# Sorrel or Chestnut?



## WVcountrygirl (Aug 4, 2011)

This is my dad's new 2 month old TWH colt, what color do you think he'll turn out to be? I was thinking sorrel or chestnut & what is his pattern, tobiano etc? His sire black/white & his **** bay/white.


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## redape49 (Jul 29, 2011)

Stunning lil guy!! I'd bet he will end up more chestnut than sorrel colored.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Chestnut and sorrel are the same colour genetically. He is tobiano, with sabino I think.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

I was under the impression that sorrel and chestnut were genetically the same thing...


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

I beat you by a minute QH


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

Dang, I never get to be the first to anything!


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## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

LOL, Chi and QH!! 

To the OP - Oh My Stars, what a truly outstandingly beautiful baby!! He is a Tobiano and I think a Chestnut/White. Sorrel would most likely be a slightly darker shade of brown. Gosh, he is a charmer for true!!


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Chiilaa said:


> Chestnut and sorrel are the same colour genetically.


Yes, same color. Some areas consider them different shades of the same color, but truly just the same color.


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## redape49 (Jul 29, 2011)

OK same color diff. shade lol so tech. not the same color =p


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

redape49 said:


> OK same color diff. shade lol so tech. not the same color =p


Technically it is the same color. Period.

I say some areas call different shades different things but it is just semantics.
In my neck of the woods the red horses are chestnut if you are an English rider and many Western riders call them sorrel.

Still the same color.


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## redape49 (Jul 29, 2011)

Oh, well I'm used to calling the "redder" version sorrel. Iono just always have! =p


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

what a pretty baby!!!!! I'll take him....I love a sorrel horse!!!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Being so young, it's very possible he could be bay. Due to so much white, it's impossible to determine the color of his legs or most of his mane and young foals change color frequently. The white tail makes it most likely he's chestnut, but he *could* surprise you!


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## WVcountrygirl (Aug 4, 2011)

thank you everyone for the replies and also for the compliments, we are very excited about him and it's always good to hear a horse looks good from experianced people so again thanks!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Being so young, it's very possible he could be bay. Due to so much white, it's impossible to determine the color of his legs or most of his mane and young foals change color frequently. The white tail makes it most likely he's chestnut, but he *could* surprise you!


I was kind of wondering if he could be bay too.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

The stock horse breeds, at least, differentiate between chestnuts and sorrels: the former are brown or yellow and the latter are red or orange. Chestnuts tend to breed more chestnuts and sorrels tend to breed more sorrels (though of course, one individual horse can, throughout the course of its life, change through the whole "red" spectrum). I strongly suspect that there is an additional factor, either a tweaked allele or a totally separate modifier, that influences the exact shade of color.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

I always kind of thought that the "difference" between chestnut and sorrel was that the sorrel had a flaxen mane while chestnut did not.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

No, a chestnut/sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail is just called a flaxen chestnut/sorrel. Like Bubba said, sorrels are really orangey and chestnuts are the more brown shades of red.


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## spottedmom (Jul 14, 2011)

According to Dr. Sponenberg chestnut is the base color with sorrel being one of the many shades of chestnut. This lovely foal also appears to display the tobiano pattern....


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

This is one of those funny things. Chestnut and sorrel both have the same basic meaning, that a horse is genetically red. However, depending on the particular shade of horse, whether it gets called chestnut or sorrel will greatly depend on the person talking, the area you are located in, and the discipline you ride .

All that aside, I also believe he is likely some shade of sorrel/chestnut.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Oh My Stars would be a good name for him.


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## morabhobbyhorse (Apr 17, 2011)

*He is a darling, that's for sure.*

Dragon, I was always under the impression that they mane and tail was the difference too. When I see a red or brownish horse with the same colored mane, like a liver chestnut, it's chestnut to me. A reddish horse with a lighter mane and tail I've always thought was a sorrel. If they are the same then why are they different names for the colors?:shock:


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## redape49 (Jul 29, 2011)

morabhobbyhorse said:


> Dragon, I was always under the impression that they mane and tail was the difference too. When I see a red or brownish horse with the same colored mane, like a liver chestnut, it's chestnut to me. A reddish horse with a lighter mane and tail I've always thought was a sorrel. If they are the same then why are they different names for the colors?:shock:


I agree =p


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

morabhobbyhorse said:


> If they are the same then why are they different names for the colors?:shock:


In Australia and the UK, chestnut is the only term we use - sorrel is used almost exclusively in the US. 

I guess the difference is like calling a bay "blood bay" or "mahogany bay". There is no difference that can be seen genetically, so it is a visual thing.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Chiilaa said:


> In Australia and the UK, chestnut is the only term we use - sorrel is used almost exclusively in the US.


Also mostly among western riders. I've noticed that most of the english riders on here from the US also use chestnut to describe all shades of red. Whereas, die hard western riders like cowboys and ranch hands will call almost all shades of red "sorrel". LOL


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Sorrel definitely sounds better in a cowboy drawl


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## morabhobbyhorse (Apr 17, 2011)

*Well I'm not a die hard western rider*



> Also mostly among western riders. I've noticed that most of the english riders on here from the US also use chestnut to describe all shades of red. Whereas, die hard western riders like cowboys and ranch hands will call almost all shades of red "sorrel". LOL


When I was younger I showed both simultaneously, English equitation and WP including trail classes. My WP mare was a LIVER CHESTNUT, and my saddle-bred was a sorrel, LOL.


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