# Is my mare a Liver Chestnut or not?



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Howdy and welcome to the forum .

First off, you've got one gorgeous girl there, very thick and sturdy looking.

As for her color, that's all really a matter of preference and how many different shades you want to recognize LOL.

Regardless, she is a red horse (genetically e/e) so either sorrel or chestnut is technically correct as they are both terms for a red horse.

As far as shade, I would call her a dark chestnut. When I think of liver chestnuts, I think of horses so dark they are almost black, like this guy and anything darker.









However, this is all a matter of preference. To some folks, your horse would be a liver chestnut but to me, she's just not quite dark enough.

It doesn't really matter though, you can call that gorgeous girl whatever color you want :wink:.


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## Taner123113 (Jan 14, 2014)

Thank you she is built like a bull dog lol! and Thank You that makes sense!


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Sorrel Paint would mean that she's red-based (which she definitely is) and registered with the American Paint Horse Association (which hopefully you'd have the papers if she is). Since she doesn't have any loud white patterns, she's registered as a Solid Paint-Bred (if she is indeed registered), so she's still part of the Paint breed, but doesn't have the loud pinto patterning that Paints are usually known for.

Chestnut & sorrel are both terms used to describe red-based horses, and which you use depends a lot on your geography and the types of horses you're usually around. For those that use both (for example, I know the American Quarter Horse Association uses both in their registry, not sure about APHA off hand), sorrel is usually a brighter, coppery red, while chestnut is usually a bit darker. The exact shade at which a horse changes from sorrel to chestnut is a subject of debate  I usually use chestnut for all red-based horses (since I ride English and am not in the stock horse circle)

I wouldn't call your horse liver. Like smrobs, I tend to think of liver as a much darker shade of chestnut. I'd call your horse a flaxen chestnut (flaxen indicating that the mane & tail are a lighter shade than the body)


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## Taner123113 (Jan 14, 2014)

No my mare is not registered:/. I have noticed where she has lightened or turned a more red now that it is winter, where as in the fall (in the pics) she was darker so I am wondering if she will be much darker in the summer?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

She'll probably be at her darkest in the spring, when she first sheds her winter coat, then she may lighten up some as summer progresses and she gets a little sunbleached.


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## Taner123113 (Jan 14, 2014)

Okay thank you


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

I agree with Smrobs, as she looks more like a dark chestnut in the photo. A liver chestnut is much darker. My Morgan, Sugar, is a liver chestnut, and before getting her, I'd frankly never seen one before. If you have a few more photos of your mare in different seasons, that may determine things differently! She's quite a beauty, btw


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## Taner123113 (Jan 14, 2014)

Okay, I have not had her long so I am excited to see her in other seasons and Thank You very much!!


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