Dun dilution gene
Dun is a very intriguing and complex color modifier. It is often
called a "primitive" color complex, because it involves striping and
barring similar to that seen in zebras, or in some indigenous, truly wild
(like a deer or an antelope is wild) horse breeds, like the Spanish/Portugese
Sorraia, the Mongolian horse, Tarpan, or Przhevalski's horse (though in some of
the last three it may have been more recently introduced.) There is
some question in some circles as to whether there is more than one form of dun,
or whether it consists of more than one gene.
This site will use the
commonly held theory that it is only one gene, a simple dominant, until
otherwise proven.
Dun must be differentiated from buckskin. Though the terms were used
differently in times past, now "dun" means a dilution leaving darker
striping, and "buckskin" means a cream gene dilution without striping.
Dun is a dominant gene. If it is in the horse's chromosomes, it will
express itself.
It lightens the red or black body color, but not the points or dun
markings.
We'll use "D" for Dun and "d"
for non-dun.
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Dun on black: grullo (if male) or grulla (if female)
-
Usually a deep, "dove grey" with black points and
markings. May be bluish, pinkish, or silvery. (Grullo is Spanish
for "dove.")
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DD or Dd, EE or Ee, aa
-
Dun on bay: "regular" or "zebra" or "bay"
dun
-
Usually a warm but dusty "tan" color, sometimes reddish,
yellowish, or mousey, with black points and markings
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DD or Dd, EE or Ee, AA or Aa
-
Dun on red: red dun
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Usually a washed-out red body with darker red points and markings
-
DD or Dd, ee, AA or Aa or aa (can't tell from
looking)
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Always
a sharp-edged, distinct, dorsal stripe (along the top of the back
from the base of the mane to the base of the tail) in a color darker
than the surrounding body color. Usually, but not always, unbroken.
-
Almost always
-
zebra-like barring or striping on the legs, most common on
the backs of the upper front legs, in a color darker than the
surrounding body color
-
Often
-
lower face mask (darkest color present on & around muzzle area)
-
on a Palomino base (see "Mixtures", below), the dorsal
line may extend through mane and/or tail, giving them a darker center
line
-
Sometimes
-
ear barring: a horizontal bar across the center of each ear
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shoulder barring: a donkey-like stripe from the withers down toward
the shoulder on each side
-
neck barring: similar striping about midway down the neck
-
mane and/or tail frosting: guard (edge) hairs may be white or
buff-color, from hardly noticeable to a distinct bi-color effect as in
common in the Fjordhorses
-
mottling or marbling instead of barring at the tops of the legs
-
fish-boning, or transverse markings: tapered lines extending from the dorsal down toward the
belly, anywhere along the dorsal, however faint
-
Rarely
-
multiple dorsal stripes: two or more dark dorsal stripes, sometimes
only along part the spine, with body-colored hairs between them
-
no visible markings type 1: other color modifiers rarely prevent the
expression of the darker hairs which would make up the markings.
This can happen with extreme white markings, or on cremellos, for
example.
no visible markings type 2: it may be possible that on a horse
with extreme sootiness (countershading), the hair surrounding the
markings is so dark that the markings do not appear to be any darker
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