What's so bad about chestnut mares?

I have a ginner filly! shes fab, her colour doesnt bother me.:o

Methinks people who had a "problem ginger mare" are muppets who shouldnt have horses...they are same sort of people who say border collies are neurotic.:rolleyes:

No horse is bad colour.


humans however......thats another thing....ginger humans are to be avoided:eek:;)
 
They're got a theory about them.

Having had two mean as **** chestnut mares, I can support that theory.

I also support the theory that mares in general are grumpy, harder to work with and more temperamental.

I do however, agree, 100% that there are exceptions to the rule and that this rule is most def not applicable to all chestnut mares.

Millyard Rejects - there have been behavioural and genetical studies that prove testament to the 'chestnut mares' theory. I would like to have seen anyone who completely denies that chestnut mares *can* be harder to handle, sit on the two that we had.
 
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Millyard Rejects said:
I have a ginner filly! shes fab, her colour doesnt bother me.:o

Methinks people who had a "problem ginger mare" are muppets who shouldnt have horses...they are same sort of people who say border collies are neurotic.:rolleyes:

No horse is bad colour.


humans however......thats another thing....ginger humans are to be avoided:eek:;)
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No horse is a bad colour, I agree with.

I've got a chestnut mare, and she's great, being a similar colouring myself (quite a bit grayer now though), perhaps I'm bias.
 
Millyard Rejects said:
I have a ginner filly! shes fab, her colour doesnt bother me.:o

Methinks people who had a "problem ginger mare" are muppets who shouldnt have horses...they are same sort of people who say border collies are neurotic.:rolleyes:

No horse is bad colour.


humans however......thats another thing....ginger humans are to be avoided:eek:;)
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There are a couple of chestnut mares at my barn that are a little nuts, but it's the owner that's at fault for that, not the horses.

I have a ginger daughter! LOL. Gingers run in my family so when I was pregnant I used to say that if I gave birth to one I would 'flush it down the toilet' (nice, I know). Then I actually had one:eek: and I love her to pieces! I have to say, from my obviously biased point, that she's a great person and I wouldn't want to change her in any way, especially her hair colour. :p
 
nikkimariet said:
They're got a theory about them.

Having had two mean as **** chestnut mares, I can support that theory.

I also support the theory that mares in general are grumpy, harder to work with and more temperamental.

I do however, agree, 100% that there are exceptions to the rule and that this rule is most def not applicable to all chestnut mares.

Millyard Rejects - there have been behavioural and genetical studies that prove testament to the 'chestnut mares' theory. I would like to have seen anyone who completely denies that chestnut mares *can* be harder to handle, sit on the two that we had.
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Im aware of research in this, have read many ideas and have had first hand experience in the horses and dogs through kennels and through the yard.:rolleyes: and having read the studies on golden cockers,chestnut mares,and red haired humans been more sensitive to pain,irritation and hormonal changes.. I still think though more is made of the sex and colour when female and chestnut than say a stallion thats bay or black? A black stallion for example...how come people think its acceptable for him to go around rearing or bucking but a chestnut mare gets the old label for been dangerous or moody etc.:rolleyes:
For what its worth Ive had several chestnut mares, none were what could be classed as "mareish" and the mares of other colours were proven to have hormonal issues and showed far more dangerous and erratic behaviour patterns.
Just wonder if we should start a "bay mares are seriously mental" thread?;)

CanadianGirl said:
There are a couple of chestnut mares at my barn that are a little nuts, but it's the owner that's at fault for that, not the horses.

I have a ginger daughter! LOL. Gingers run in my family so when I was pregnant I used to say that if I gave birth to one I would 'flush it down the toilet' (nice, I know). Then I actually had one:eek: and I love her to pieces! I have to say, from my obviously biased point, that she's a great person and I wouldn't want to change her in any way, especially her hair colour. :p
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You can always put a hat on her? lol
 
Not a thing!

I have one and she is a treasure - easy to work with and with a lovely temperement.

Think it stems from the fact that they were often closely Arabian bred - or the colour came from a more fiery (hot blood) breed of horse.

