my stallion sorrel or chestnut

[Relic]

He was registered as a sorrel pinto when born but l've been told by some thats wrong he's a chestnut not sorrel l'm putting him into the R shortly and would like to know the correct color to put down for him...

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Truthfully, there's no difference between the two

 

[Minimor]

Really, there is no difference between the colors sorrel and chestnut. It's often a breed thing, or a discipline thing....QH owners and western type horse owners tend to use sorrel, owners of--for instance--Morgans, almost always use chestnut.

I have 3 horses much the same color as yours and I registered all as chestnut. The last one, an '07 foal that of course needed photos on his AMHR papers, I half expected to have the registry people change his color to sorrel, but they didn't they left him as chestnut, just like I wrote down. (I don't "do" sorrel--they are all chestnuts!)

 

[Tapestry Minis]

Love this site for all color references.

Equine Color

 

[Relic]

Thankyou l didn't know that...don't know why some people are so sticky on those two colors.

 

[funnyfarmnorth]

Today in many breeds the terms are interchanged. Sorrel used to mean shades of red body with mane and tail lighter colored than the body. Chestnut was also a red body but the mane and tail were the same color as the body.

 

[Matt73]

Sorrel and chestnut are the same thing. "Sorrel" is used in Western circles, whereas "Chestnut" is used in more English circles -you won't hear an English trained rider refer to a chestnut as a sorrel...and vice versa -you won't hear a lot of Western riders refer to sorrel as chestnut-.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Sorrel and chestnut are the same thing genetically but around here people call the redder body colours sorrel and the darker browner reds are called chestnut. I think that which term is used is sometimes a locality thing too. BTW doesn't matter what colour you say he is he is quite lovely .

 

[TripleDstables]

I'm a western person... and I hate the sound of "chestnut" I love to call 'em sorrels.

Everyone in my area seems to think theres a huge difference between the two, it drives me nuts!

 

[joylee123]

Today in many breeds the terms are interchanged. Sorrel used to mean shades of red body with mane and tail lighter colored than the body. Chestnut was also a red body but the mane and tail were the same color as the body.

That is how I was taught as well, years ago by an old (93year old) Calvary soldier who owned and taught at a large academy in Michigan!

Sorrel - Red with lighter mane and tail than body

Chestnut - Red with mane and tail same color red as body

So My 2 cents worth... he is Sorrel :0)

Joy

 

[chandab]

Today in many breeds the terms are interchanged. Sorrel used to mean shades of red body with mane and tail lighter colored than the body. Chestnut was also a red body but the mane and tail were the same color as the body.

Sorrel - Red with lighter mane and tail than body

Chestnut - Red with mane and tail same color red as body

So My 2 cents worth... he is Sorrel :0)

Joy

That's pretty much how I learned the "difference". I used to own a Chestnut AQHA mare and her son is a sorrel. The mare was rather dark with dark mane and tail; he's somewhat pale with nearly flaxen mane and tail.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I grew up with Arabs so always called it "chestnut" or a "flaxen chestnut" if the horse had a lighter mane and tail, but somehow with Kody "sorrel" just seemed to fit better.

I use it more as a shorthand description for his phenotypical color than to indicate his genetics. If I'm talking formal color I would call him a chestnut.

Leia