(Redhead related articles were previously submitted to another website but were not chosen for publication.)
There is a large variety of horses in the world. Big or small. Draft, light, pony, mini. Wide or narrow. Hundreds of color variations. As a general rule, you’re not supposed to judge a horse based solely on its color or sex. However, when it comes to chestnut mares, horse-enthusiasts far and wide are keenly aware of their legendary status.
Now the interesting part of the chestnut mare myth is that the origin seems to stem from… you got it… redheaded women. (A mare is a female horse. Mares are typically not “spayed,” so they have all of their hormones intact which may also attribute to the stereotype.)
Chestnut mares are thought to:
1. be harder to handle
2. possess fiery attitudes
3. be vindictive
4. be stubborn
5. be temperamental
6. be unpredictable
7. be scary
8. be opinionated
9. be bossy
10. be challenging
I am the fortunate owner of one of these legendary chestnut mares, and I can attest to all of these attributes. However I’d also add to the list the following: loving, loyal, sweet, protective, brave, motherly, exceptional.
Maybe this stigma surrounding chestnut mares opens the door for them to display these behaviors with a good excuse to do so, a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. As a fellow redhead, I can identify with using my own red hair as an excuse for fiery behavior at times. I might just be extending that pardon to my beautiful chestnut mare as well. 🙂
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