Chestnut

[griff]

When I was growing up a now "chestnut" horse was called a "sorrel" and a horse with a mixture and black and brown hairs was called a " chestnut"

That made sense back then because a black and brown "roan" was the color of a real chestnut that came from a chestnut tree.

Anyone have any idea how the sorrel color was named chestnut??

griff

[Joie]

I've always been involved in the "english" disciplines, but I've always referred to a chestnut as a chestnut. I never even heard of the term "sorrel" until about 1999, when I started hanging out on horse forums on the internet and boarded at a primarily western barn.

[Linda_d]

Sorrel is primarily a color associated with western riding/stock horses, especially Quarter Horses. A sorrel is a horse with a reddish coat, sometimes with flaxen mane and tail, and no black. "Chestnut" in western riding/stock horses usually is reserved for the darker red horses, what are frequently called "liver chestnuts" in TBs/English disciplines.

I don't think that either sorrels or chestnuts would have black hairs, no matter what.

Here's the Wikipedia article on sorrel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorrel_(horse)

[griff]

So what color is a horse with a mixture of black and brown hairs. the one that is the color of a chestnut from a chestnut tree?

Is that the liver chestnut.

griff

[RiddleMeThis]

I don't think that either sorrels or chestnuts would have black hairs, no matter what.

They may not BE black but they certainly can look black

These are both chestnuts

So what color is a horse with a mixture of black and brown hairs. the one that is the color of a chestnut from a chestnut tree?

Is that the liver chestnut.

Depends on who you ask. To me they are all chestnuts no matter what shade. Someone else may call them all sorrel, or the dark ones sorrel and the lights chestnut or vice versa.

[Linda_d]

I don't think that either sorrels or chestnuts would have black hairs, no matter what.

They may not BE black but they certainly can look black

These are both chestnuts

So what color is a horse with a mixture of black and brown hairs. the one that is the color of a chestnut from a chestnut tree?

Is that the liver chestnut.

Depends on who you ask. To me they are all chestnuts no matter what shade. Someone else may call them all sorrel, or the dark ones sorrel and the lights chestnut or vice versa.

Would that dark, black-looking Morgan (and those that look like they have black mixed with red) be the result of the sooty modifier?

[accphotography]

It might be, but it could just be shade variance too.

[HeadlessHorseman]

I'm from the Western World...and call them Sorrels....I guess we all could call them Redheads

HH

[Truly]

We don't call them sorrel in England.

And in the TB over here we even spell chestnut different..we spell it 'chesnut'.
...so if you ever come across an English Thoroughbred over there..have a look at it's Weatherby's passport and it will say 'Chesnut'...it isn't spelt incorrectly lol

The other breed of horse over here that is spelt 'chesnut' is the Suffolk Punch.

[Linda_d]

We don't call them sorrel in England.

And in the TB over here we even spell chestnut different..we spell it 'chesnut'.
...so if you ever come across an English Thoroughbred over there..have a look at it's Weatherby's passport and it will say 'Chesnut'...it isn't spelt incorrectly lol

The other breed of horse over here that is spelt 'chesnut' is the Suffolk Punch.

You Brits can't even spell your own language!!! J/K