A Study in Dilution: the Dun Gene

[BlackOak2]

This is a long post, please attempt to refrain from quoting the entire thing. A simple 'ping' is more than adequate. Thank you.

Check out my other study:
A Study in Dappling: the Silver Gene


I must first note that although the dun gene is considered a dilution gene, when I (personally) use the term dilution or dilution gene, I only refer to pearl, cream and champagne (there are a few players who also do this). The term dilution is defined as 'a gene that lightens a base color'. These dilution genes generally include (but may not be limited to): Dun, Cream, Pearl, Champagne, Silver, White, Gray and the newly theorized 'mushroom'. Of these, Gray is not technically a dilution gene but acts similar to them if only by the definition of 'lightens the base color'; and white (considering what genes are at work) is actually a color separate from other bases but acts 'on' them, or 'over' them.

I’m only doing this study on base and agouti colors. It gets sometimes impossible to tell when there is such things affecting the coat and hiding tell-tale hints such as appaloosa patterning or the white coloration that some dilutions offer. This is to help define the hints; much as my first study in the dapple-silver gene was.
I have attempted to gather examples on the extreme ends as well as nominal samplings from my herds over a number of generations. I’m sure there are still a lot of very unusual or odd examples that I have not offered, but if they can be defined by the hints that are seen here, then the study is successful.
The dun gene is a dominant gene, meaning that it only takes one to offer an expression. It is also a simple dominant meaning that one or two of this gene does not change its expressions. Dun is often expressed at birth and can be seen as a stripe of brighter coloration along the spine of the foal (it often makes a bright color on the base of the mane and tail as well). This dorsal stripe or racing stripe can be carried into adulthood (but isn’t necessarily kept). Other hints on the dun gene is zebra markings on the horse’s legs and fetlocks or also on the horse’s back or also on the horse’s neck, or also on their ears, or also on their hip and butt (thigh) area, a noticeable line or a color shift on the neck, and sometimes only offers a darker facial mask and legs as well as on the fetlocks (looks a bit like roan without the lighter versus darker hair distribution over the rest of the body). These hints or signs of dun can be seen completely separate of one another, but usually are seen in conjunction with others. Very rarely are all the signs expressed at once.
Alongside the dun gene, the coats can also express roan and pangare making it that much more difficult to define what expressions a horse’s coat offers. Among these two additional genes, roan can very easily hide the dun hints and dun can very easily hide pangare. Knowing what the parentage genetics offer is sometimes the only way to define what the offspring has. Especially if you understand and know exactly what genes they have, then the offspring is limited to what they can have inherited.

Identifying Pics (Hints of the Dun Gene expression)
Birth dorsal stripe – four pictures: full foal, close up of topline, front half, and back half.





XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Birth tail & mane coloration (without dorsal stripe) – perhaps not the perfect specimen, this foal carries heavy pangare from both parents, however she does offer the colored mane and tail with extremely limited dorsal striping. Three pictures, full foal, close up of mane, close up of tail.




XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

2 examples of adult patterned spinal markings & dorsal stripe



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult dorsal stripe & deep zebra markings on back


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult zebra markings on butt (thigh)


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult zebra markings on legs (also make note of the zebra stripes also on the fetlock/ankle)


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult zebra markings on ears (zebra ears appear to be a very rare expression)
**Picture will be added when I locate one

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult color shift on neck


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult zebra markings on neck


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult stripe on neck


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All three neck markings collectively expressed


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult facial mask (no zebra markings)


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adult leg mask (no zebra markings)
(also make note of the lighter color shift or mask on the fetlock/ankle)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Base colors, defined.

Chestnut – generally the dun gene on chestnut coats makes them appear washed out. This base coat color is probably the hardest sometimes to tell if the dun gene is affecting the coat as a very gently expressed dun on chestnut may look just like a regular chestnut. However, the reverse side of this coin can allow a chestnut horse with the dun gene to look almost like a bay or a wild bay.
Nominally, unless the foal also carries flaxen, the striped tail and mane generally disappear beneath the already bright red coloration and the dorsal stripe can be extremely hard to distinguish. Generally speaking, the dun gene does lighten the foal color and also will offer the facial mask, however, just because the foals have the lighter coat and the facial mask, it doesn’t mean that the foal definitely has dun. This is just a further indication that dun is probable. On the other hand, foal coat patterning can change drastically and what the foal looks like it has at birth may not be genetically true.

