# Chestnut vs Sorrel



## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

Hullo people! Every now and then I hear people talking bout about sorrel horses, what is the difference between that and a chestnut? Ive heard people call mh horse (I call him a chestnut) a sorrel. I’ve never understood the difference. Can you guys explain it for me? Thanks


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

They are genetically the same thing. Its regional and discipline specific as to what it's called. Usually a western vs English thing.


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## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

Oh ok thanks


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

While genetically the same registrations like AQHA and APHA have both color choices. Sorrel is more on orangish red and chestnut looks more brownish red. 

The mare looking at the camera was registered sorrel and you can see the chestnut gelding in the background. Second picture is a closer up of him on the right with the blaze face.


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## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

Huh, interesting 🤔 what would you consider Jake?







He’s never had a full coat since I’ve owned him but if he did he’d probably look brighter because you can see his dark skin showing through


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

It depends on your country as well. We never use 'sorrel' to describe chestnuts. My old gelding would've been described as sorrel in America as he was bright red with a hint of orange around his flanks. To us he was a red chestnut, and two of his neighbours in the yard were chestnut, around the colour of your horse, and liver chestnut.


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## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

Ok thanks


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Cute horse AJ....
Bet he changes color shade with a summer or winter coat too....

Just as peoples hair has different shades, so do our animals.
Blonde, brunette, red-head...humans have many shades and depth of color included in a category name.

I too was taught sorrel was the western name for a chestnut horse the English riders would call it.
Then you could have more defining terms such as the red, brown, liver....
They do the same with bays, palomino, gray, black,....all colors.
Then you can unearth a ton more if you start with paint horses....
My own paint horse has 4 additional names attached to his coloring think it is now... he's a paint to me,_ brown and white._ 
🐴...


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

As said genetically they are the same. Shades and terms to describe those shades are different depending on your location and discipline. Red is red. You can have red so dark they appear black or light enough and perhaps like some breeds so light red they appear palomino but are not. And then there is everything in between some more brown toned and some more bright copper toned.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

It even depends the region one is from and has nothing to do with western or english, lollol I was raised in NE Ohio, more in Quarter Horse country than anything else, but my grandfather was a stickler about getting color correct when describing a horse. His color notions were the same as the QH folks in my area.

Jake looks like a faded liver chestnut.

Second, Ditto @JCnGrace that Sorrel it more of an orangeish-red, while red chestnut is just that - RED. 

Where I come from, if the color is in question, then the mane gets looked at. Sorrel's tend to have a flaxen mane and tail, while red chestnuts have a mane color to match their coat.

My avatar is one of each, lol. The solid red chestnut is on the left. The sorrel with the flaxen mane is on the right and he is more on the orange side of the color spectrum.

I'm on the wrong device to find a foto of Joker the solid red chestnut, I'll have to do that later if it matters

This is my beloved TWH Duke (RIP). He was registered as a liver chestnut by TWHBEA.









This is TWH Rusty (also on the right in my avatar. He is registered as a Sorrel by TWHBEA.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Ok, this is my solid red chestnut, who is on the left side of my avatar. His mane is a lighter than it used to be. I being 25 and being on Prascend for Cushings has had a hand in that.









And then, where I am from, there is the color that is called blood bay.
My little Arab/Morgan (RIP Fury) on the left was considered a blood bay. 

The horse on the right (RIP Sonny) was a sorrel with the flaxen mane & tail.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Yet from that picture genetically that little Arab/Morgan would be sooty red (sorrel, chestnut). Blood bay would be that shade for the body color you show and black points. 

Goes to show how we all have color descriptors that reflect different breeds, regions we are from and what we do with our horses. Many not based on actual genetics.


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## AbbySmith (Nov 15, 2020)

Yeah they're basically the same thing.
Chestnut is usually English, while Sorrel is Western.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

QtrBel said:


> Yet from that picture genetically that little Arab/Morgan would be sooty red (sorrel, chestnut). Blood bay would be that shade for the body color you show and black points.
> 
> Goes to show how we all have color descriptors that reflect different breeds, regions we are from and what we do with our horses. Many not based on actual genetics.


The foto was around 1985. I never heard the term “sooty” until I joined forums after 2000. I see why you say that

OT for a moment, he was 25 and the Arab/Saddlebred was 27 in that picture. We were on an all weekend, organized memorial ride for cancer. They covered about 30 rough miles, along the Shenango River over the weekend. They lived on about 30 acres of western PA hills and were a pretty tough pair. 

The Arab/Morgan was 17 when I bought him and 27 when I laid him to rest. The Arab/Saddlebred was born on my parents farm; he moved pastures a lot in 29 years but he never left me. They were the first two horses I had to lay to rest and it took me over a year to recover enough to think about buying another horse.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I original thought it was a western vs english thing but then I was taught the red with the darker mane was sorrel and the lighter color iwht the lighter mane was the chestnut. I'm seeing people that have differing opinions so I think it's still preference.


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## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

horselovinguy said:


> Cute horse AJ....
> Bet he changes color shade with a summer or winter coat too....
> 
> Just as peoples hair has different shades, so do our animals.
> ...


His coat stays the same all year round as our winters here are quite mild


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

farmpony84 said:


> I was taught the red with the darker mane was sorrel and the lighter color iwht the lighter mane was the chestnut.


I was taught the exact opposite. That is why I make it easy on myself and just call the horse red!!


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## Jessie33 (Feb 15, 2021)

AJ Yammie said:


> Hullo people! Every now and then I hear people talking bout about sorrel horses, what is the difference between that and a chestnut? Ive heard people call mh horse (I call him a chestnut) a sorrel. I’ve never understood the difference. Can you guys explain it for me? Thanks


I know there genetically the same but I always consider them different. So here is a picture of my sorrel. I consider sorrels more red and chestnuts more coppery


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