# Difference between a sorrel and a chestnut



## Horsesaremylife150 (Feb 4, 2015)

I have heard many differnt reasons why they are differnt and I'm not sure what to believe!
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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Genetically they're the same (ee) but in at least AQHA & APHA (don't know about other registries) you can select either. The difference is subjective to how the viewer was taught to distinguish the two colors. Some think they're considered a sorrel only if they have a flaxen mane & tail. I was taught that is depended on the shade of red on their bodies & mane & tail color doesn't figure into it. 

Here is a picture of 2 of my AQHA horses. Both bred and registered by the same man. The bright orangy looking one was registered as sorrel the browner looking one chestnut. This was the same as I would have registered them had I been the breeder.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

JC is correct.

Genetically speaking, chestnut and sorrel are identical. Red (ee) is red is red is red. What you call it depends on where you live, what discipline you ride and what you prefer. Basically, it all comes down to semantics.


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## ponypile (Nov 7, 2007)

I don't know for sure, but from what I've heard from people it's that sorrel is usually a flaxen chestnut and chestnut is just regular with a red mane/tail. I always thought though that it had to do with what colour the horse was as a foal. If they were born that "peachy" colour and shed out their baby coat to a red coat they were sorrel as oppose to the foals who were already born almost a normal chestnut colour. Once again this is just one thing I personally thought it could be as I rode a AQHA mare that was born that peach colour and shed out liver chestnut and not flaxen.


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## skiafoxmorgan (Mar 5, 2014)

It's the same thing. Usually depends on whether you're out west or in the east. Whether you ride western or english. All the rest--mane and tail color, shades of red--those are just variations within the color.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Both words describe a horse of some shade of red. Just 2 words for the same thing.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

They are the same colour. In most countries, besides the US and Canada, only chestnut is used regardless of shade or breed, and if used its only within breed groups. 

From what I understand, within quarter horses, sorrel is brighter orange-ish chestnut, where as the chestnut is the one with browner tones.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Actually it was chestnut for all of them the world over....til some cowboy at a loss for the correct term used a native plant to describe the color.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

squirrelfood said:


> Actually it was chestnut for all of them the world over....til some cowboy at a loss for the correct term used a native plant to describe the color.


Really? I've never heard that before.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Sorrel = What Western people call a red horse
Chestnut = What English people call a red horse


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

While they are genetically the same, the AQHA distinguishes them for registration purposes:



> REG114.4 *SORREL*: body color reddish or copper-red; mane and tail usually same color as body, but may be flaxen.
> REG114.5 *CHESTNUT*: body color dark red or brownish-red; mane and tail usually dark red or brownish-red, but may be flaxen.


The AHA only lists Chestnut as a registration color:



> *Chestnut*: Chestnuts are a copper color, varying in shades from a light golden-red to a dark brown, known as "liver chestnut."
> 
> Occasionally, a chestnut will have a "flaxen," or blonde, mane and tail. Sometimes, the mane and tail will be a mixture of blonde and chestnut hairs or brown and chestnut hairs. Quite often, the mane and tail will be the same color as the body coat.
> 
> ...


I don't know about other registries. Since I have a AQHA & AHA, I do know these! My AQHA is registered as sorrel. Her mane/tail *wants* to be flaxen, but they are not.


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

Back when I was raising QHs, chestnut was a red that could be found on a bay. Sorrel was the lighter coats, seldom found on horses with dark points.


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## canterbury (Jun 29, 2014)

I always interpreted a sorrel as a slightly darker chestnut. And chestnuts usually have flaxen mane and tail?


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## IndianaJones (Aug 13, 2014)

Yep...heard it was the legs (at least thats how I've discerned the difference all these years) 

I'f you're looking at a basic "red" horse and as the hair that moves toward the hoof begins to turn a lighter shade of red, to gold and or blonde at times (different than the body color of the horse)...it's a sorrel.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

IndianaJones said:


> Yep...heard it was the legs (at least thats how I've discerned the difference all these years)
> 
> I'f you're looking at a basic "red" horse and as the hair that moves toward the hoof begins to turn a lighter shade of red, to gold and or blonde at times (different than the body color of the horse)...it's a sorrel.


All chestnuts/sorrels have the lighter band of hair around the coronet band. It's part of what makes them chestnut/sorrel.
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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

When I lived in Tx, where we were, they would call any horse that was red in all light sorrel and those that were obviously more brown toned or brown in all but bright light where they were red, chestnut.


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

Around here, sorrel is used exclusively for stock breeds, and chestnut for pleasure breeds. The arabian people say chestnut, and the QH people say sorrel.


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