Good Popular Horse Names for Western horse, Black Horse, Palomino, Buckskin and Funny Names for Horses

The Ultimate Good Horse Name List

By Chris Churchill, Five Star Ranch Staff Writer

Good 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 popular names and grouped them into the following categories:

Bad/Funny Horse Names
Good 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.
  • Loco, 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 or Bronco – a horse by this name could turn into one if you’re not prepared.
  • Calamity or Tornado – 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, Boomer – 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, Bella, 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, Baron – 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
  • Here are some great Western horse names: Latigo, 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 or Snickers – sounds like a great kid’s horse name

Horse Names that Describe Horse Color or Distinctive markings

Dark Black Horse Names

  • 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

Brown or Red Horse Names

  • Cappuccino, Espresso, Mocha, Coffee, Brownie, Cinnamon
  • 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

Palomino Horse Names

  • 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.
  • Trigger – this was the name of Roy Roger’s horse and has become a popular name for palominos as a result
  • Dusty, Carmel, Carmen, Toffee, Kahlua – I think of a tan or brown horse when I hear these names
  • Champagne, Sandy, Sandman, Cream, Irish Mist – Perfect names for a light colored horse

Buckskin Horse Names

  • Buck, Bucky, ButterCup or Buttermilk – popular names for a buckskin horse

Horse Names for Markings

  • Fancy, Chrome, Blaze, Socks – 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
  • Freckles, Spot or Dot – don’t know about you, but I hear these names and I think appaloosa
  • Chocolate Chip – I’ve seen several paints with this name over the years.
  • Dapples – if the horse has them, why not?

Farm or Draft Horse Names – names for BIG horses

  • Bessie
  • Epona
  • Duke
  • Big Ben
  • Thor
  • Goliath
  • Tank
  • Chisam
  • Rocky
  • Gus

Movie, Ranch or Famous Western Horse Names

  • Silver – The Lone Ranger’s horse
  • Comanche – 7th Cavalry Survivor of the battle of Little Big Horn where Gen Custer died. Comanche was a mustang and lived until the age of 29.
  • Traveller – General Lee’s famous horse
  • Citation – Famous 1948 Triple Crown Winner
  • Thunder – Red Ryders horse
  • Tony – Tom Mix’s horse
  • Trigger – Roy Rogers horse
  • Buttermilk – Dale Evans horse
  • Hidalgo – mustang endurance horse made famous in the movie
  • Champion – Gene Autry’s horse
  • Scout – Tonto’s horse
  • Dollor – the sorrel horse John Wayne rode in many of his movies
  • Othello – the beautiful black friesian stallion in the movie LadyHawke movie
  • Durango
  • Sundance
  • Buck – Matt Dillon’s horse in Gunsmoke

Didn’t find a name you liked? Here are other places to find the perfect horse name: