The best horse names are cute, and fit both you and your new companion well. Today we share dozens of ideas that are simple to pronounce, easy for your horse to learn and recognize, and that make a statement about their personality or characteristics. Your horse might well have a formal name when they arrive, after all most of us aren’t lucky enough to name a newborn foal. But it’s totally fine to make a nickname for your new friend that defines their fresh start in your family. Whether you are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a gelding, mare or even stallion, these themed equine names lists will have you covered. Classic horse names work well, but there is no reason not to go a bit more modern, following your favorite trend or something from pop culture. Whether you are a jokey naming your badass racehorse, or you are a bringing home an affectionate family riding pet pony, these horse names will get you both off on the right track.
Contents
- Best horse names
- Female horse names
- Male horse names
- Cool names for horses
- Cute horse names
- Funny names for horses
Names are important, and we’re well past the days every horse is called Beauty, Star, Barney or Murphy. Horses aren’t just pets, they are true companions and friends. A horse’s name can be inspired by their traits, like their color or personality. But they can also reflect something special to you, your kids, family or lifestyle. Today we’ll share some great horse names that will suit your pet horse perfectly. Horses are known for being fascinating and flamboyant, which can make choosing a new one from scratch intimidating. But luckily, we’ve got plenty of inspiration for you!
Best Horse Names
Here are the top horse names of the year!
- Col. Hogan
- Secretariat
- Code of Honor
- Unbridled
- Tucker
- American Eagle
- Backstreet Boy
- Faraway Kingdom
- California
- Badger
- Thirty-Six Red
- Kentucky
- Ryder
- Santana
- Die Hard
- Irish Wristwatch
- Macbeth
- Haikal
- Sir Barton
- Joe Cotton
- Above and Beyond
- Black Beauty
- Saint
- Artax
- Falcon
- Battlecry
- William
- Burgoo King
- Keno
- Gallant Fox
- Warrior
- Kelly Cann
- Seabiscuit
- Orb
- Alysheba
- Baby Doll
- Fearless
- Magician
- Danzig
- Flicka
- Valentine
- American Pharoah
- Preakness
- Affirmed
- Johnstown
- Fame & Fortune
- Kodak
- Kirby
- Fancy Pants
- Tacitus
Choosing Horse Names
Did you know that naming a pet plays a massive role in the bonding process? It helps us connect with our new animal and renders a sense of responsibility and pride. But naming your steed does more than help you to fall in love with them. It also opens a gateway of communication and may even be the first word your horse begins to understand and associate with something positive.
Girl Horse Names
Is your horse a lovely lady? Prim and proper and oh-so-feminine horses should have a pretty lady name, right? But what if you don’t care if he is a he or she is a she? What if you just like the horse names below? There are no rules when it comes to naming your horse, so if you like one of these sassy female horse names below, it’s yours!
- Dreamer
- Molly
- Annabell
- Bella
- Paige
- Millie
- Bonnie
- Mildred
- Henna
- Liza
- Lucy
- Addison
- Bindy
- Lucille
- Kat
- Piper
- Georgie
- Rosanna
- Monroe
- Mable
- Rose
- Alice
- Sienna
- Shiloh
- Mitzi
- Lady
- Grace
- Daisy
- Madison
- Sidney
- Annie
- Ruby
- Minty
- Henrietta
- Cowgirl
- Bailey
- Lyla
- Mary
- Sage
- Apple
- Lily
- Ginny
- Phillis
- Olivia
- Jenny
- Harper
- Poppy
- Angie
- Tory
- Trixy
Boy Horse Names
This list is for those of you who have a male horse joining the family. Of course, it is also for those who have a female horse and don’t care about their name. If you want a manly man horse name or a masculine sounding name for your female horse, this is the list for you!
- Hampton
- Jasper
- Rocco
- Black Jack
- Cowboy
- Geronimo
- Leon
- Boomer
- Phillip
- Buddy
- Harvey
- Prince
- Jackson
- Hedwig
- Rich
- Cyrus
- Walker
- Niall
- Dustin
- Hudson
- Sprinter
- Buzz
- Fizz
- Samson
- Big Boy
- Dexter
- Chester
- Buster
- Rufus
- Freddy
- Linus
- Carlton
- Conrad
- Buster
- Stanley
- Miles
- Earnest
- Jepson
- Lexus
- Milo
- Henry
- Thomas
- Monte
- Carter
- Rex
- Rio
- Amelio
- Vincent
- Bruno
- Tigger
Cool Horse Names
What is it about horses that make them so awesome? We think we know. Horses gush confidence, magic, and heroism. They are wild and domestic all at once and coexist with us seamlessly. From the Wild West to the English countryside, horses have found a home in the hearts of millions. So, don’t these badass animals deserve some great horse names to choose from? We think they do!
- Ryder
- Lights
- Ghost
- Chance
- Harley
- Nexus
- Rain
- Bentley
- Lex
- Maximus
- Cherokee
- Rocket
- Kingston
- Romeo
- Lux
- Wilder
- Elvis
- Marley
- Echo
- Whiskey
- Luna
- Feather
- Angler
- River
- Rerun
- Navajo
- Crush
- Apollo
- Hendrix
- Juliet
- Presley
- Silver
- Vincenzo
- Spirit
- Cruz
- Diesel
- Piper
- Jagger
- Axl
- Lennox
Cute Names for Horses
Yes, horses are totally cool, but they are also insanely cute. Are you into braiding your horse’s mane and tail? Do you buy the cutest saddles, brushes and other accessories to ensure your horse is the cutest in the land? If so, then you are going to adore this adorable list! Read on for forty of the cutest options in existence.
