Would you buy a chestnut mare?

yes, i took my friends chestnut mare for the summer 3years ago, she was the loveliest, sweetest pony!! Didnt pull faces etc,,

I then bought my current horse a chestnut hanoverian mare whom i have owned for almost 3years and she is literally the soppiest, loving horse. Loves people, tries her heart out. Only thing i will say is jumping wise, sometimes if she gets a bit keen and i half halt her back or whatever she does sometimes think she knows best, ignores the aid and takes it in her stride, very occasionally. Like she wont be fully bullied into doing something like some horses will, she has her own personality but shes not mareish or evil lol
 
Genetically speaking there are only three options for a horse's base colour.

EE = two black genes
Ee = one black and one chestnut gene (horse will look black)
ee = two chestnut genes

Also a horse is either xx or xy depending on whether it is male or female.

Do grey (born chestnut) mares or palomino mares (also genetcally chestnut), red duns, creamellos, chestnut skewbalds etc... have a reputation of being nuts? What about chestnut stallions?

Only a bad horseman would lay the blame of their shortcomings at the feet of the horse's colour or sex.
 
Best horse I ever rode was a chestnut mare. Jumped like a stag.

I'm a chestnut mare, and i agree with the myth for humans!
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
The most safe genuine horse I own is a red headed TB. The first horse I ever bred. We used to ride her in from the field at the end of her 3yo year with a head collar and rope before she was ever broken.

I will NEVER sell her. She is absolutely the best horse to ever have. Never complains, unlike her high matienence half sister, and has never given us a moments bother. Everyone should have a Heidi!

Terri
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My ultra safe, wonderful horse of a lifetime is also a chestnut mare. Would buy another in a heartbeat.
 
Yes definitely, I've owned one in the past who was an absolute gem, no more marish than others plus gave me lots of confidence jumping.
 
I definitely wouldn't let it put me off! I do think the chestnut stigma has a little bit of truth in it, and obviously mares can be stroppy but no horse is going to be perfect. Good luck if you do buy her!x
 
Good point Faracat.

Miss-Wilson, nothing wrong with black mares either. Its individual animals that might have a problem, not an entire section based on colour. There are awkward animals in every shade.
 
I am glad the majority think this! I seem to know people who believe the chestnut myth..

Having seen a video of her she seems a nice calm and balanced mare (physcially and mentally ! ) So am arranging a viewing to see her in the flesh :) fingers crossed!

If i get one this early (meaning as I don't finish my exams for another month yet) then I will give the horse a nice settling in period of making friends and having bonding time until the work begins.
 
Its individual animals that might have a problem, not an entire section based on colour. There are awkward animals in every shade.
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I agree, plus the early handling and training of any horse is so important. My gelding really frightened one of my friends until I explained to her that he was ear-twitched as a foal. As soon as she knew that small bit of information, she was no longer scared of him. It made sense that he jerked his head away when she went to pat him and that he was wary and sudden in his movements.

I actually feel very sorry for chesnut mares.

I was at the same livery yard as one particular mare who's bad behaviour was put down to her colour. For months she suffered and was 'kept in line' in a very harsh way. Of course when she was finally checked by a Vet, it turned out that she had been in pain the whole time. :(
 
I have a chestnut mare who is Arab and she is the most honest girl. She is absolutely amazing and loves t please. I would agree with other posters and say that she is definitely very sensitive not only to leg but also to any change. Wouldn't change her for the world and it wouldn't put me off buying.
 
Had 2, neither of them were moody, both of them you had to ask nicely from, not tell in any way shape or form!! One was an ultimate jumper, second a champion show horse!! I now have a black mare equally stunning, but easier to ask/tell under saddle! and she's given me a chestnut colt, so am back to the gingers!!!

So yes in answer, if the build, conformation, action and temperament were what I wanted.
 
I think the old beliefs are utter rubbish - but I also wouldn't buy one. I'm a gelding person, and I just... don't like chestnuts! Not their fault, and I never really realised it until I stopped an analysed the horses I was shortlisting when I was shopping - I was skipping over the chestnuts :) It is a buyer's market at the moment and sad to say I did feel I had the liberty to pick and choose colour as well as all the other factors - there are so many good horses on the market now.

Having chatted to a few people selling horses, the general opinion seemed to be that geldings were more popular, which surprised me - I thought there'd be an equal number on each side of the fence, but (at least in some people's experience), perhaps not.
 
Yes! I had a ginger welshie mare and I still miss her 18 months after selling her (too small) - she was amazing fun!
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Well yes I as I have just bought one from Measles! I had possibly been wary before but more because I had always had geldings. However my new one has just completed her first BE90 after me having her for a few weeks and she is an absolute poppet :) she is sensitive but so genuine and tries very hard to please!
 
Floxie said:
I think the old beliefs are utter rubbish - but I also wouldn't buy one. I'm a gelding person, and I just... don't like chestnuts! Not their fault, and I never really realised it until I stopped an analysed the horses I was shortlisting when I was shopping - I was skipping over the chestnuts :) It is a buyer's market at the moment and sad to say I did feel I had the liberty to pick and choose colour as well as all the other factors - there are so many good horses on the market now.

Having chatted to a few people selling horses, the general opinion seemed to be that geldings were more popular, which surprised me - I thought there'd be an equal number on each side of the fence, but (at least in some people's experience), perhaps not.
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I can fully understand why geldings are more popular :p !
 
Faracat said:
I don't. Can someone please explain it to me?
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Well from my own personal experiences, I have found geldings generally much more cooperative and more consistant - having said that I know a couple of nightmare geldings- but they are certainly consistant with it ;) Wouldn't put me off buying a mare, I have one and she can be tempermental at times and was awful when she was a youngster but seems to have grown out of it now.
 
Geldings can be riggy and that can be alot worse. :p

I still don't get why IME horsey women show such a lack of understanding towards mares.

(Not having a go at you CS - this is based on the people that I know ;) ).
 
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