Chestnut Mares?

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=judybigredpony;7237216]
While it is B s…and I have sold several amazing chestnut mares…unfortunately I stopped buying for re sale chestnut fillies and am down to my last sale filly a bay.
It seems to take twice as long and get less $$$ even when the horse is exceptional. :([/QUOTE]

This!

I don’t buy into the color having anything to do with temperament… but how they are handled? THAT will play into how they are around people… and if the person that handles this particular chestnut is convinced that a chestnut mare is bad to handle… then… that will change the way the chestnut acts. :yes:

FWIW, the horse of my dreams is a chestnut SWB mare. An acquaintance of mine has had her for years – I would kill to have a foal from this mare. She is 100% brilliant in every way, UL horse, brilliant mover, beautiful personality – but mareish. It’s okay though, because she’s an amazing horse.

[Foxtrot_s]

It is B.S. Brentina is the poster girl for chestnut mares.

But, as Judy said, it limits your re-sale opportunities.

A true horseman does not discriminate, but unfortunately not all buyers are like that.

[Lilypad]

The most bombproof horse I’ve ever ridden was a chestnut Thoroughbred mare. She broke all the stereotypes! You could ask her to do anything and she’d do it for you.

I’ve known plenty of lovely red headed mares and wouldn’t pass one up simply due to colour.

[yellowbritches]

Now, I admit to not being a mare person, this silly for sure.

the worst mare I ever knew was dark, dark bay (my favorite color). Second worse was black. When I was shopping, the horse at the top of my list was a chestnut MARE (and a WB, no less, albeit one with a lot of blood). It was quite the joke that I was going to buy and TALL, CHESTNUT, WARMBLOOD, MARE. :lol:

I’ve know a lot of chestnut mares. Some were terrific, some were stereotypical mares. I probably wouldn’t buy a chestnut mare for resale, but I don’t otherwise feel they are particularly horrible.

[Auburn]

Everyone, thank you for your honesty. Piper has very little chrome. She has a marking on her forehead which looks like a lady’s hand fan, or the leaf of a Ginko (sp?) tree. She has a nice work ethic, but can be quite opinionated in her stall. I have been working on this with her. My original plan was to keep her until next June, but the best laid plans… Obviously, I did not consider her redhead being an issue when I bought her. I just thought that she was a lovely mover and was thrilled that I could ride her right from the get go. A long time ago, I had a friend who was looking to purchase a horse. She said that it had to have a pretty head. I told her that you do not ride the head. :o I bought the horse that was the one who connected with me. I did not consider the color to be an issue. Who knew?

[Wits_End_Eventing]

The numbers show Mares outperform Geldings

[QUOTE=caffeinated;7237053]
…Actually, I may not choose a mare at all… [/QUOTE]

While I understand why resellers don’t choose to buy mares I will admit the bias against mares drives me crazy. At the 4* level the breakdown is 86% geldings, 12% mares, 2% stallions (in case you were wondering if there really was a bias against mares). BUT mares have won 66% more events per entry than geldings.

Eventers are a sporting bunch, I guess most riders just don’t want that unfair advantage

[eventer215]

[QUOTE=Wits End Eventing;7237580]
While I understand why resellers don’t choose to buy mares I will admit the bias against mares drives me crazy. At the 4* level the breakdown is 86% geldings, 12% mares, 2% stallions (in case you were wondering if there really was a bias against mares). BUT mares have won 66% more events per entry than geldings.
Eventers are a sporting bunch, I guess most riders just don’t want that unfair advantage ;-)[/QUOTE]

It drives me crazy as well! I have two fantastic mares right now and one of them is chestnut. She is an incredible mover, super no-nonsense and bold over fences and just has event horse written all over her. I joke with my boyfriend that she will be my next upper level horse by default because I can’t get anybody to come look at her, let alone buy her! Now, my gelding is the drama queen of the bunch - he’s super talented but also very opinionated, herd-bound, and likes to find trouble in unlikely places. Go figure.

[horsetales]

Never made any sense to me. Probably about 1/2 of the Irish horses are chestnut, so no way they could have the reputation as steady mounts if there were so many crazy ones. My chestnut mare was wonderful and her chestnut daughter is out eventing with an amateur. Worst horse I ever rode was a bay gelding. 2nd worst horse was also a bay gelding - would take my chestnut mare any day over riding those geldings again.

[enjoytheride]

After my chestnut, pony, arabian, mare stopped trying to buck me off (bad training) she learned how much fun eventing is (except for dressage). I love a good mare.

[event_ryder]

My friend (albertaeventer) not only has a chestnut TB mare- but its a Storm Cat too! Not the easiest ride, but that mare would give her soul to her rider. I don’t think she’d be that way for just anyone, but they have developed a real partnership thats fun to watch!

I had a mare that I evented and was able to experience the cleverness they have. You have a good mare on your side and you are absolutely set. I do tend to prefer the ride on the mares on the barn when i’m not riding my own. (I have a cheeky red head 1/2TB gelding that loves what he does!)