Black – black dun is known as grullo (or grulla depending on your spelling preferences, it can be separated by male versus female since the word ‘grullo’ is actually a Spanish word and not an English translation). The dun gene on black will turn the coat a gray color from a gentle (that has to be black, but why isn’t it black-black?) coloration to a very expressive light gray, mimicking the gray coloration on brown, bay and wild bay coats with dun (in real life, it’s considered a mouse-gray or mouse-tan coloration; we do not have that type of expression on the game). Grullo can also express dapples from the silver gene. I am leaving out any dappled coats from the silver gene (they can be found in my first study).
Dun on black-based foals can lighten their coats far more than the other colors. It also seems that most foals will also offer fetlock and leg color shifts alongside facial masks. However, there doesn’t seem to be much expression for foal dorsal stripes or mane and tail stripes even when silver affects the coat. There does seem to be correlation between what shade the foal is and what shade the adult coat is. I will separate these by light versus dark.

Brown – usually turns coats gray with brown colored points with a tan or yellow stomach line. Brown appears to have three separate foal phases, the pale phase, the red phase and the dark phase which may or may not be directly the result of the dun gene. Though these phases appear to often run into each other, they will, for the most part, describe the type of adult coat they’ll offer. The pale phase appears to be heavily affected by baby pangare and makes the foal coat look creamy in color, with the only real difference of the cream gene offering a yellow baby coat while this pale phase brown dun offers a pale tan color. Pale phase foals seem to always offer the gray-colored adult coat. The red phase comes across as a normally colored brown foal coat that appears to a chestnut foal except with a brown mane and. This red phase also offers a washed-out appearance to the body of the foal that is probably directly caused by the dun gene. This is the dun body mask. Red phase foals appear to almost always offer the gray-colored adult coat. The dark phase resembles the red phase except that it carries minimal or no dun body mask. These dark phase foals seem to offer coats that can appear as a normal brown coat instead of gray in color.

Bay/Wild Bay – usually turns coats grayer in color or offers a very washed-out bay or red tinge. Unlike the brown coat color, the bay and wild bay coats don’t seem to offer defined phases related to adult coats.

Chestnut

Flaxen Red Dun (Lingering On Bell Toll Hill)

As a newborn, this foal has a very clear color change on both mane and tail also indicating strong flaxen and a definite, though gently expressed dorsal stripe.

As a yearling, this horse has blown very visible dun markings including zebra, masks and color shifts and has also kept their dorsal stripe and the color shift on their tail. This is a very prominent and bold representation of the dun gene on chestnut.

Red Dun (Chained By Demons)

This newborn does not have flaxen. Neither does the mane and tail offer a bright color at their bases, nor does the dorsal stripe make an appearance. If you were to look closely, you may be able to discern the dorsal stripe. This foal does offer a decently dark facial mask along his forehead.

As a yearling, our foal offers almost no indication of being dun, save for the masking on their face, their legs and on their fetlocks. There is also a gentle color shift on their neck (potentially mistaken for a shadow) and very gently expressed spinal markings.

Red Dun (Sensations In Blue)

This newborn sports a decently visible dorsal stripe. Again, without flaxen, we cannot see the mane and tail stripe.

By one, our foal has blown extremely distinctive dun markings including the neck color shift and stripe, facial mask, dorsal markings and zebra markings on their legs and fetlocks.

Red Dun (Riddles On Bell Toll Hill)

This is another flaxen newborn. The mane and tail stripe is distinctive and there is also a dorsal stripe. Our newborn also has a facial mask appearing as a dark forehead.

With the foal coat blown, adult dun markings make a striking appearance along the mane and tail, connected with a dorsal stripe, facial mask, color shift and stripe on the neck and zebra markings on the legs.

Red Dun (Temper The Blue Throne)

This newborn is heavily affected by foal pangare. There is a dorsal stripe, although it’s easily lost by the color shifting foal pangare.

Now as a yearling, this coat offers the dun gene very gently as a neck stripe, zebra markings on the back, the hip and butt and on the legs. There is a facial mask, but since this horse also seems to have the metallic gene, the dun mask is hidden.

