Duns and Their Look-Alikes - not to be confused!

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Below are some pictures of true dun horses / ponies (with the dun gene) , and pictures of colours commonly confused with dun (with other dilution genes)

 

Here are some true duns ......
RedDun Mustang
Blue Dun
(dun gene on black basecoat)
Mouse Dun
(dun gene on brown basecoat)
photo courtesy of Nancy Kerson www.mustangs4us.com
Golden Dun
(dun gene on bay basecoat)
photo courtesy of Nancy Kerson www.mustangs4us.com

Red Dun
(dun gene on chestnut basecoat)
photo courtesy of Nancy Kerson www.mustangs4us.com
Silver Blue Dun
(dun + silver genes on black basecoat)
Silvered Golden Dun
(dun + silver genes on bay basecoat)
Silver Dun
(dun + cream genes on black basecoat)

Sable Cream Dun
(dun + cream + champagne genes on brown basecoat)

"Sierra Hesa Chief", stallion owned by
Flyin Fox Ranch, S Canaan, Pennsylvania

Sooty Dunalino
(dun + cream + sooty genes on chestnut basecoat)

N.B: sooty only shows in the undilute areas; dun suppresses sooty

Gold Champagne Dun
(dun + champagne genes on chestnut basecoat)
The dun gene can occur in combination with any other dilution gene or genes, giving a huge variety of cream duns, silvered duns, champagne duns, champagne cream duns etc. Look for the correct dun dorsal stripe and other primitive markings to spot the dun gene. The dorsal stripe (combined with dun tail-cap sides) is a must-have for duns; they should also show at least two other dun markings from the following list:
  • Leg barring (zebra stripes)
  • Wither stripe
  • Dorsal 'barbs'
  • Ear barring
  • Dilute ear-tipping
  • Dark face-mask
  • Shoulder cape
  • Neck shadowing
  • Dun frosting to mane guard hairs
  • Cobwebbing (forehead markings)
  • (Occasional) belly stripe and / or chest 'fishboning'

For some really superb pictures of dun markings, take a closer look at this lovely Mouse Dun (Brown Dun) mare, Amberfield's Dun Lovin', on her own page.
This photo courtesy of Laura Behning, Brookridge Morgans.

 

... and here are some un-duns with other dilution genes (commonly mistakenly registered as dun, golden dun, dark dun, etc.)

classic
Buckskin
(cream gene on bay basecoat)
Amber Champagne
(champagne gene on bay basecoat)
Sable Champagne
(champagne gene on brown basecoat)
Classic Champagne
(champagne gene on black basecoat)
Dark Sooty Buckskin
(cream + sooty genes on bay basecoat)
Sooty Buckskin
 Smoky Black foal Dark Mushroom Mushroom Shetland
There are many dilute colours which are frequently mistaken for duns; these are just a few examples.
Sooty Buckskin
(cream + sooty genes on bay basecoat)

Smoky Black
(cream gene on black basecoat)
Dark Mushroom
(unknown gene on chestnut basecoat - definitely not a silver dilute)
Photo courtesy of Beth Mead,
Kella's Stud
Mushroom
(unknown gene on chestnut basecoat - definitely not a silver dilute)
Photo courtesy of Beth Mead,
Kella's Stud

 

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