Difference between Chestnut and Sorrel

[Amb3r]

I play a game called Sims 3, where we can create horses, own them, breed them, etc. In order to keep the game as realistic as possible, I started browsing for horse details. And I fell in love with the American Quarter Horse, there is nothing flashy about the breed but I don't know why. Anyhow, it was a good learning experience to me. I have learned so much from browsing info about horses, it's ridiculous. I even know the difference between Warmblood and Coldblood, LOL. But I cannot understand the difference between Chestnut and Sorrel. Well, I am a molecular biologist, and no wonder I love this site so much:

http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/equinecolor.html

Thanks for your help guys! Have a good day!!

 

[Steemroo]

It seems to vary breed to breed. Chestnut I would guess is darker or more reddish brown. Sorrel seems to be a little lighter brown (some say with orange, not red).

 

[showbarnmom]

OK...so chesnjt and sorrels kind of that "eye of the beholder" deal. Thoroughbred (jockey club) only recognize chestnut colors. They do not have a sorrel. Quarter horse has both. Typically, sorrels are you more "traditional" redheads. They are usually the ones that really turn red in the sun. Usually have red or strawberry red manes/tails. Chestnuts typically are more "auburn" in color. Brown with red undertones. Liver chesnuts are dark browns with red highlights in the sun.
Sorrel

Liver chestnut

However..... a lot of people use the terms sorrel and chestnut almost interchangable. And it strongly depends on your area. If its heavily influenced by TB, you hear chestnut more often. QH will hear more of both.

 

[Bunnylady]

Generally, for the few breeds that recognize a difference, sorrel is a brighter red, and chestnut a red-brown.

For most, though I think it is simply a matter of semantics. People with a background in English style riding don't generally call a red horse a sorrel - a red horse is almost always called a chestnut, regardless of shade. Likewise, you probably won't hear an old-timer that uses a Western saddle call a red horse a chestnut.

 

[naturalfeddogs]

Chestnut is a darker shade of brown vs.sorrel, which is lighter and more of a red tint.

 

[Amb3r]

Thanks guys!! Showbarnmom, the pics were really helpful!

I hope you all do not mind me asking a few more questions. I have never known anyone having horses as pets here in my place, the only odd person is my best friend's dad who has 27 elephants.

Here only the elite people and police personnel have horses. And since it is the elite people that has these, it is not uncommon to see very old or sick horses abandoned by the road sides.

1. Will Gray horses (even Roans) lose all the pigment and turn completely gray towards the end of their lifespan? [That looks complicated, I want to know how a Gray horse would look after they are 35+).
2. Do they retain the dapples?
3. What is gray (graying as in human beings)? Is it solid white (255, 255, 255) or a diluted black that looks like gray/blue (Like a blue great dane)?



Thank you guys!! Have a good day!!

 

[miss heny]

Okay, I had a sorrel that when it came close to going (at age 21) she started to grey all over, at the end of it she looked more like a roan. From what I remember on the grey, it depends on what type of grey. Some grey lighten up to white over time, while others don't. Roans I can't tell you (mine is two LOL) This is just my 2 cent.

 

[srpaint]

Chestnut is a darker shade of brown vs.sorrel, which is lighter and more of a red tint.

x2

 

[showbarnmom]

K....grey horse = white or grey horse. No horse is called a white. Draft horse breed Percheron start almost black, and lighten up with age, and generally by 7-10 years they are grey, and by senior age they are white.

Typically horses with sabino color traits turn grey more noticeably than others. My old paint pony is 32-35 years and unless you look, you can't see his grey. Bug like humans, each horse ages different.
Usually horse that is dappled stays dappled, but they may fade.

 

[Bunnylady]

There are several types of roans. The true roan is an animal with a colored coat that has white hairs sprinkled through it. The base color can be black, bay, chestnut - basically any color. Typically, the head and legs will be solid colored, with the white hairs mixed into the color on the body and neck.

Most of the genes that put white on the face and feet are collectively referred to as Sabino genes. One of the Sabino genes can cause roaning in the coat. Sometimes the roaning only appears in patches, though it can be throughout the coat, too. I own a chestnut mare that is a Sabino roan, though you really only see the white hairs during the summer. For some reason, they don't really show up in her winter coat.

Another type of "roan" is genetically part of the appaloosa pattern. These animals are called varnish roans. Varnish roans usually have a patch of darker color down the middle of the face, and on the legs. Varnish roans do get more white hairs as they age, and often wind up nearly completely white.

A lot of horses will get some white hairs in their coats, particularly on their faces, when they are advanced in years. Horses that are genetic grays start off very intensely colored, and lighten quickly as they age. It is as if the pigment-producing cells are on overdrive, producing way too much pigment, and burn themselves out at an early age. The genetic gray will start to show white hairs at an early age, and will usually be dappled by the time it is 5 years old. Gray is a dominant gene, and if a horse gets 2 copies of it, they gray out even faster. Genetic grays may wind up completely white (like the Lipizzaner horses) or may have small reddish spots (called a 'fleabitten gray').

There is a Silver gene that causes another type of gray coloring. The silver gene affects the amount of black pigment in the coat, though the greatest amount of difference is in the mane and tail. Genetic Silver blacks may also appear dappled. The most obvious difference between the horse that is a genetic gray (which will turn white) and the Silver Black with dapples is the mane. The Silver Black will usually have a white mane and tail, while the graying-out genetic gray will usually have a dark mane and tail.