Home » Rewilding Sanctuaries » What Causes Chestnuts on a Horse?

What Causes Chestnuts on a Horse?

James H. Sterling • • 6 min read
What Causes Chestnuts on a Horse?
★ Key Takeaways

And That's the Strange Thing About a Chestnut – It Is a Perfectly Normal Part of the Equine Anatomy. It's Been Theorized That the Chestnut Is a Small Reminder of Either the Horse's Long Lost Toe or a Scent Gland That Has Been Lost via Evolution from the Equine Ancestor Eohippus.

Is what Causes Chestnuts on a Horse something you want to understand? Find out key explanations in our feature story.

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

And That's the Strange Thing About a Chestnut – It Is a Perfectly Normal Part of the Equine Anatomy. It's Been Theorized That the Chestnut Is a Small Reminder of Either the Horse's Long Lost Toe or a Scent Gland That Has Been Lost via Evolution from the Equine Ancestor Eohippus.

Frequently Asked Questions

James H. Sterling
Author

James H. Sterling

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.