The Stereotype surrounding chestnuts

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Ellie and Wiebe

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bit of a mini rant/looking for some reasoning!
So I was surfing wanted ads looking for the perfect part loaner for my big boy (due to GCSE workload) and I couldn't help but notice 1 thing: most of the ads said no chestnuts! I know there is a stereotype surrounding chestnut mares for them being moody ect. but chestnuts in general?! Wiebe is a chestnut and doesn't have a bad bone in his body! This wasn't just 1 advert this was a majority of them for all dsciplines! Can someone please explain this to me? Is there a point I am missing or am I just over reacting? (probably the last knowing me :D)
Cookies for anyone who got this far! :)
From Ellie and the Big Ginge :)
 
I would read online reports of the Ginger Pride march conducted last month in Scotland to boost his self-esteem. Gingers of all species seem to get a bad press. Think they should all sue for colourism. Red hair, on horses and people, is rather gorgeous.
 
I had a chestnut and he was... Difficult. I think there was some evidence (probably anecdotal) that chestnuts have more sensitive skin which could translate to being more sensitive in general, which was certainly the case with my lad. However I have known lovely chestnuts! It's rubbish imho, horses don't choose their colour any more than humans do and certainly shouldn't be judged on it or have attributes (positive or negative) assigned to them because of it. Those who say no chestnuts have obviously not read the jinny books.
 
The best horse we have owned was a chesnut ex racer, everyone who met him was charmed, the worst was a CBxTB bay mare, still the only horse I would have happily put a bullet into, after 2 years of pure hell with her, we found a rider who 'clicked' with her, she now lives in the New Forest and enjoys her work, but will never be an easy horse to ride
 
Big Red, Little Red and Mini Red are highly offended by the ginger stereotype

Although, *whispers* I had never considered a mare, let alone a chestnut one before I met Big Red. I fell in love with the girl, she is placid, easy going, laid back and gentle. She is awesome :D

Little Red is a bit more mare-ish, but nothing serious and is a sweetie 99.9% of the time.

Mini Red is a Shetland. I can't catch her so I can't attest to her personality, but she seems ok to me :D

Big Ginge is welcome to join the three reds in their campaign to prove that being ginger does not mean they have a defective personality :D
 
madmav said:
I would read online reports of the Ginger Pride march conducted last month in Scotland to boost his self-esteem. Gingers of all species seem to get a bad press. Think they should all sue for colourism. Red hair, on horses and people, is rather gorgeous.
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aha this is great! GO gingers! :)
 
MrsElle said:
Big Red, Little Red and Mini Red are highly offended by the ginger stereotype

Although, *whispers* I had never considered a mare, let alone a chestnut one before I met Big Red. I fell in love with the girl, she is placid, easy going, laid back and gentle. She is awesome :D

Little Red is a bit more mare-ish, but nothing serious and is a sweetie 99.9% of the time.

Mini Red is a Shetland. I can't catch her so I can't attest to her personality, but she seems ok to me :D

Big Ginge is welcome to join the three reds in their campaign to prove that being ginger does not mean they have a defective personality :D
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Think we will be joining in that one MrsElle! Gingers will one day rule the world :)
 
Only ever owned 2 horses....both chestnut, both mares. The most affectionate, intelligent & sweet horses Iv known....& in my opinion also the most beautiful x
 
I did my BSc dissertation on the affect of the chestnut gene on behaviour and handlablility looking at things like shoeing, place in hierarchy, loading clipping etc and the only difference I found was chestnut gene horses were more difficult to clip, everything else there was no significant difference at all. It wasn't a brilliant scientific study but it was done under scientific rules and I did pass so better than just anecdotal evidence.
 
