The dun horse color is a fascinating and often misunderstood coat color found in many horse breeds. It’s important to remember that dun is a color, not a breed of horse.
Interestingly, the dun coloration is an ancient one, even appearing in prehistoric equine paintings. That’s right; even cavemen recognized the beauty of a dun horse!
This article will give you a comprehensive overview of dun horse colors, including the genetics behind them, the variations you might see, and how to tell a dun horse apart from horses with similar coat colors.
What is a dun horse?
Dun describes a specific coat color in horses, characterized by dilution and what are called “primitive markings.” Dun horses have unique markings, including dorsal stripes (a dark stripe down the spine), shoulder stripes, and leg barring.
The dun color comes from the “dun dilution gene,” which can affect any base coat color (bay, black, or chestnut). This gene dilutes the body color while leaving the points (mane, tail, legs) darker. It also creates those specific primitive markings like the dorsal stripe, leg stripes, striping at the withers, dark ear tips, and darkening of the lower legs.
It’s important to remember that dun is a color, not a breed. Many different breeds can exhibit the dun coloration.
Key Characteristics and Markings of Dun Horses
Dun horses have a few key characteristics that set them apart from other colors. Many of these are known as “primitive markings.”
Primitive Markings
- Dorsal stripe. This dark stripe runs right down the horse’s spine from its tail to its withers. It’s a hallmark characteristic of a dun horse.
- Leg barring (zebra stripes). Many dun horses have dark, horizontal stripes on their legs.
- Shoulder stripes. Some dun horses also have darker shading across their shoulders.
- Ear tips and face mask. You’ll often notice darker shading on the tips of a dun horse’s ears and sometimes a darker face.
Genetic Basis
The color dun comes from the dun gene (D), which is a dominant modifier gene that causes dilution. Because it’s dominant, a horse only needs one copy of the gene to express the dun trait.
The dun gene can appear on horses with black, bay, or chestnut base colors, resulting in different shades of dun.
Dun vs. Buckskin: What’s the Difference?
Dun horses are often mistaken for buckskin horses. Though they can look alike, they have different genetics.
The dun color comes from the dun dilution gene, which can appear on any base coat color. Buckskin horses, however, have a cream dilution gene that only appears on bay base coats. Buckskins will always have dark points.
The easiest way to tell the difference between a dun and a buckskin is to look for primitive markings. Dun horses have a dorsal stripe and leg barring. Buckskins don’t have these markings. Buckskins typically have a golden body color with black legs, mane, and tail.
Variations of dun color
The dun gene can act on different base coat colors to create a range of beautiful variations.
Classic dun (bay dun)
Classic duns, also called bay duns, have a golden tan body with black points (mane, tail, and legs) and those distinctive primitive markings. They’re the most common type of dun and are frequently mistaken for buckskins. Genetically, they’re bay horses with the dun gene.
Red dun
Red duns are a light chestnut or sorrel shade with red or flaxen points and primitive markings. They’re what happens when the dun gene acts on a chestnut (red) base coat. So, instead of black points, they have lighter, reddish points.
Grullo (grulla or black dun)
Grullos, also known as black duns, are the rarest of the duns. They range in shade from a light, silvery gray to a smoky black, always with black points and primitive markings. They’re created by the dun gene acting on a black base coat, giving the horse that characteristic “mousey” color.
Dunalino and dunskin
The dun gene can also combine with other dilution genes, like the cream gene, to create even more unique colors.
- Dunalino: A palomino horse with the dun gene. The cream gene lightens the coat to a golden color, and the dun gene adds primitive markings.
- Dunskin: A buckskin horse with the dun gene. The cream gene dilutes the bay coat to a buckskin color, and the dun gene adds primitive markings. A well-known example of a dunskin is the famous reining horse, Hollywood Dun It.
Famous Dun Horses in History
The dun color has appeared in many famous and influential horses. Here are a few examples:
- Doc Bar: This horse had a huge impact on the cutting horse industry. His offspring were National Cutting Horse Association Futurity winners, world champions, and consistently ranked among the top performers.
- Doc O’Lena: Siring over 1,300 foals, Doc O’Lena’s legacy lives on through horses with countless performance awards and world championships.
- Zippos Mr. Good Bar: With offspring earning over 67,000 points and $3 million, plus more than 20 world championships, Zippos Mr. Good Bar made a lasting mark.
Conclusion
Dun horses, with their signature dorsal stripes, leg barring, and other primitive markings, are undeniably striking. The dun gene dilutes the base coat color and creates the distinctive markings that set them apart.
But remember, coat color is only one small part of what makes a horse special. Whether a horse is dun, bay, chestnut, or gray, its suitability as a riding partner, show competitor, or working animal comes down to its temperament, training, and overall health, not its coloring.
So, the next time you see a dun horse, take a moment to appreciate the beauty and diversity within the equine world. They truly are something special.