- Clover
- Pebbles
- Remi
- Pokey
- Piper
- Lucky
- Dragonfly
- Brownie
- Butterscotch
- Abby
- Blue
- Remmi
- Skydancer
- Fox
- Waffles
- Butterfly
- Dove
- Dream
- Rover
- Snicker Doodle
- Aspen
- Filly
- Puppy
- Marshmallow
- Blossom
- Queenie
- Wildflower
- Horsey
- Cub
- Baby
- Hiccup
- Cutie Pie
- Max
- Cupcake
- Skittles
- Teacup
- Button
- Unicorn
- Ladybug
- Lovey
Funny Horse Names
It’s no secret that horses are full of personality! As any horse parent will tell you, no two horses are exactly alike. Some horses are serious, others are stubborn, some are sweet and others are silly. These 40 hilarious choicess had us laughing and hopefully will put a big grin on your face too.
- Twenty Grand
- Bandito
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Outtatime
- Mr. Ed
- Gomer
- Bucktooth
- Slow Poke
- Overbite
- Meatloaf
- Foalovit
- Wotsit
- Donkey
- Horsepower
- Horsetooth
- Nipper
- Lostma Cowboy
- Rusty Saddle
- Clodhopper
- Smarty Pants
- Lostma Cowgirl
- First Rodeo
- Rainbow Unicorn
- Hoarse
- What The Buck
- General Tso
- Pony Ride
- Horsey McHorseFace
- Hoofer
- Longface
- Ze Brah
- Broomstick
- Carrots
- Moose
- Mare N’ Go
- Frankiensteed
- Klip Klop
- Hall n’ Oats
- Lollygagger
- Peggy Sue’s
Unique Horse Names
As we mentioned above, it’s pretty obvious once you’ve been around a horse or two that they are unique and intelligent beings. These majestic creatures stand in a league all their own. So, if you want to make sure your unique horse has a unique name to match, keep reading for 40 the most unique choices available.
- Emerald
- Sun Dance
- Colorado
- Morning Glory
- Bronco
- Wishful
- duch*ess
- Winter
- Wild West
- Mystery
- Snow
- Texas Rose
- Saragon
- Lyric
- Patch
- Gypsy
- Skyfire
- Smokey
- Moonlight
- Torpedo
- Moonie
- Destiny
- Pepper
- Dakota
- Spitfire
- Half Pence
- Denver
- Serene
- Whisper
- Squittles
- Secret
- Willow
- Storm
- Midnight
- Alaska
- Starlight
- Wildfire
- Rocky
- Twobitz
- Dusty Dawn
Tough Names for Your Horse
If your horse is a tough cookie, he or she probably deserves a tough name. We bet your tough horse would love one of these names below. Do any of these choices seem like the right fit for your tough guy or gal?
- Ransom
- Gunpowder
- Nightmare
- Avalanche
- Trigger
- Fuego
- Kryptonite
- Viking
- Hunter
- Dynamite
- Gandalf
- Thor
- Arrow
- Lancelot
- Houdini
- Xena
- Bullet
- Conquest
- Assault
- Queen
- Gunner
- Ninja
- Merlin
- Rambo
- Quicksand
- Champion
- Blizzard
- Hercules
- Tornado
- Excalibur
- Tank
- Zorro
- Diablo
- Phoenix
- Volcano
- Phantom
- Dragon
- Flame
- Lightning
- Highlander
Fun Facts About Horses
Horses are incredibly intelligent and work best with owners who use positive reinforcement methods during training. Knowing this can play a large role in how you go about teaching your horse his name.
Many experts recommend a calm, repetitive approach. Using incentives and goodies like carrots or apples can help your horse recognize that the sound of his name means something great is coming. With that in mind and with a better idea of how intelligent your horse is, let’s talk about some of the best horse names out there!
Know Your Horse!
Humans and horses have coexisted for quite some time now, but we humans are still learning more and more about our beautiful horsey companions each and every day. Furthermore, recent studies have found that horses are impressively observant. They have excellent facial recognition skills. Horses are able to remember someone for months, even if they have only met them once or twice.
Similarly, horses have great hearing and memory. They log familiar voices and will look towards the sound of their owners voice actively while ignoring the voices of strangers. And, perhaps most amazing of all, scientists were able to prove that horses can use symbols to communicate with humans. Wow!
Did you have any idea your horse was so brainy? We have a whole new respect for these incredible creatures. What do you think? Share your thoughts with us below!
More Pet Names
If you’re still not happy with any of the names that we’ve listed here, we’ve got even more great ideas in our guide to Pony names! And you can take inspiration from your horse’s color with somegrey horse name ideas! And perhaps you have some other pets in need of great names? Take a look at some of our other best naming articles here:
- Goldfish Names
- Bearded Dragon Names
- Snake Names
- Cute Cat Names
References
- Monamie Ringhofer, Shinya Yamamoto, Domestic Horses Send Signals to Humans When They Face With an Unsolvable Task, Animal Cognition.
- Cecilie M. Mejdell, Turid Buvik, Grete H.M. Jorgensen, Knut E. Boe, Horses Can Learn to Use Symbols to Communicate Their Preferences, Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
- Evelyn B. Hanggi, MS, PhD, The Thinking Horse: Cognition and Perception Reviewed, Equine Research: Behavior.
- Antonia J.Z. Henderson, Ph.D., Equine Psychologist, Equine Cognition, How Intelligent are Horses?
