When naming your foals, please do a search first to see if there are similar names. I can/will rename foals if need be, but I’d like not to.
Eventually, I will write elaborate code to check foal names and make sure that they’re not too similar to existing horses, but that hasn’t happened yet (obviously).
I know this is a really old post, but I was wondering. Has that feature been added yet?
No, as the function(s) available to do that don’t really work too well. i.e. it can tell me if there are characters different between 2 names, but it won’t flag Love Dream/Love Dreams (bad) and not flag Love Dream/Love Cream (not as bad).
Oh, okay. Just wondering. I would want to give my foals original names anyway, just for my pride’s sake. 
I’ve found that if you search the full name, then portions of the name (if more than one word), and the name with like, “s” on the back (such as Love Dream/Loves Dream/Love Dreams) to check and see if there are any similarities, and you don’t find any, you are probably safe with that name.
Please keep in mind the guidelines for naming foals.
No stable names/abbreviations in foal names. i.e. Stillwater’s Champion, SF I’m A Champion are not allowed.
No egomania in naming foals after yourself cough Jasameron cough Naming a horse in someone else’s honor (i.e. Sarah’s Joy) is acceptable, but only to a limited extent (i.e. you shouldn’t name an entire foal crop Sarah’s Joy, Sarah’s Pride, Sarah’s Butterfly, Sarah’s Banana Cream Cake, etc.)
No foul language/innuendo in foal names.
As noted above, please search for names similar to your horse’s name before naming your horse.
Please use proper grammar/spelling, if possible. Abbreviations in order to fit the 18 character limit are fine, but otherwise please spell check your names before you submit them. (Also, check capitalization…it should be My Champion, not My champion).
I had been thinking at some point to name a foal Snowbird. Would this be acceptable? My original intent wasn’t for the horse to be after my stable (as I was wanting to do this back when I had Wither Hawk Stables). But if it applies too much to your first guideline then oh well 
Given that you have a stable name of Snowbird, you hardly need a horse named Snowbird as well.
Can a foal that you bought, be renamed? Just curious for future reference.
Horses can be renamed until they are officially racehorses (i.e. 2 years old)
-shrugs- I like the name. But, okay. That’s fine.
Also, I’ve noticed there are a lot of Smylie horses…? Is that allowed?
Well, I’m getting my hand slapped as we speak!!! 
I just think it somewhat odd that a lot of the rules we see above have “just” come into play. I scanned the database for all entries with naming foals in it and couldn’t find a lot said on the subject!!! Just my opinion and I’ll probably have to change!!!
They have not “just” been put into place. Several other stables have been asked to rename their foals for various reasons. It is just that now I realized that I had not explicitly stated the rules anywhere, so I rectified that.
I’m glad for the rules. I wouldn’t want to buy a horse with another stable’s “brand name” splashed all over it. Buying a horse with a bloodline name is fine, I like buying dynasty horses. But I’d pay less for a horse with another stable’s name on it. I mean, I like Shanthi and her horses are nice, but it’d be silly to have “Stillwater Rogue” earning paychecks for Storybook Farms. And I’d never feel like the horse was “mine.”
Yeah, the rules have been in place for a while, and I’ve seen a stable or two have to change their horses’ names because of it. So it’s not just recent and you’re not being singled out Smylie.
Relax people… 
I don’t believe I’m being singled out… 
If I did I would have left a long time ago…
I realize that this game is based on “Thoroughbred” racing and NOT “Harness” racing which is what I’m most familiar with. From that perspective (Harness Racing) there are a number of huge breeders in the business like Hanover, Winbak, Blue Chip and Seelster to name a few and to possess horses from those farms usually infers that the horse has better blood lines (Sire and Dam) and is usually better taken care of than from smaller breeders. These farms run upwards of 200 + yearlings each thru the sales at the end of the year. It is big business and the calling card of many a great horse has those names somewhere in the name. Of course many have bought those yearlings and changed the names and even with the best of breeding you can come up with a dud!!!
Just thoughts from the other side of the fence from an age crazed lunatic!!! LOL
I was browsing around the jockey club site, and re-looked at their naming rules. It turns out that they officially don’t allow foals to be named after people/farms. Here is the complete list of their rules:
[FF stretches this a bit since we have foals named after books/songs/song lyrics, but in general, FF foal naming follows the JC rules.]
Two quick questions, just to be absolutely sure.
Are those the Don’ts?
And can names be in another language? And in “other languages” I mean Spanish or French, considering that those two languages are the most taught in schools and such.
Oh make it three
Are special characters allowed? Like the accents over E’s and under C’s mainly.
Yep, those are the don’ts.
I’m pretty sure other languages are definitely okay–there’s a horse running around here with the name of “Garlic” in Japanese. Just nothing inappropriate in foreign languages.
Not sure about the special characters. They may show up funny in other people’s browsers, but I don’t think there’s any specific rule against special characters.
Oh Ok. Thanks for the clarification Cricket. I’ll just try to stay away from the special Charries… I remember when my computer didn’t show them… I was like “Aww nuts!” 
I’d hate for that to happen to another player.