Dogrose said:
I did my BSc dissertation on the affect of the chestnut gene on behaviour and handlablility looking at things like shoeing, place in hierarchy, loading clipping etc and the only difference I found was chestnut gene horses were more difficult to clip, everything else there was no significant difference at all. It wasn't a brilliant scientific study but it was done under scientific rules and I did pass so better than just anecdotal evidence.
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this is actually really interesting! And funnily enough, Wiebe refuses to stand to be clipped unless he has feed in front of him! thanks for sharing this! :)
 
2 of my nicest natured and most lovely to ride horses are chestnut mares. I wouldn't hesitate to get another.
It's interesting what was mentioned earlier about chestnuts having sensitive skin as 1 of mine developed a condition where her skin gets itchy when she warms up so she is pretty much retired now.
 
Out of 6 horses through to the jump off in the big class at hoys tonight, 5 of them where chestnut so they're clearly not lacking in ability!

I think they are becoming more popular again, there certainly seems to be moreaabout than there used to be!
 
Both of my girls are chestnut, they possibly are a bit more sensitive but I wouldn't have them any other way! I was just thinking the other day how I'm always drawn to a pic of a chestnut over any other colour; I love them!

Mine has a white blaze and four white socks too, all the old farmers round our way used to really like her because she looked so 'flashy', especially with her Arab tail flicked over her back. My Shetland has a bright white mane and tail so looks like a proper Barbie pony; I love standing watching them out of the window whilst I'm doing the washing up or feeding the baby!
 
Dogrose said:
I did my BSc dissertation on the affect of the chestnut gene on behaviour and handlablility looking at things like shoeing, place in hierarchy, loading clipping etc and the only difference I found was chestnut gene horses were more difficult to clip, everything else there was no significant difference at all. It wasn't a brilliant scientific study but it was done under scientific rules and I did pass so better than just anecdotal evidence.
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And then again I have two that break that rule as well - they're both easy as pie to clip and adore it being done but one enjoys it so much that he will try and get in between me and any other horse I'm clipping so that I can do him instead:D
 
I always heard that chestnut mares were a nightmare, but if you got a good one, it was a really really good one. I didn't think chestnut geldings were tarnished with the same brush, although it would explain a few quirks in my ginge lad. (Simple to clip, bad to load, amazing jumper but a dangerous maniac at shows)

The only chestnut mare I ever owned was as daft as a brush, but I put that down to being half Arab rather than her colour!
 
I've has two chestnut mares. First was my first pony who was angelic with everything except clipping! She was a little tank and her brakes could be a bit iffy but when I got a bit bigger I realized she was a demon over a fence. Still prob have jumped my biggest fence to date on my 13.2 chestnut mare (nearly 5ft) and I loved her to pieces. 2nd was a ex polo pony who was the easiest loveliest horse to have around and a total sweety when you were on her back too. She had had over a year off and they day I got her I hopped on her bareback and rode her round the field, and she was as quiet as a lamb! I certainly hold no prejudice, more the opposite I'm rather fond of a chestnut mare. Oh and a friend of mine has a 16.2 (full up and chunky) wb chestnut mare who was broken in and three weeks later I took her autumn hunting, we got to the meet he legged me up and I said 'someone other than you has ridden this?' He laughed in reply said 'no actually they haven't' which made me go ahhhhh. But she was a total saint, broken three weeks, a field of about 40 and a new rider on her back. If that doesn't dispel the chestnut mares are loons theory I don't know what will! Oh and that mare we also refer to as a big Labrador cos that's what her personality is like, as loving cuddly and easy to have around as any horse I've ever met. If she would fit I'm sure she would come inside and sleep by the fire. Or try and climb onto your lap for a cuddle!!!!
 
3Beasties said:
Out of 6 horses through to the jump off in the big class at hoys tonight, 5 of them where chestnut so they're clearly not lacking in ability!

I think they are becoming more popular again, there certainly seems to be moreaabout than there used to be!
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You make them sound like a car! And that owners have decided to spray paint them that colour!!!!!
 
Chestnuts are my favourite. I do agree that I've heard a lot of anti chestnut remarks around here. Coloured seems to be what everyone wants at the moment, though who knows why as who wants all those white patches to keep clean! Give me a nice chestnut with a splash of white on the face any day :) My chestnut isn't bad but those white legs are a pain!
 
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