What's in a Name?

I haven't been out to see "Nawlers" since Tuesday. She probably hates me and will demand carrots when I get there. Nah, she has the good life, but will still demand food.

She's so funny. My friend and I like discussing our horses personalities. My friend's horse, Ophelia is the sweetest thing and if she could crawl up into your lap she would. That's a bit difficult for a 16.1 TB to do, but she'd try. I was in Denmark when my friend started to lease "Ophie" and I still remember her writing me to tell me what she was going to do. I thought she was nuts. All I could imagine was the TB who didn't really have an owner and spent most of her time in her stall at our old barn. When anyone would take her out she was a scardy cat and you couldn't do much with her other than try to get her to walk next to you on the ground, so other people told me. Ophie was bought at the auction for $200 (I'll give you two guesses what the woman who sold her looked like....GRRR!!!) No one did anything with her, and when my friend started working with her she started to become a different horse. Long story short, I'm convinced that my friend saved Ophelia's life. She officially bought her in January when she was finally put of for sale. They are doing so well, and Ophelia (don't tell Denali) is so delicate and beautiful. Denali is beautiful, but in a beach volleyball player/Venus Williams sort of way. She's big and bulky. Ophie is like a little ballerina.

Anyway. The point! (Yes, I have a point.) Denali came to me without a name. The lady (aka, Jockey's wife who sold Denali and Ophie) told me, "I think her name was Stormy or something like that." Well, she was too sweet to be a Stormy (or so I thought.) I named her Lillian at the auction. She finally got her real name after about two weeks of being called "The horse formerly known as Lilly."

Here's how the naming went:
1. Lillian (that doesn't work as a name when you spend all your time running like a mad man and bucking all over.)
2. Turnip
3. Beet (yes, I was serious, Ophie's mom said "hell no")
4. Devil (the only fitting one)
5. Cat food ( I was pissed at her)
6. Glue (I was really pissed at her)
7. Your Mom (Because I thought it would be a hilarious show name, "now entering the arena on Your Mom...." then I realized that would be ridiculous...I'm an adult, and should be more mature...Althought the temptation at a schooling show might be too great)
8. McKinley (Which is what I was going to call her... I wanted to name her after something that was large and powerful)
9. Denali (Ophie's mom reminded me of the other name for McKinley, it means "The Great One")

I'm glad I picked Denali, aside from everyone assumes she's a he. Denali gets mad at them, but then they give her treats and she could care less. Lol. It wasn't much longer after I named her that I got her papers from her trainer and learned that her registared name was "Storm City Slew." That's where the "Stormy" came from, but she already had a name I liked.

I'll have to tell her she has people who read my online nonsense. (I just can't let her know that she has pictures posted, she'll be pissed, she knows my photography skills suck.) She'll just add you to her list of people she "owns."

We joke that I don't own Denali, she owns me. She just figures anyone who looks at her she owns. Ophie is her personal assistant, so technically she owns Ophie and her mom, or at least she thinks so!!

Anyway...I always wonder what people are thinking when they name their horse? Do they name them based on their personality? Their color?