[Simbalism]

No way, I would probably turn towards. Of course this comes from someone who has the pleasure of owning an awesome redheaded girl(and has since she was a yearling-19yo this year).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/6542500701/

[Cameraine]

Two of the mares I’ve owned over the years have been chestnuts. One was my first horse who packed me around and was the best. The second is a horse I will never forget who was the sweetest girl, packed toddlers around, and took me to my first horse trials. I miss her every day. I currently have a red head gelding who also is one of the sweetest horses and someday will pack around beginners.

[caffeinated]

[QUOTE=Wits End Eventing;7237580]
While I understand why resellers don’t choose to buy mares I will admit the bias against mares drives me crazy. At the 4* level the breakdown is 86% geldings, 12% mares, 2% stallions (in case you were wondering if there really was a bias against mares). BUT mares have won 66% more events per entry than geldings.

Eventers are a sporting bunch, I guess most riders just don’t want that unfair advantage ;-)[/QUOTE]

That is an AWESOME statistic!

The horse I’d love to buy right now is a wonderful mare. Plain and not eye catching at all, but absolutely a gem. I have no doubt that with some mileage she’d cart my ass around an XC course and win ALL the things.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

Love mine (chestnut TB mare)! Sometimes she gives everything to me on a silver platter–she’s particularly great at shows–and sometimes we have to have a little battle first (but then usually she gives in right away). She’s a very smart girl, brave, sensible, non-spooky and steady.

She also totes around kids and handicapped riders, but is much nicer to them than she is to me.

[candysgirl]

I have a 25yo red TB mare. She is extremely opinionated. She was bred to play polo and did so much of her life, both at the professional and collegiate levels. She has ALWAYS been very much the ‘YOUR job is to stay on and hit the ball, MY job is to get you there…leave me alone and let me do my job’ type. She was a fantastic polo pony. She required very little input from her rider and was VERY rarely wrong during a game (like once a season at most…).

When she retired from polo, she taught jumping lessons to kids for a few years. She was a fantastic jumper and was doing up to 4ft last winter. Honest as the day is long - just show her which jump is next, but lordy she does NOT like to be micromanaged. Point her at the next one and then leave her alone. She’d do the rest. If you tried to argue about striding or anything, things got ugly. If you left her alone, you’d have a clean round. She was not ever going to be a stylized hunter type, but she’d get you a clean jumper round the vast majority of the time.

She’s FINALLY showing signs of wear this year and is starting to gimp around. She is now 100% retired and will likely never be ridden again. I’m not sure if she hurt herself in turnout or something, but she’s definitely not sound. Vet pretty much shrugged and said, “She’s 25…there’s not a whole lot of point in doing much here if she’s eating well and acting normal, just let her be.” So she is now officially retired, though I’m not sure she’s entirely pleased with that status. She’s still pretty sure she could go play polo tomorrow.

[Curb_Appeal]

My first horse was a chestnut mare. She certainly had her opinions, but not any more than my bay gelding.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

Yes, I should add that my grey TB gelding is 15 times more opinionated than my chestnut mare. He’s known as “that horse with the attitude.”

[Foxtrot_s]

Gee - you guys have scared off the chestnut mare haters!

I’ve loved all my horses, but for some reason mares have found their way to me - I seem temperamentally suited to them. And I love the fact that when they are on, they are on - and have so much try.

That is an awesome statistic about eventing mares, too! Some years ago it was almost impossible to find a mare at the top of the dressage world - no so nowdays.

[2ndyrgal]

No good horse is ever a bad color.

But, you have to wonder why chestnut mares have been stereotyped? I’ve known chestnut mares that were every inch ladies, impeccable both in their stall and while working. I’ve known just as many, usually OTTB (but keep in mind that’s what I did and what I had to work with ) who were fussy, witchy, evil things. Whip smart and did not suffer fools gladly. I have, to an extent, found most chestnuts have a bit “more” personality. No idea why, just decades of observation.

I think that a potential buyer, that might also be an eventer, won’t mind. Probably no one that jumps will, you want a brave, confident horse.

I think that the fact that you’ve ridden her from jump street with no issues will do a lot to show a potential buyer what she really is.

Glad Tess is doing better.

[gr8fulrider]

An eloquent rebuttal of anti-mare bias. Here’s Bruce Davidson, on his (gray) mare Jam:

[I]She has no weaknesses & only strengths in each phase. I’m silly in love with her! She is always a brilliant show jumper & was one of only 2 clear rounds at Burghley in 2007.

We’ve had to focus on bringing her back slowly and Gerd Zuther has helped us with the dressage for this past year. Her improvement has been remarkable & Gerd is here with us in Florida to continue that progress.

[/I]
Jam is an extremely quiet, yet alert mare. She’s fun to have around. In her paddock, she has it down to a science on how to gallop in a burst & come to a perfect stop in the same place each time. She’s in charge of all that goes on around her….she’s the queen of the outfit. She’s beautiful to look at, with a striking head & the best eye lashes in the world! Buck, as a 13 year old, rode her mother in the Point to Point series here in Pa and was champion of the open division! He also fox hunted her with Cheshire……and Jam has inherited the same willing personality as her Mom. If ever God made the perfect horse (to me), she is it!