What's in a Name?

Yesterday my trail riding buddy Natalie and I hauled our horses to nearby Irvine Park. It was a perfect day for riding: mild temperatures but with a cool breeze. Overhead, the sky was pristine blue and polka-dotted with white clouds. While we were tacking up, Wally was being... Wally. I don't find his behavior the least bit annoying. Comparatively speaking, Wally has come a long way since I bought him. But I guess in comparison to Natalie's sedate grulla gelding, he was a little antsy pantsy. Plus he insisted on holding something in his mouth-- lead rope, reins, my shirt sleeve-- until I could get the bridle on his head.

"I don't think I could put up with his obnoxiousness," was what I believe Natalie said at the time.

And yet Natalie is the one who began referring to my horse as "Wallydoodle." I think that's a rather endearing nickname. So she really does like him. I think.

If only she knew what I sometimes call Wally. When he's pushed himself a little too far into my space, or reverted back to his previous behaviors, I refer to him by some nicknames that probably shouldn't be printed here. The mildest of which is "Hoghead," a nickname I borrowed from a gal who used to groom for Sue years ago. She came from a western show barn where apparently the go-to nickname for any beastie that was being a pain in the backside was "Hoghead."

If you'd like to reveal your horse's nickname, you can click on this link:
Every Horse Has an Alias to go directly to this month's edition of HI Spy on Horse Channel. Leave your comments there and read what others have already written. Who knows. There may be other Hogheads among us!