In Defence of Chestnuts: Orange is the New Black

Chestnut horses are the arrogant dandies of the equine world. Bays are noble and wise, greys are grass- stained and a bit smug from all those old hunting prints. Coloureds are just a teeny- bit nouveau (they'll never really stop looking a little out of place) and black horses are a bit edgy. Apart from Black Beauty (let's not go there, I'll cry).So why do we love (or hate) chestnut horses?

IMG_1317

1. Their colour is an excuse- whether its smashing up a groom's knee, refusing to load or spooking at a leaf, a common explanation of bad behaviour is to roll your eyes, "he's chestnut."

2. If your chestnut is badly behaved people will assume that he/she is a mare, regardless of gender.

3. Nothing says "I am mad, bad, and dangerous to know" quite like hunting a chestnut thoroughbred.

4. The adjective "flashy" is reserved for the description of chestnuts.  Other colours can never quite reach it.

5. You will never lose your orange beast in the twilight.

6. A chestnut coat in the sunlight is a wonderful thing.

7. The colour hides mud pretty well.

8. Science suggests that chestnuts have thinner skin and lower pain thresholds.... Which may explain why they are more highly- strung.

9. ...And why flies drive them to a madness hitherto unseen.

10. ...And why pulling your chestnut's mane is the most stressful day of the year.

11. The chestnut horse in films is not ridden by the hero, nor by the villain.

12. Ginger from Black Beauty. Enough said.