Chestnut
Together with black and bay, chestnut is one of the three base colours a horse can have. You may know this colour as red or sorrel as well.
Looks Like (Phenotype)
A chestnut horse has a coat that is entirely red-based, where even the ear tips, lower legs, mane and tail are all red. The shade can vary widely, from pale golden to deep reddish brown, and sometimes so dark that the horse seems to be black.
To tell a dark chestnut from bay or black, look at the location where normally the black points are (ear tips, lower legs, mane and tail). If these are red rather than black, the horse is chestnut.
Variations
Chestnuts can range from very light to very dark in colour. Some may have flaxen (blonde-looking) manes and tails, while others may have deeper copper or chocolate tones. If you would like to see these shades in different breeds, you can find many examples in our game Horse Reality.
Foals
Chestnut foals can be born with a softer, lighter coat that deepens as they grow.
Behind the Colour (Genotype)
Chestnut horses are always e/e, which means they do not produce black pigment. Because of that, the agouti gene does not affect their coat at all, so it doesn't matter if they are A/A or A/a, since this modifier only acts on black pigment.
Related Colours
Bay | Black | Seal Brown | Wild Bay