HAve had a few chestnuts in my life and all have been great - had a bay mare that was evil!
 
We have three chestnut mares and one chestnut gelding (plus geldings: one grey, two bay). None of the chestnut mares are a problem. They all have the sweetest, most loving temperaments. The nuttiest thing is the 11.2hh bay gelding who clearly has "short man syndrome"!
 
I have 2 chestnut mares - both shetland ponies - does that mean that in theory they are 10x as nasty and vicious and psychotic as normal chestnut mares? If so no one told them!
 
Both my horses have been chestnut mares and I also have a border collie....so what does that say about me?! Lol

my first chestnut mare was grumpy, fizzy and very loving. My current girl is pretty perfect perfect really, a real people person but she can get a bit 'hot' sometimes. The collie however is just mad, totally mad.

I think there is definatly some truth in it but there are definatly exceptions to the rule. Although all the chestnut mares I've known have had something about them.
 
I read somewhere (not sure if it has been disproven though) that chestnuts actualy have more nerve endings per squ inch of skin than other colours, while greys have the least. Hence combine hormonal and sensitive skin and you have your difficult to handle and grumpy chestnut mare while combining a calm gelding with less sensitive grey has your solid grey hunter type who doesn't bat an eye. Not sure if there is any truth to it and there are of course exceptions but in my experience chestnuts are more sensitive though that doesn't necessarily mean stroppy of course.
 
There's nothing wrong with them at all in my opinion!! My best friend had her 37yr old Arab x Welsh chesnut mare put down last week :-( she was the most amazing pony, truly one in a million. Yes she was fiesty and very forward going but never ever nasty and she always looked after her rider (it might be a bit hair raising though!!) RIP zilly xx
 
I had one and she was a sweetie, she had her moments but all horses do, i would have one again tomorrow.

ETA I also had a border collie who was the best dog ever, and if i ever had another dog i would definately go for another!
 
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Tiny Fluffy Coblet said:
I read somewhere (not sure if it has been disproven though) that chestnuts actualy have more nerve endings per squ inch of skin than other colours, while greys have the least. Hence combine hormonal and sensitive skin and you have your difficult to handle and grumpy chestnut mare while combining a calm gelding with less sensitive grey has your solid grey hunter type who doesn't bat an eye. Not sure if there is any truth to it and there are of course exceptions but in my experience chestnuts are more sensitive though that doesn't necessarily mean stroppy of course.
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Hmmm. Sleeps is chestnut but a gelding - yet he is very sensitive - can feel the tip of a feather on his back - we tried it so maybe supports that theory? Then again it could be a TB thing. So would there be any more stereotyped and misunderstood horse than a chestnut TB mare? :)
 
I have a chestnut mare who is an ex-racer, when we were on our last yard she was stabled next to another chestnut mare who was also an ex-racer. My mare was in for 3 weeks over xmas with only being walked alittle each day, mare next door was turned out each day and also ridden. My mare stood there happy as larry eating her haynet and would happily go for a walk head down, hardly bothered, when the 3 weeks were over we tacked up went for a walk round the field without jig jogging and without the bat of an eyelid. Other mare would lunge at you at the door, used to run off whilst being ridden with the lad who owned her and constantly had her ears back. I think it totally depends on the horse.
 
If i was looking for a new horse and one happened to be a chestnut mare i'd definitely go and look at it- theres definitely a stigma about them but i owned a chestnut mare and she was your typical chestnut mare with a fiery tempearment to match, but get them on side and they are wonderful and will do anything for you.
 
I own a TB chestnut mare!! She is on loan to a 16 year old girl who adores her and hopefully is buying her soon, I can honestly say Jade (the horse) is the sweetest most loving kind mare I've ever met!! She loves being groomed, she is fantastic to handle and is generally just a dream!! If I had the time, or the inclination to ride at TB I'd have had no quarms about keeping her but as she came to me by accident I decided a younger owner was better for the horse as she has so much potential it was a shame to leave her as a hack.
 
