Dun Your Time
April 17, 2009
The dun horse coloration is more than a dorsal stripe.
A sorrel horse with the dun modifier is called a red dun. Get a FREE chart with all the other AQHA-recognized coat colors.
By Andrea Caudill in America’s Horse
The Przewalski (pronounced per-zih-vahl-skee) horse, the only true wild horse in existence, is found in Asia. Most of these horses, along with many ancient breeds, have primitive markings associated with the dun gene.
The color called “classic dun” is a golden tan color with black points, a black dorsal stripe and leg barring (stripes that run horizontally across the horse’s knees and or hocks).
The color recognized as dun is often confused with buckskin because the colors’ phenotypes appear very similar; many people differentiate the two by describing a dun as “a buckskin with a dorsal stripe.”
However, they are genetically different.
As explained in Cream of the Crop, buckskins are bay horses with a single dose of the cream dilution.
The dun gene is a dominant modifier and can appear on both black- and red-based horses. It affects the shade of the horse’s coat and adds the dun characteristics: a dorsal stripe, zebra stripes on the legs, striping over the withers, dark tips on the ears and darker coloration on the lower legs. These traits are a package deal – a dorsal stripe does not make a dun.
Though it sounds tough to identify all the traits associated with horse coat colors, you can make the picture clear with AQHA’s FREE Horse Color and Markings Chart. This valuable reference chart gives you more examples of all approved AQHA colors.
A sorrel horse that receives the dun modifier is called a red dun. This horse will appear in shades from pale red to light tan, but never has black points. Its mane and tail can range from cream to dark red. It will show some or all of the dun characteristics.
A bay horse with the dun modifier becomes the classic dun. Its body color ranges from very pale yellow to very dark.
A black horse with the dun modifier is known as a grullo (grew-yo). This color is a silvery, smoky or mousy color. Each of the hairs is the silvery color; it is not a mix of individually colored light and dark hairs. These horses will also have the dun characteristics.
It is possible for a horse to carry multiple genes, such as both the dun and cream dilution.
Color Fact:
The 1940 stallion Hollywood Gold, registered as a dun, was genetically a “dunalino” (dun plus palomino). Thus he passed on both the dun and cream genes to his offspring. His famous great-grandson, Hollywood Dun It, registered as a dun, was genetically a “dunskin” (dun plus buckskin).
Now that you know some of the genetics behind color, learn to identify each coat in person. Become a horse coat color expert with AQHA’s FREE Horse Color Chart. Read detailed descriptions and full-color examples of all 17 AQHA-recognized colors.
Pay Tribute to a Wounded U.S. Warrior at QuarterFest
Army Sgt. Josh Forbess lost an ear and half of his nose, suffered broken bones, extensive burns and smoke inhalation injuries - and he was lucky. Seventeen of his fellow soldiers lost their lives in the November 16, 2003, Black Hawk helicopter crash. Not wanting to let his injuries stop him, Sgt. Forbess now heads the Army’s Fort Campbell Fisher House Equine Therapy Program. Five years after the tragic accident, he received the President’s Volunteer Service award.
Sgt. Forbess will be a part of the QuarterFest Equine Extravaganza the evenings of May 1 and 2 in the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. We’ll cap the event with an all-American tribute to the nation’s wounded warriors and those who have given their lives for our country.
Comments
16 Comments on “Dun Your Time”
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April 17th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
My late mare was what was called a liver chestnut. Sometimes she could be mistaken for a Bay. My question would be as to where her coloration fits in the scheme?
April 17th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Hi Nancy, I checked with Andrea Caudill, author of the AQHA Colors series, and here is what she had to say:
Dear Nancy:
A liver chestnut is genetically the same as any normally-shaded sorrel or chestnut despite appearing dark, and it is not uncommon for chestnuts to have darker brown points, which might resemble bay. However, a bay horse will have true black points on its legs, ears, mane and tail. If your mare’s points are not true black, then she is probably just a liver chestnut.
You might also want to take a look at our previous posts on AQHA colors…
http://americashorsedaily.com/learn-how-horses-get-their-colors/
http://americashorsedaily.com/shine-by-the-bay/
Thanks for reading!
Andrea Caudill
acaudill@aqha.org
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:48 am
Thanks for the info. about Hollywood Gold. I own one of his great grand daughters and she is registered as a red dun. Her grandfather, Hollywood JAC 86 is a red dun and her father, Hollywood 86 is a Palomino. Does the sire throw the dominate gene for color? I always found it interesting how HW Gold being a palomino was throwing all these different colors. His lineage is very diverse. I will be sure to read learn-how-horse-get-their-colors.
June 11th, 2009 at 5:36 am
I have one for you. My mare was a dun, her dam a sabino bay type color, her sire a red dun, she was bred to a gray, whose dam was a
chestnut, and his sire was a gray, she had a bay colt and a dun
colt, the dun has bars on all 4 legs, a dorsel stripe, just a
snip of white on his nose. His name is IM KEEN ON CASH, yes he is
great g-son of Dash For Cash. His colors baffle me, he has darkened on his withers/shoulders area under his neck/throat area
with black, I’d like to know if he could turn gray/dun or grulla
later, he is 2yrs.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
i have a arabian that’s white and a mare that is a ovaro mare with half and half(throughbreed andquarter horse) so what would be the markings
July 8th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
hello that horse looks a lot like my horse
July 8th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
i also have a (white welsh mountain pony) and a (i hve 17 hand rare arab chestnut he is rare cause of his size)
July 12th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
(i just got a throughbreed gelding his name is duke
July 12th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
i got a gyspy vanner his name is pickles
July 12th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
that is so cool jim i am glad for you how long ago did you get him? my best cousin
July 12th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
yah yesterday he is so fone to play with how is your horse
July 12th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
i will see your new horse today
September 9th, 2010 at 7:44 am
Andrea, another nice article. I own a bay dun, a buckskin and a duna lino, so this article was of special interest to me and my students. One question, you state the classic dun color has a black dorsal stripe. Is it true black or can it be just very dark brown also? My Registered QH bay dun is reddish gold, with black points with shoulder and leg barring, but his dorsal stripe is very dark brown. His papers state he is a Dun. Would you call him a Classic Dun or just dun. My students and I would like to know. We truly enjoy your articles and have learned so much. Thanks!
December 13th, 2010 at 11:26 am
I own two Arabs one quarter. My fav breed is Arabs
February 11th, 2011 at 9:10 am
Hi. My colt seams to be red dun with roaning. Is it probable he will produce duns and roan foal in future?
March 25th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
I have a grandson of Hollywood Dun It, (actually goes back to Hollywood Gold twice) that is registered palomino. He has very defined leg barring, darker face, darker ear tips, darker hair in the middle of the mane & tail like a dunalino, but no dorsal stripe. His sire has identical coloration.