Chestnut horses, and their markings. Do you have a preference?

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

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I've know many chestnuts, and yet be the first to admit, it is not my favourite colour.
I personally like them to have minimal white. I like a neat star, and plain legs. However, looking at photos of others, those with four whites, and blaze look very smart, particularly those who use them as their carriage horses - a matching pair is stunning! Also, section D's can carry it off very well!

We currently have a 3yr chestnut filly, who on paper has more white about her than I'd like. BUT, her fronts have full stockings over her knees, and I really like it, and think she is very smart. I've never seen one with just fronts being so white. She has a nice star and snip, and 1 small hind pastern white. Very fond of her, and will be sad to see her move on to a new home soon.

Do others have 'markings' preference on chestnuts (I know a good horse is never a bad colour). Has anyone seen the odd leg being full white, while others are still plain?

Just thinking, that is all!
 
I love the gingers, but ended up with a grey, then a bay. Always wanted a ginger :D

Not overly fussy about markings etc, they don't bother me too much. Never seen one with full white stockings just on the front though, think you should share her pictures for us ginger lovers :D :D

On a side note when talking about markings, there was a black colt for sale on Facebook the other day with a star that was a perfect square.... That's another thing I've never seen before...
 
My Haflinger is 2 different chestnut ponies depending on the time of year. In winter you can see he has the pangare gene but In summer he looks much more pale and even in colour.
 
i was talking to one of the livieries where i work about this just yesterday! weird!

i actually do, i prefer chestnuts to have more white, my first show pony was stunning, he had 4 even white socks all just below the knee and a perfect blaze, stunning stunning pony, i think he's the reason i am picky.
there is also a ex-racehore who i am re-training at work and he too has four white socks and it really looks nice on him too, i don't know what it is about chestnuts without white markings but they just don't stand out to me, i feel like they are missing something
 
I have a chestnut roan skewbald ( not good at colour description !) Who has a dark chestnut head with fine stripe a mostly chestnut neck and mane, most of one side is chestnut with white patches the other side is more white with chestnut patches and gets more roan towards the back although he has a dark chestnut tail !!
 
JLD said:
I have a chestnut roan skewbald ( not good at colour description !) Who has a dark chestnut head with fine stripe a mostly chestnut neck and mane, most of one side is chestnut with white patches the other side is more white with chestnut patches and gets more roan towards the back although he has a dark chestnut tail !!
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Pictures!
 
I've never owned a chestnut, but to me a real, bright chestnut with 4 white socks/stockings has always been my one of my favourite colours. I think it's from Champion the Wonder Horse days - which is odd considering it was in black and white! Come to think of it I like German Shepherds too :D
 
I do like chestnuts and I think they carry bold white markings much better than bays, I prefer my bays to have minimal white and rather no socks at all. If they do have socks, I prefer them in pairs and proper socks reaching towards the hock or knee rather than just to pastern/fetlock height. This is just what I find most pleasing to the eye, the size of a horse's socks are not a deal breaker!

I have a bay and he has white hinds 3/4 up the cannon, almost matching and a big star.
 
I prefer no really white on any horse if I am honest. A star is fine, but for some reason I really don't like full white faces - they give me the heeby-jeebies :(

That said, there are plenty of stunning horses that look like a kid that has found the sudocreme pot :D
 
I am obsessive about symmetrical markings - silly I know but I can't stand just one white sock! Not too fussed about whether a horse has any white or not, but markings must be symmetrical XD and not just on chestnuts!

I don't know why, definitely wouldn't be a deal breaker for me if the horse is perfect in every other way, but I am just drawn to symmetry! :)
 
I think that chestnuts with white marking are very attractive. I have two - CM has a blaze and one white sock, plus part socks on two other legs. The CG has three whites and a large star and large snip joined together with a thin stripe. I do wish that he didn't have white makings though as he's suffered from photosensitivity all summer. :(
 
For me chestnuts more than any other colour must have white. Good job as my new sec d has a blaze and 4 white socks
I must say keeping them clean is not easy though
 
Both the chestnut mare I owned and the bay gelding I have now have the most amazing dapples that come through in their coats in the summer.
I also love the ring star that my Sec D gelding has, really unusual.
 
I'm very keen on chestnuts with four white socks and a blaze. I've seen some very nice Arabs with these markings, although I think my liking for them might come from being obsessed with the Jinny and Shantih books when I was younger!! The only thing that beats a chestnut with lots of white is a black horse with lots of white. I've always liked this stallion http://forums.arabianbreeders.net/uploads/monthly_12_2007/post-1791-1199083367.jpg. I think he's very smart indeed, just what I'd like!
 
When I was a child I remember seeing a big chestnut with four white socks and a blaze at an agricultural show, I just thought it was the smartest horse ever.

So for me a chestnut with even white markings is beautiful.

However I've got a bay with one white sock. As has been said a good horse is never a bad colour though.
 
HashRouge said:
I'm very keen on chestnuts with four white socks and a blaze. I've seen some very nice Arabs with these markings, although I think my liking for them might come from being obsessed with the Jinny and Shantih books when I was younger!! The only thing that beats a chestnut with lots of white is a black horse with lots of white. I've always liked this stallion http://forums.arabianbreeders.net/uploads/monthly_12_2007/post-1791-1199083367.jpg. I think he's very smart indeed, just what I'd like!
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He is very smart, I'd just want the white on that front right to be a bit higher to match the front left. But that really is being very picky.
 
My tb is bright chestnut, a small star, snip & 2 white hind socks.. & for some bizarre reason he has 3 black so lodges down his neck... Apparently others with his blood lines have this too... I personally love a chestnut but then I'm bias!
 
I love chestnuts, have one now with two matching white hinds to mid cannon and a very symmetrical white star, he's just perfect - not that I'm biased!
 
My favourite colour would be dark liver chestnut with salt & pepper mane and tail, socks behind and a star or stripe on his face. :)

(and not the muck magnet white grey that I currently pretend to love!)
 
HashRouge said:
I http://forums.arabianbreeders.net/uploads/monthly_12_2007/post-1791-1199083367.jpg. I think he's very smart indeed, just what I'd like!
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I'm leaning the other way now (for the reason stated in my post above) so I like this boy's lack of white markings.
dishy_midlands_pose_small.jpg
 
I like mine minimally Painted :D and if I could get stupid Photobucket to work I would give you a photo

July2013215.jpg
 
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I have a selection:

I have one with a perfect diamond on his forehead, no white anywhere else but a heart-shaped oilmark on his rump.

I have one with flaxen mane and tail, big white blaze, two white "toothmarks" on his bottom lip and three white socks but the last one is very very pale as well.

I have one with no white hairs anywhere on her.

And last year I sold one with flaxen mane and tail, big white blaze, two white "toothmarks" on his bottom lip, roaning round his stifles and elbows and with a white splash under his tummy.

I think they are all lovely :D
 
When I was young, growing up in the Middle East, I was lucky enough to ride a beautiful chestnut Arab mare. She had a flaxen mane and tail, a big white blaze and 4 long white socks. She was a real sweetie - nothing like the chestnut mare stereotype!
 
this is my mid life crisis horse.....if you look closely you can see a tiny snip and that's it...it does appear more prominent in the winter...nothing that a tin of gloss can t sort out!
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My 15.2 Chesnut Section D has a flaxen mane and tail a perfect straight white blaze and 4 white socks up to the knee....mayba I am biased but I think he is stunning.....judges seem to agree as he always does well in the showring too. He is sometimes the only non baby in the class.....not that I have anything against bays I have 3....
 
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