What characterizes a chestnut horse?

A chestnut horse is characterized by its dark red or brownish-red body color. This breed features a range of shades of red, including lighter shades like sorrel, which can sometimes confuse the classification, but fundamentally, chestnut horses do not have any black in their coat. The defining trait is their lack of any black points, such as on the mane, tail, or legs, which differentiates them from other colors like bay or black.

In contrast to the characteristics of the other options, the first choice describes a sorrel horse, which specifically includes a flaxen mane and tail along with the brown body, a trait not associated with chestnuts. The third option indicates a golden color with a white mane, which aligns more with cream or palomino coats rather than any shade of chestnut. The final choice describes a black coat with white markings, which is a distinct color category altogether, further emphasizing that the true identification of chestnut is based solely on the reddish-brown tones of the coat.