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In real life I have always considered those words synonymous. In my experience English riders use chestnut and Western riders use sorrel. I own what I consider a chestnut that others have called sorrel, haha. So, IMO, there's no difference - but I've never thought deeply about it genetically. haha

Here is what google said lol

CHESTNUT VS. SORREL. Sorrel and chestnut both generally refer to the same color, a reddish coat with non-black points (mane, tail, legs, ears). Chestnut is the English term, while sorrel originated in the west as the cowboy term.

What Hayes said. There are always people that insist they are different, and can tell you what they consider the differences to be, lighter/darker manes and tails, more red/less red body colour etc. But those opinions depend on what area you live, or what discipline you ride and so many other things, there is no specific shade for sorrel and another for chestnut. For instance where I am sorrel is nonexistent, they are all chestnut.

So the short answer is that sorrel and chestnut are two names for the same ee red colour

Yep, definitely the same genetically!

I’m from a “Cowboy/Western” area and I uese both terms. They way it was explained to me and what is consider to be sorrel where I’m at. Is a chestnut horse with white hairs sprinkled throughout the face, body, mane, tail, or flank. Pretty much wherever there isn’t supposed to be white hair. It’s kind of like when an old horse gets white on it’s body. Only the term is given to horses that shouldn’t be getting white hairs from age.

Geneticly they could have roan, but not enough white to be considered roan. I just learned about the Rabicano gene on this game, I’d bet most people where I live don’t know it’s even a thing that exists; so it could be rabicano as well. I’m just not sure if either of those genes would account for the white hairs on the face.

I agree with everyone who said it’s just another word used for chestnut and will change depending on where you’re at. I just thought It was interesting that where I’m at sorrel is used a category for the chestnut color, not actually an interchangeable word for chestnut.