Horse Names - Good, Funny, By Color Names for Horses

By Chris, Five Star Ranch Staff Writer

Horse names reflect how we view our horses. Horse names can tell the world we think our horse is beautiful, a friend, or that we think the horse is wild. We have compiled a long list of names and grouped them into the following categories:

Good Horse Names
Funny Horse Names
Horse Names That Describe Horses Color or Markings

Funny Horse Names

Picture this: your family is on a ranch vacation and your family is being assigned a horse to ride. If you believe that the name of the horse can reflect elements of its personality, pay close attention.

The following is a list of horse names which may indicate a horse you might want to avoid.

• Bucky - While this is a common horse name for a buckskin, you might want to inquire if this name was earned by exhibiting certain undesirable horse gymnastics.
• Widowmaker - Watch for fire coming out of the nose of a horse that has this horse name.
• Goofy, Slacker, or Pokey - Unless you want a horse that is almost asleep you might want to reconsider such a horse
• Joker, Frisky, Frolic, Kryptonite, Tornado, Dynamite, or Cyclone - Hang on if this is the horse you get.


• Jaws, Fang or Muncher - Keep an eye on this one's mouth or request a muzzle
• Shady - hopefully he's not
• Risky, Bolt or Dart - Be prepared for a horse that can move quickly without warning
• Wings or Pegasus - Unless you're into open jumpers, you might proceed with caution on a horse with these names.
• Barnsour - Hmmmm, this one may require a lot of leg or a crop to motivate
• Buzzsaw - The name conjures up worrisome thoughts, so avoid a horse by this name at all costs
• Rodeo - this horse could turn into one if you're not prepared.
• Calamity - A horse with this name may be a disaster waiting to happen. Be careful!
• Whoa or is it Woe - Neither of these names connotes you'll have a good ride. Better to opt for a different horse.
• Tripp - Is this horse named for its mode of traveling or is this a family name?
• Sassy, Fury, Fire, Fireball, FireCracker, Flame, Spitfire, Wildfire, Comet - Expect an unpredictable ride.
• Spook - When I heard the name, I wondered. Then when my boyfriend touched him in the side, he spooked and ran right over the top of me. Go figure.
  (Thanks to reader Terry Eastburn for sending that name in.)
• Houdini - bet this horse can open gates, untie himself and do lots of other escape artist tricks
• Lucky I Ain't Glue - I didn't make this one up. This is the ACTUAL name of a registered Appaloosa owned by reader Kathryn Karcher's daughter. I guess they must call the horse Lucky for short. Thanks to Kathryn for sharing that unfortunate name with us.
• Cactus, Diamondback or Tail Spin - hmmm, A horse with these names could be a sticky character
• Flash, Jet, Rocket, Greased Lightning - while not necessarily a bad horse, but this name makes me think this horse is fast so better hold on.
• Lucifer, Damien, Devil, Demon, Diablo, Pandora - any horse named along these lines sounds like trouble. Proceed with caution.
• Jalapeno, Cayenne, Fuego, Hot Pepper, Tabasco - hopefully a horse with this name is not as hot as his name suggests
• Outlaw, Jessie James, Rambo, Pirate, Bandit, Jack Daniels, Renegade, Maverick, Joker, Mischief, Napoleon - beware of these horses. They may be fine but they likely have their own way of doing things.

  Outfitters be forewarned. The names you give to horses go a long way in how the riders view their horses. Do yourself a favor and select positive names for the horses. The only thing worse than a horse with a bad name is a horse with no name. Hmmm, didn't they write a song about that?

Good Horse Names

Here are a list of horse names that evoke positive feelings.

• Misty - Think Chincoteague island and your childhood. This horse names makes you think of a wonderful pony and happy thoughts.
• Annie, Sue, Betty, Belle, Mindy, Rosie, Missy, Gypsy, Molly, Holly, Candy, or some other girls name. - This makes you think that the horse is like a sister or girl friend.
• Prince, Captain, Duke, King, Scout, Chief, Cowboy, Ranger - Names like this bring to mind a dependable trust-worthy horse
• Angel, Tinkerbell - hopefully a horse like this will live up to her name
• Tejas, Reno, Nevada, Sierra, Dallas, Cheyenne, Montana, Tahoe, Durango, Eldorado, Denver, Yukon, Vegas, Stetson, Geronimo - all of these names bring images of the old West to mind. These are great names for a mustang or a western horse.
• Boston - I know several horses by this name now. It seems to fit horses that carry themselves with a lot of style.
• Brandy - another popular horse name that evokes a positive response for most people.
• Pegasus, Zephyr- Greek horse names
• Bueno - this is the spanish word for fine. It is a popular horse name in the west.
• Bud, Buddy, Amigo, Murphy, Charlie, Waldo, Cisco, Mac, Wilber, Toby, Ed (or Mr Ed), Sherman, Rosco, Chester, Barney, Chico, Festus - all of these names are friendly names and impart positive feelings toward the horse. Horses with these names are good ole' horses.
• Shadowfax - if you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you know this horse was Gandalf's favorite
• Lakota, Choctaw, Apache, Dakota, Cherokee, Cochise, Comanche - Indian names are especially popular with Paint horses
• Flicka, Dreamer - everybody's dream horse
• Beauty, Majestic, Miracle, Magic - these names all describe the positive feelings we have toward our horses
• Traveler, Pilgrim, Gulliver - these names describe horses who are well grounded, calm and take care of their owners
• Sparky - sounds like a great kid's horse name

Horse Names that Describe Horse Color or Distinctive markings

• Black Jack, Black Belle, Black Rose, Panther, Dark Star, Zorro, Blackie, Onyx, Ebony, Midnight, Black Beauty, Shadow, Eclipse, Smoky, Inky, Indigo, Stormy, Raven - These horse name fit a black horse well
• Chocolate Chip - I've seen several paints with this name over the years.
• Dusty, Carmel, Carmen, Toffee, Kahlua - I think of a tan or brown horse when I hear these names
• Blaze, Socks, Spot - these names are self descriptive
• Dapples - if the horse has them, why not?
• Cappuccino, Espresso, Mocha, Coffee, Brownie, Cinnamon - can you say brown horse?
• Blondie, Krugerrand, Nugget, Mellow Yellow, Cloud, or Goldie - Okay, I have a friend who raises palominos and she refers to them as her blondes. So, when I hear these names I think of a palomino horse.
• ButterCup or Buttermilk - popular name for a palomino or buckskin, especially a buttermilk buckskin
• Copper, coppersmith, CopperPenny, Penny, Red Man, Ginger, Rojo, Scarlett, Red Baron, Rusty, Ruby, Nutmeg, Cherry - I envision a dark red sorrel when I hear this name
• Champagne, Sandy, Sandman, Cream, Irish Mist - Perfect names for a light colored horse
• Fancy, Chrome - These are a great horse names for a horse with white socks or flashy markings.
• Silver, Platinum or Sterling - these are great names for a dappled gray horse
• Trigger - this was the name of Roy Roger's horse and has become a popular name for palominos as a result
• Freckles, Spot or Dot - don't know about you, but I hear these names and I think appaloosa

If you know of other favorite horse names, let us know via Feedback. We welcome your input. and we'll add it to our list.