Chestnut Mares?

H

hogged cob

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 April 2010
Messages
149
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
I am going to look at a little 12.2 pony for my 5 year old daughter today, I have not owned a mare before only geldings. When people say never own a Chestnut Mare is this a load of old rubbish or is there truth in the saying?. I woud not of thought the colour would really make a difference. Your thoughts please. Thank You.
 
i think it very much depends on the horse, it is purely there personality not a colour issue. I have known some fab chestnut mares and some very hormonal ones. However i have known plenty of bay/grey/black mares and some geldings hwo are just as bad if not worse than the chestnut mares.
Dont be put off by the old saying just veiw with an open mind and good luck
 
I have owned 2 chestnut mares - the one I have now is absolutely typical of the stereotype, opinionated, boulshy, lots of attitude and personality and I woudnt change a single thing about her.
The other was fiery to ride (she was a showjumper though) but quiet as a mouse in the stable - a dream to handle and never showed any mareish qualities whatsoever.
You never can tell! x
 
Personally I think it's a load of rubbish. I have had 3 mares and the best of the bunch is the chestnut!
Mares can be quirky due to the fact that they are "entire" and still have all the hormones to contend with, however a good one is worth 100 geldings IMO as they will do anything for you.
 
hogged cob said:
I am going to look at a little 12.2 pony for my 5 year old daughter today, I have not owned a mare before only geldings. When people say never own a Chestnut Mare is this a load of old rubbish or is there truth in the saying?. I woud not of thought the colour would really make a difference. Your thoughts please. Thank You.
Click to expand...

I covered this in a genetics lecture this week, funnily enough!

Apparently there is a genetic link between chestnut mares and an... excitable(if thats the right word - trying to be polite?) temperament.

However, as I'm sure the next 10 posts will prove, some people say theirs conform to this idea, others say they know plenty of mares who are chestnut and act the opposite. So go see it with an open mind.
 
i had a chestnut TB mare (yes not just chestnut and a mare but a TB as well!!!) and yes she was grumpy in the stable but to ride her i trusted her with my life 100%.
i dont think colour is anything, my girl could have been grey and she would still have the same personality she had! not sure how a colour can affect a horses personality? go for it could be the best pony you ever have. do not let a colour put you off.
 
One of my friends went looking for a second horse - anything BUT a big chestnut mare.
Bought a 16.2hh ISH chestnut mare :p
and she is the sweetest, most adorable, laid back mare ever - much less mareish than our bay.
She does get excited if she does something right but don't all horses? :)
I think it depends on the individual horse to be honest, some conform, some don't.
K x
 
Well my 'horse of a lifetime' was a chestnut mare so I love them :D (she's the galloping horse in my siggy). I personally prefer mares and would love another chestnut one

Good luck with the viewing!
 
We've had 2 chesnut mares who were as tarty and turdy as they come; one was mean in the stable but very quiet to ride whereas one was exceptionally sweet in the stable but gave ridden work the finger.

But.....I think mare horses and mare ponies are different. From what I've experienced, I have found ponies much easier to please and much easier to 'do' and a horse more likely to throw a strop and a tantrum at most opportunities.

Right now we have a livery 13.2 mare, who is lovely to be around and very easy to please - albeit when ridden you do see flashes of mareish attitudes.

Yes there are stereotypes, and some fit that and some don't. I would go and see the pony with an open but cautious mind - as I would advise when viewing any horse of any colour/sex. :)
 
my best horse is a chestnut tb mare, totally brilliant, and most of the best horses i have ever seen from racehorses to show hunters and arabs have been chestnut
 
By pure chance, all 3 of mine are chestnut, 2 boys and 1 girl....! All 3 are different, one boy really difficult to deal with from the ground (due to bad treatment in past bless him) , the other two are fine. Previously had a grey mare and she was very hormonal most of the time and very sensitive when ridden so I wouldn't be put off by a gingernut.

Good luck with the viewing :)
 
I have a chestnut mare, she can be vile, she can be (occasionally :o) delightful. There never seems to be a happy medium with her. But when the mood takes her she will outperform anything else I have. I also have a 2yo chestnut filly, I've had her a year and so far she has been a little sweetheart and shown absolutely no signs of becoming the proverbrial chestnut mare :) I do think it's probably just a myth, you get good and bad of every colour and breed.
 
i have owned 3 chestnut mares (all tb's) and they were all as good as gold, not marish or grumpy in the slightest. had 2 bay mares (were related) one was as bad as they come and her foal was good but had a temper on occasion..
i would definately have another chestnut mare!

I heard that there is actually some truth in it though, something to do with chestnut mares having a lower pain threshold so they get irritable/moody easier than others would....but dont quote me on that!
 
Had two chesnut Appy mares, both wonderful in the stable and on the ground, both 'interesting' in their own way to ride. I would think a pony mare would be good for a child, all the mares we have had have been brilliant with children and seem to understand the need to look after children.
 
I've had 3 mares one of which was chestnut and he was an absolute star. I really don't think it's a colour thing, it's a temperament thing and what's happened in their lives.

Hope pony is what you're looking for.
 
I have had three chestnut mares and all of differing personalities.

One (a liver chestnut) is the sweetest horse you could wish for, kids can climb all over her and she stands there with a smile on her face :D

One is not particuarly a people person but a one horse person - she loves me, trusts me and me only - its a very special bond and possibly peculiar to chestnut mares.

The third was the same any bog standard colour - a horse as a horse is.

I adore chestnuts - that fabulous copper/gold sheen that they glow is something else and they have their own peculiar smell too - oh Good Grief - that makes me sound very sad!!

So - go and view that pony, don't take any notice of its colour - judge it for the pony that it is :D
 
I have a chestnut tb mare. The best way to describe her is... the stereotypical blonde!!! - she's a bit of a dimwit but ever so sweet!!! (i'm hoping its just that she has a baby brain at the moment.. coz i don't remember her being this soppy before!!) she's an absolute sweetheart

i think its to do with personality not colour!
 
Ravenwood said:
I adore chestnuts - that fabulous copper/gold sheen that they glow is something else and they have their own peculiar smell too - oh Good Grief - that makes me sound very sad!!

So - go and view that pony, don't take any notice of its colour - judge it for the pony that it is :D
Click to expand...

Lol made me laugh "peculiar smell":D

and OP- colour means jack! the only thing that counts is if its safe for your child...and most importantly what you gonna say to her if she loves the pony but you dont like ginners??:eek:;)
 
Ravenwood said:
LOL- but they do!! I bet you that if you go round a yard sniffing the horses - a chestnut will smell different to any other :o
Click to expand...

I may have to try this in the morning! you may be onto something though--when me and my sisters were young my mum always ate the orange smarties out of our tubes:confused: it wasnt until much later we found out the colouring agents did infact taste rather different to the others!;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top