My Appaloosa mare has an awful registered name - "Iza Barhopper Too" - her barn name when I got her was "Hayley". I really had the feeling I needed to change her barn name, but really didn't give it too much thought and eventually got used to calling her Hayley.
Then we had a friend who's an animal communicator out... I took her to a couple of barns to talk with a bunch of horses, and we ended up at my place. I had her talk to my appy mare since she was still new, and we'd had some feet issues while correcting her angles, etc. One of the first things she said was that she wanted a new barn name, "because Hayley is a BABY name and I'm growing up now!"
I searched my heart, mind and the web for days... nothing fit, although I did somehow feel that a "place" name might work best. At last I remembered my visit to Sedona, Arizona. My mare's coloring looks like snow on the red rocks of Sedona! ANd it's such a grounded, energy-rich place and I thought aha! Perhaps that's it!
I was still calling her Hayley though, not sure that Sedona was the right fit that SHE would like. After about 3 days I called her over to a feeder in the pasture like I always did, and she wouldn't move or even LOOK at me. She stood there watching the other horses eat! I was calling "Hayley! Hayley!" finally I said "oops.... Sedona!" and she immediately turned and came to the feeder!
I still slip, but I can literally feel her energy change if I call her Hayley instead of Sedona! Not only that - but visitors and friends notice it too!
So - go with your gut - and listen to what you "get" - we can ALL "talk" to them, and if we LISTEN, we can all hear them too!