Red Dun (Little Fury Of The Blue Crown)

This is another brighter foal which may very well be a foal expression of the dun gene. It also sports a dorsal stripe.

With the foal coat blown, we can see a clear neck stripe, zebra marked legs and color shifted fetlocks. There is also the same dorsal stripe from the foal coat.

Red Dun (Little Fierce Blue Blood)

Here is a very light foal, possibly caused by the dun gene. Again, this foal offers no mane and tail striping, but we can clearly see the dorsal stripe.

Our yearling has blown their foal coat, leaving behind clear color shift on their neck, legs and fetlocks. The dorsal stripe remains and there is also a neck stripe. This yearling offers a facial mask clear to their nose.

Flaxen Red Dun (Queen Finality Of Blueblood)

Here is another flaxen foal. Again, the mane and tail stripe is clearly visible and there is also a visible dorsal stripe.

As a yearling, this horse is also displaying pangare, which serves to dilute the facial mask, the overall red color of our horse and also does a decent job of hiding the color shift on the fetlocks. What remains however are clear zebra markings on the legs and the stripe on the mane and tail. The dorsal stripe also remains from the foal coat and about as visible.

Red Dun (Cresting Duke)

This yearling like most of the chestnut-based foals, offers very little beyond the dorsal stripe. Although this particular foal almost seems to lack even this.

As a yearling however, there is clear enough indications of color shift on the neck and fetlocks, zebra markings on the legs, a facial mask (again the metallic gene probably hides much of this) and barely expressed spinal markings.

Black

Grullo Light Phase (Peace Over Bell Toll Hill)

This is a light phase black-based dun foal. Clearly seen are the color shifted legs and fetlocks. Less easy to make out is the facial mask.

As a yearling, our horse offers a lighter gray with a neck stripe and masks on their face, legs and fetlocks. There is also a visible dorsal stripe. It appears more as an outline for the horse rather a marking on it.

Grullo Light Phase (West Of Bell Toll Hill)

This is another light phase grullo. Again we can see a clear facial mask, leg mask and fetlock color shift. Less clear, but making an appearance is the dorsal stripe.

With the foal coat blown, we see a brighter gray coat highlighted by a facial mask, color shift on the neck as well as a stripe, spinal markings, zebra stripes on their legs and lastly zebra stripes on their fetlocks.

Grullo Light Phase (Rustic Tolling Bells)

This is probably the lightest that the light phase can offer, without being affected by other genes. Again, this foal offers the facial mask, leg mask and fetlock color shift. A dorsal stripe can also be seen.

Now a yearling, this ultra light phase has offered probably about as light a black coat affected by dun can achieve. We also still see the same indicators that the foal coat offered, the facial mask, the leg mask and the fetlock color shift as well as a gently expressed dorsal stripe. Along with these is also zebra striping on the back and on the hip and butt area.

Grullo Dark Phase (Trusting Sapphire Bluebloods)

This is a dark phase foal. These are much harder to distinguish from black-based foals without dun. This particular foal still offers a gently expressed facial mask and a barely realized fetlock color shift.

As a yearling, this dark phase horse offers that black coloration that ‘certainly looks black, but why isn’t it BLACK black?’ When looking closely, still visible is the facial mask, the fetlock color shift. There is also a leg mask that presents itself.

Silver Grullo Light Phase (Blue Giggles Of Tolling Bells)

Carrying the silver gene, this foal’s coat has an entirely different presentation of the dun color. Resembling most other foals, this foal offers foal pangare and also the mane and tail stripe seen on some dun-carrying foals.

Blowing the foal coat, this yearling now offers perhaps a slightly darker expression expected from being a light phase grullo. Visible is the neck stripe. Less visible is the facial mask, the fetlock color shift, zebra markings on the back and finally zebra markings on the hips and butt. The silver gene may be responsible for hiding most of the dun markers. If this horse lacked everything but the facial and leg masks, it is quite possible to miss-label this horse as lacking the dun gene.

Grullo Dark Phase (Sunburned Bell)

This dark phase foal barely offers a facial mask and is basically indistinguishable from a black foal without the dun gene.

Here is another adult coat offering very little distinguishing characteristics from a black horse without the dun gene. Keep in mind that a basic black horse will have no shading differences from nose to hoof to tail (save for those that are trained). Any other gene added to the black can change this appearance, for instance metallic. In this case, dun. Also visible is zebra markings on the neck.