Tiny Fluffy Coblet said:
I read somewhere (not sure if it has been disproven though) that chestnuts actualy have more nerve endings per squ inch of skin than other colours, while greys have the least. Hence combine hormonal and sensitive skin and you have your difficult to handle and grumpy chestnut mare while combining a calm gelding with less sensitive grey has your solid grey hunter type who doesn't bat an eye. Not sure if there is any truth to it and there are of course exceptions but in my experience chestnuts are more sensitive though that doesn't necessarily mean stroppy of course.
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I have had two chestnut mares on loan and currently own a grey mare, the most sensitive out of all three is the grey! The two chestnuts were amazing!
 
I have a chestnut mare, i think she is beautiful! She is amazing to look at and very loving and sweet BUT she is a hormonal moo! Will strop if she doesnt want to do something but loves to please! (i dont think being welsh helps!) Her Mum is bay and is absolutely adorable, wouldnt even know she was a mare so cant run in the family!
 
Would not be biased necessarily. I have however, had a chesnut mare who did an excellent job of putting me off mares although I still have a lovely bay mare who just rolls up her sleeves and gets on with life. My chesnut mare could completely lose the plot with no rhythm or reason and go into a blind panic.

If you took a view of a typical yard you would find every sort of behaviour. I wonder if, statistically, chesnut mares are actually no more over the top than most horses, its just that when they misbehave, people take more notice? interesting that chesnuts are proven to be more sensitive and grays at the opposite end of the scale (as I have 2 gray boys atm).

One of the more experienced rides on our yard is a coloured cob! but that could also be because he is working at Adv Med and has a lot more buttons than most horses!
 
I had a CHESTNUT ARAB MARE!! everyone said "oh god, dont buy her!!" but she was absolutely fab, i couldnt fault her, not stroppy, silly, difficult or marish at all just very willing, kind and affectionate.

I think it depends on the individual horse...NOT the colour! (although have noticed that chestnuts and greys attract the flies more!)
 
We have a herd of shetlands and one is a chestnut mare, she is probably the sweetest of them all and we bung the kids on her and go up the road, shes nto even broken, just completely placid to the little ones sitting on her and us leading, shes fab, the rest of the shetland mares are all sweet natured too! we have a yearling colt and a 3 yr old stallion, they are both sweet too, just don't know how to control their teeth lol!.... Shetlands are generally nice too in my opinion!
 
I have a grey arab mare & her chestnut daughter, the latter is the easiest , calmest & loves being brushed, her mother hates to be brushed. Ever considered horses were reacting to what the handler expected of them? That is the handler expected the chestnut to be difficult so subconciously created this behaviour? The expectation for chestnuts to be hot & awkward is as old as whenever, & is deeply ingrained in many people.
 
I have had 3 chesbut mares and every one of them has been a sweetheart. I prefer mares over geldings, mares may be more difficult to work with but if you do succeed in forming a bond with a mare you will get 10x the effort you would get from most geldings. All horses have their good and bad points and they are all individuals
 
I have a chestnut arab mare and when telling people what I had bought, got told 'you are brave' etc etc, but she is the sweetest and most predictable horse I have ever met.

The only way I can tell she is in season is to lift her tail and look, no hormones no fuss and no nastiness. She is an all round joy to own.

So in my opinion - nothing is wrong with them - well not my one ayway!
 
The old wifes tale says a chesnut mare with black spots on her hind quarters is a good horses to have.........its true,mine was lovely!
 
hunting mad that's great news! One of our chestnut mares has a black spot on her backside. Knew she was a good'n lol!

I think people forget that, like stallions, mares are actually 'entires' and so they will be more influenced by their hormones than a gelding. But then, two of the best horses I've ever had have been stallions and I had to work around hormones every now and then. Our current crop are the first mares I've owned and so far I'm happy.
 
theres an old story about buying chestnuts, if it has one sock keep and eye, if it has two white socks keep two eyes on it, if it has three dont turn your back on it and if it has four dont get on it, if it has four white socks and a full blaze dont buy it.

clearly i didn't get the memo on this one when i bought a 18hh chestnut, four big white socks and a blaze! they are moody things, ive never ment a chestnut thats not quirky but i love my boy to pieces! even if he is ginger.
 
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