What's in a Name?
Performance horse and pony owners have always put in a lot of time and effort into their breeding programmes. They ‘sign off’ the end result by giving the horse a name, complete with a stud prefix which identifies that horse as being bred by them.
Breeders take pride in their stud prefix. If the horse is eventually sold to a performance home, the breeder often takes great pleasure in following their career.
However, if the horses name is changed, how do they follow that career or how do subsequent owners find out where that horse originated from? Why did they put so much effort into producing that horse only to have its identity disappear?
Very few breed organisations allow a name to be changed once that horse has been registered. You can just imagine what havoc it would cause in stud books!
Equestrian Australia does allow name changes and for horses to be registered with an entirely different name to what is listed on the horses other registration papers.
We certainly realise that EA does not have the resources to check with every single breed group and performance registry to see if the horse is registered elsewhere. Although all breed papers are supposed to be included with an EA horse registration application, a different name can still be ascribed to the horse.
Even if EA decreed that the name on the accompanying registration certificates must remain, there is nothing to stop a new owner claiming the papers are ‘lost’ and therefore they have no history on the horse, so they can then call it what they want.
For breeders with registered stud prefixes who wish to preserve the name they have given to a horse/pony that they have legitimately bred, it will involve an added cost as those that are not members of EA will be required to join EA and pay membership and registration fees. However, this is a cost that many will be prepared to bare in order to retain the identity of the animal that they bred.
If you are in favour of allowing no name change to EA registered horses and ponies, Lobby Equestrian Australia!
Write to or email EA requesting a rule change stating that once a horse or pony is registered with EA, it’s name cannot be changed, ever!
or, complete our questionnaire below - results will be forwarded to EA.
Contact details are :
Equestrian Australia
Chief Executive Officer
Franz Venhaus,
PO Box 673
SYDNEY MARKETS NSW 2129