Grullo Dark Phase (Confessions From The Blue Crown)

Probably right on the cusp of being light, this dark phase foal offers the leg mask and fetlock color shift as well as a gentle expression of the facial mask.

As a yearling, our horse clearly offers multiple dun markers and even barely offers a dorsal stripe.

Brown

Silver Brown Dun (The Blue King's Crown Princess)

This is a pale phase newborn that clearly offers not only the facial mask and the dun stripe, but also a body mask marked by a darker chest area. Baby pangare strongly affects this foal making her coat appear creamy.

As a yearling, the dun markings are very clearly visible and have turned the black areas of this brown horse, gray in color. She offers almost every possible marking in every area except for the striped ears, the spinal marking, the striped and zebra neck marking and the zebra legs. She has offered a very light gray-colored coat.

Silver Brown Dun (Memories Of Blue Crowns)

This is another pale foal. Again visible is the dun striping, facial mask and even the body mask.

As an adult, this horse offers a very similar brilliant display as the first example, except this horse sports zebra striping on the legs and a strip on the neck. This one also offers a very light, gray-colored coat.

Silver Brown Dun (Sapphires For Bluebloods)

Pale phase foal example number three that offers baby pangare of a much more strikingly shifted variety. Still the dorsal stripe and the facial mask are visible. However the body mask appears to get lost within the baby pangare.

As an adult, the gray-colored body offers a drastic color shift as the other examples thus far and offers a lack in certain areas of key dun characteristics. But the pale phase has again offered a light, gray-colored expression.

Brown Dun (Ashes Of The Sapphire Crown)

This is the first red phase example. As you can see, the baby pangare is not expressively colored as the pale phase, but there is clear enough evidence of the body mask (take a look at the foal’s forehead for the slightly darker color). However, this foal lacks other indications and only reveals the dorsal stripe if looked really closely.

As an adult, this horse is clearly affected by dun, but the gray-colored body isn’t as brightly described as the pale phase foals.

Brown Dun (Spiral Sapphire Prince)

This is our second red phase example. Again the baby pangare isn’t expressively bright. However, this foal offers much clearer evidence of the body mask, facial mask and the dorsal stripe.

As an adult, this coat offers a much lighter gray than expected with much clearer and brighter brown areas. If this horse had not been a dun carrier, this coat may have been a particularly bright brown with much more minimized blacker areas than the average brown coat. This coat still offers a striking color balance.

Brown Dun (Sapphire Blue On Crown)

This foal is harder to define which phase it belongs with. So I will mark it as a cups foal between pale phase and red phase. Baby pangare is a bit more defined, but doesn’t wholly affect the coat as the pale phases seem to offer, but the coat itself isn’t quite as brightly defined as the red phase presents. Still, there is the facial mask and the body mask and also a defined dorsal stripe.

As an adult we see that the brown areas of the horse are much less expressed than the example just above. These brown areas are pale and under-saturated and our gray-coloration is of a light variety. Yet our dun characteristics are clearly defined.

Brown Dun (Earthly Sapphire Prince)

Red phase foal with clearly defined facial mask. Also apparent is the body mask and the dorsal stripe, although a bit harder to define.

With the adult coat, we see a darker, but still vibrant gray coloration with expressive color shifts. Not apparent is any zebra markings. Here we can also see faded spinal markings.

Brown Dun (Noble Blue Princess)

This is our first dark phase example. Even here, however, there is visible facial mask and body mask. But the expression is much darker and much gentler.

With the adult coat, we see that the usual gray-coloration is almost unchanged from the brown underneath, so much that the brown expression creeps up the barrel behind the elbow halfway to the withers and likewise with the flank area. Yet there are still indications of dun with the facial mask, the color shift on the neck and even so with the gray-shifting of the black area of the body itself. This is almost as dark and understated as a dun-affected brown coat can offer.

Brown Dun (Mist Over Bell Toll Hill)

Pale phase foal, offering perhaps the lightest coloration achievable. The baby pangare expressively wipes away the body mask entirely. There also doesn’t appear to be any dorsal striping and even the facial mask could be written off by the baby pangare.

