Settle an Argument:What is "Sorrel?"

Half of the people in our barn say that sorrel is a red chestnut (that's what I thought when I was a kid and I had a red chestnut horse), and half say that sorrel is a lightish chestnut with a lighter mane and tail and lighter hair around the edges, legs, muzzle, etc., like you find in some draft horses. Settle the argument...who is right?

Both, sorrel can be many shades of red same as chestnut. Genetically their one and the same. The only two groups that use the term sorrel are the AQHA and APHA the rest of the horse world only uses Chestnut.

I've always thought that sorrel meant lighter chestnut, with almost a yellowish mane and tail, and around the "edges."

Chestnut: A reddish body color with no black. Mane and tail is the same shade or lighter than the body coat. The main color variations are:

• Liver chestnut: dark very dark brown coat. Sometimes a liver chestnut is also simply called "brown."
• Sorrel: Reddish-tan to red coat, about the color of a new penny. The most common shade of chestnut.
• Blond or light chestnut: seldom-used term for lighter tan coat with pale mane and tail that is not quite a dun.

that definition is interesting, as my gelding is a chestnut but has a dredominantly black tail, or at least very dark. also, he has some white hairs flecked through his coat which i thought was unusual, but he's a TB so that rules out any possibility of his being a roan. will take some pics and post them.

According to Wikipedia:

Sorrel (horse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I hate to spoil everybody's fun at the barn by settling the argument, but this definition says it all!

I had always thought Sorrel was the term western people used and chestnut was the term english people used. But my vet told me that a sorrel is the darker redder color with the darker redder mane. My horse is a sorrel:
Pistolcute.JPG

He will actually get redder in the sun where a chestnut will lighten in the sun. i wish I had a pic of a chestnut... that's where they can have that pretty flaxen mane...

I had always thought they were the same color, just depended on what saddle you were using or what association you are dealing with

The link takes you to a page that says "no article exists"

Here is the link I found Sorrel (horse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
I think its still a matter of opinion and controversy. Dependent on where you are standing

EDT
Wow thats bizarre it won't show up. Don't hit the link its not working! It came up when I googled it...Oh well