50 Equestrian or Horse Inspired Dog Names

Reviewed By Julie •  Updated: 12/21/20 •  12 min read
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Have you just adopted a new dog or puppy? Then you’re probably looking for a name for them! You’ve come to the right place, as we’ve done some research into some uncommon names that might be a good fit for your dog!

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When it comes to dog names, inspiration can come from many different places. It might be a favorite character from literature, your favorite piece of music, food, place names, and more! If you like horses and all things equestrian, then you might find a great name for your fur baby in this article’s list of dog names! And did you know that horses and dogs can be friends?

So, if you love horses, why not consider a horse or equestrian name for your canine companion? Let’s get to that list of horse names for your dog!

Here are some great male dog names that are related to horses!

1). Colt: this is a young male horse that’s not been gelded.

2). Trigger: this is the name of the famous horse owned by Roy Rogers, who was a famous cowboy actor in many westerns.

3). Chrome: when you’re talking about horses, they don’t actually have chrome on them. And they don’t use Google’s browser that goes by the name “Chrome.” Instead, “chrome” on a horse refers to the many white markings on the horse. This can include their face and legs, and more.

4). Cutter: this is a reference to a type of hunting horse called a “daisy cutter.” These horses tend to drag their feet on the ground a bit, which cuts daisies off at their base. This is a type of trot that uses some knee action.

5). Galloway: is a horse breed that has become extinct.

6). Jumper: this refers to a horse that has been trained to jump over hurdles. If you have dog who loves to jump, this may be a great name for him!

7). Vanner: is a type of strong, powerful horse that used to draw light loads. This name might be the perfect choice for a St. Bernard! These dogs can be trained to draw light loads, too!

8). Pharlap: this is the name of a thorough bred racehorse who dominated Australian racing during the Great Depression. He broke 8 track records! This could be a great name for a dog who loves to run!

9). Arkle: was the name of a great steeplechaser in Ireland.

10). Milton: was a showjumping horse that became the very first horse to win £1 million in prize money! He also had a reputation for rarely touching a rail or refusing to jump a fence.

Here are some dog names inspired by the rodeo!

12). Bronc: this is an untamed horse that bucks when ridden by a cowboy.

13). Buck: this name is inspired by the term “bucking,” which refers to a bronc that’s kicking in rough stock events.

14). Chaps: these are sturdy leather leggings that are worn over pants, which are specifically designed to protect a cowboy’s legs as he rides a horse.

15). Cloverleaf: not only is this a lucky name, but it’s the term used for a pattern that riders use in barrel racing.

16). Spurs: this is the term used for the metallic gear on cowboy boots. These are used to encourage horses to perform or speed up.

17). Muster: this is the Australian term for a roundup!

18). Paint: a type of horse often used at the rodeo.

19). Appaloosa: is another type of horse found at rodeos. You could also shorten this name to “Appy,” which would be really cute!

20). Palomino: is another type of horse used in rodeos.

Equestrian Themed Dog Names

Here are some fun dog names associated with equestrian themes!

13). Canter: this is a type of three-beat gait that’s faster than a trot, but slower than a gallop.

14). Crupper: this is a piece of leather that goes under a horse’s tail, which keeps the saddle from sliding forward.

15). Dapple: this is the name of circular markings that are most often found on gray horses. This would be a cute name for a dog that has freckles or spots!

16). Dun: this is a term for a horse’s coat when it has a yellowish color, and a dorsal stripe running down their back.

17). Farrier: this is the term used for a person who shoes horses.

18). Filly: is the term used for a female horse who is under 4 years of age.

19). Lope: this is the term used for a western-style canter that’s slow.

20). Pinto: is the coat pattern on horses that have large spots of white and black or other color combinations on their bodies.

21). Xenophon: is the name for an ancient Greek who is known as the “Father of Classical Equitation.” He lived from 430 to 335 BC, and he wrote a manual on the care of riding horses. You could shorten this name to “Xeno,” which would be a really cute name for a dog!

Horse Racing Dog Names

Here are some great dog names that have been inspired by racehorses!

22). Adios: was the name of a champion harness racehorse. He was a multiple world champion, who set a record at Shelbyville, Indiana for pacing. The record stood for 43 years!

23). Alydar: was a chestnut horse and an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He’s famous for holding second in all three races of the Triple Crown in 1978. He’s considered the best horse in racing who never won a championship.

24). Archer: was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won the first and second Melbourne Cups in 1861 and 1862. He is one of only three horse to win two successive Cups. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.

25). Cigar: was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was not good at racing on turf tracks; however, when changed over to dirt racing tracks, Cigar came out a winner. He was the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition and win 16 consecutive races since Triple Crown winner Citation did between 1948 and 1950. He was later inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

26). Crisp: was a champion steeplechase horse and was a bay Thoroughbred gelding. He was famous for winning many jumping races. Two of his best races in Australian were the Hiskens Steeplechase in 1969 and 1970. He had an interesting nickname, which was “The Black Kangaroo.”

27). Danehill: was an American bred horse who was trained in Britain as a sprint champion. In fact, he became a champion in both the northern and southern hemisphere.

28). Eclipse: was an 18th century racehorse who won 18 races in 18 starts. He was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. After retirement, he became a very successful sire. In fact, he was so good at siring that his pedigree is found in most modern Thoroughbreds.

29). Frankel: is a British retired Thoroughbred racehorse. He was unbeaten in his 14 racing years and was the highest-rated racehorse in the world (in May 2011). This name could be shortened to “Frank.” What a cute name for a boy dog!

