for some reason.

She's beautiful btw! Good luck with her!!

ecaf

Just updating the photo of my little girl - Sky from the weekend.
She didn't want to get up for her picture, she definitely has a really strong personality. And as her mom is the leader of the herd, she too is the leader of the foals. Lovely to see.

Here she is with one of her play mates - she's 3 months, he's 2 months. (sorry about the quality, just out in the field with my phone, so took a quick snap!)

TwilightWillow

Gorgeous! Sky really suits her!