30). Fair Play: was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who had a very successful racing career. He had an even more successful career as a sire. In fact, one of his most famous sires was Man o’ War, who is considered to be one of the greatest American racehorses ever.

31). Flyingbolt: is considered to be the second-best Steeplechaser of all time! He also shared a stable with Arkle, mentioned above.

32). Galileo: is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who in retirement has become a sire. He raced for one year and won six races including: The Derby, Irish Derby Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. This is the also the name of the famous Italian astronomer, engineer and physicist, Galileo Galilei.

33). Hyperion: this racehorse won the Derby and the St. Leger Stakes, and was top sire in the UK for 6 years.

34). Iroquois: was the first American Thoroughbred racehorse to win the Epsom Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse, in Epsom, Surrey, England. After this, he went on to win the ST. Leger Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse. This is also the name of several Native American tribes who spoke the Iroquois language, including the Huron, Cherokee, Cayuga, Mohawk, and others.

35).  Man o’ War: was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was considered one of the greatest racehorses of all times. During his racing career, which was just after WWI, he won 20 of 21 races!

Horse Lover Dog Names

Here are some dog names for those who are horse lovers!

36). Amigo: this is a name that in Spanish means “friend.” This was also the name of the horse owned by Texas Ranger Cordell Walker (played by Chuck Norris) in the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger.

37). Ajax: this is the name of a horse who had 18 consecutive wins! It’s also a Greek name, which means “of the earth.”

38). Ginger: was the chestnut mare who was the companion of Black Beauty at Birtwick Park. She also appears in the novel by author Anna Sewel., and the 1946 & 1994 movies Black Beauty.

39). Gypsy: this is a horse’s name that comes from a series of novels about a horse with this name. In the story, the girl who owned Gypsy and the horse were both recovering from trauma. The stories are inspirational and might be a great name for a dog who comes from a shelter.

40). Maximus: is the name of the horse who was in the movie Tangled. He was a white palace horse who belonged to Corona’s Royal Guard. This horse was known for being stubborn, determined and fearless.

41). Cowboy: this is the name of a man who works to herd and tend cattle, and works predominately on the back of a horse.

42). Barley: this is a type of feed that horses eat. Did you know that some horses don’t like this grain? Because of this, the horse owners sometimes cook the barley and add molasses to it. Then the horses will eat it. Sounds very similar to some dogs!

43). Blazer: this is a type of horse that was developed in the northwestern part of the US. They were most often used to ranch work and are known for being versatile at horse sports. They also have gentle, intelligent dispositions.

44). Mr. Ed: this was the name of the talking horse on the American TV show of the same name.

45). Big Brown: is the name of a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the Kentucky Derby in 2008, and the Preakness of the same year. He was named champion three-year-old colt of 2008.

46). Apollo: was the name of an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was famous for winning the Kentucky Derby of 1882. He won 21 times at the age of three years, and 30 times when he reached the age of 4. He won a total of 24 races!

47). Flicka: was the name of a purebred Arabian Mare that starred in the TV Series My Friend Flicka. This was the very first TV series that was filed in color!

48). Hidalgo: this was the name of the movie based on the life of Frank Hopkins, who was a long-distance rider. In 1891 he took his horse to Arabia to race against the Bedouins who rose purebred Arabian horse. Hidalgo won that race and if you’d like to watch a great movie, be sure to check it out!

49). Khan: is the name of the horse in Mulan, a Disney animated film that came out in 1993. He aids Fa Mulan in the war against the Huns.

50). Pegasus: is the name of the great winged horse in Greek mythology, who was involved in many adventures. He was said to be goodhearted and gentle, and he was faithful in his service to Zeus.

There you have it! A list of dog names inspired by everything to do with horses! We hope you’ve enjoyed the article and that you’ve found a great horse name for your canine companion!

Dogs & Horses Share Some Similarities

Scientists have found that dogs and horses, while different species, do share some commonalities. For this reason, dogs and horses can be friends! What makes them so compatible?

For one thing, scientists have found that dogs and horse can recognize facial expressions on other animals. That’s extraordinary! So, the dog and horse can read one another pretty well. Not only do their instincts work to interpret signs of danger or friendliness, but a dog and horse can read one another’s expressions! They even sometimes mimic one another’s expressions. This means they can readily communicate their intentions, making them able to become friends.

Another thing dogs and horses have in common is the love of running. Not all dogs like to run or should run, depending on their health and age; however, many dogs love to run and can keep up with a horse. Both horses and dogs are athletic, making them a great pair when it comes to enjoying companionship with one another.

In addition, both horses and dogs are highly intelligent. Not only can they both recognize facial expressions, but they can also recognize emotions. In one study, horses were able to even distinguish emotions just from looking at pictures! Dogs and horses can also recognize their pet parents by their smell, which is important to bonding with their humans.

Dogs and horse are also great with learning commands and cues. If you’re the pet parent of a dog, then you know how trainable (most) dogs are. Horses are the same. They can be taught commands such as “canter” and signals such as “brrr.” Horses have a pretty good memory, too, just like dogs.

And just like dogs, horses respond well to positive reinforcement training methods and treats as rewards! Give that horse a carrot, and he’ll remember and perform well!

As you can see, a dog and a horse can be the best of friends, though they’re entirely different species, they do share quite a few similarities with one another!

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Julie

Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where she studied Animal science. Though contrary to the opinion of her parents she was meant to study pharmacy, but she was in love with animals especially cats. Julie currently works in an animal research institute (NGO) in California and loves spending quality time with her little cat. She has the passion for making research about animals, how they survive, their way of life among others and publishes it. Julie is also happily married with two kids.

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