As an adult, we see that the brown areas are very understated, perhaps bringing light to maybe the more heavily expressed baby pangare, the less expressive the adult brown areas for these dun browns. This horse offers zebra striping marks in all areas except for the ears.

Brown Dun (Destined To Be A Blueblood)

This is a dark phase foal with minimal facial mask, but a slightly more expressive body mask then the other dark phase example. Again, there appears to be no dorsal stripe.

As an adult, there are clear brown areas with a dark, slightly gray-colored body. Although not as difficult to pick out, the dun markings still fade into almost nonexistence as the other example.

Bay

Bay Dun (Home Of Blue Crowns)

As with the other foals, the bay-colored foals also have a masking apparent. In this case, this foal also has a dun stripe, most prominent along the base of the mane.

With the foal coat blown, there is prominent dun markings along the neck and much less obvious down the back.

Bay Dun (Blue Masters And Sapphire Crowns)

This foal is heavily affected by baby pangare, yet there is still a visible dun stripe along the base of the mane.

As an adult, dun markings are prominent and all signs of the very heavy, baby pangare have disappeared. There is also a hint of dun marking at the ankles and along the upper legs.

Silver Bay Dun (Prince Of The Bluebell King)

This colt also has the silver gene. Aside from that, baby pangare attempts to hide the dun body mask and the color of this foal did make me question, briefly whether it could be a chestnut. The silver gene is a key marker for non-chestnut.

Now, as an adult, his dun markings are expressed on his face, neck, as a stripe down his back and a hint of color on his ankles.

Silver Bay Dun (Tolling The Noble Bells)

This is another ‘is it a chestnut?’ foal with the key silver gene. It is actually the same color as the foal just above, with only a hint of additional baby pangare apparent.

However, as an adult, this light-colored foal is relatively dark. This particular horse also is affected by a gentle pangare and the metallic gene. But here, the dun markings are nominally missing along the neck, while much more apparent down the back and on the legs. This horse is a good example of how the expressions are handled separately of one another and not in conjunction with one another.

Silver Bay Dun (Tempered Sapphire Throne)

Here again, another silver carrier foal. This one is quite a bit lighter than the last two.

Yet, as an adult, the shade really isn’t much different, even with a distinctively lighter foal coat. However, her dun markings are quite a bit darker, making the expression stand out much stronger on her coat. If you notice, you’ll see there is even a difference in the heaviness of the markings between the very expressive and noticeable leg stripes and ankle markings, compared to the thigh and back, which are quite a bit gentler.

Bay Dun (Burning Down Bell Toll Hill)

Here is a foal with a much heavier pangare gene expression. As a newborn, the pangare gene is expressed only as baby pangare. The dun gene however, is bright starting at the ears and flowing down the neck, along the back and even stains quite a bit of the tail. This is probably almost as bright a baby dun expression as possible. Usually, baby dun doesn’t color the tail much, if at all.

As an adult, the dun expression has marked the back and thigh, as well as the ankle. There is also decently heavy pangare, masking the face and the upper parts of the legs. The pangare gene can mimic the dun facial mask and even hide the leg masks in some cases. This horse is an important example of not only how pangare can hide key hints of the dun expression, but also how some of these genes and gene combinations can make a horse appear to be expression a gene they do not have, in this case, a double pearl. A double pearl on this horse would have offered pink skin with the black areas appearing washed out.

Silver Bay Dun (High Summer With Blue Bells)

Another silver foal. Dun expression is clear on this newborn.

As an adult, zebra markings are clearly visible on the legs, ankles and visible but easily overlooked as a single short stripe on the neck. Again, this horse also carries the metallic gene. It easily hides the dun facial mask, or perhaps, makes it much more apparent, depending on how your eye perceives the two genes.

Bay Dun (Certainly Blue Of Blood)

Here is a foal heavily affected by baby pangare. The dun gene is enhanced a bit along the back because of the heavy baby pangare, but does a good job hiding the baby dun facial and body mask.

Yet as an adult, the dun markings are visibly apparent. Baby dun expressions will not tattle on the future adult expressions. If you look closely, this horse has not only the dorsal and zebra stripes on the back, but also has the dorsal markings as well. Though hiding a little under the zebra stripes, the dorsal markings appear as just a shade or two darker than the stripes.

Bay Dun (Rumbling Blue Hill)

This foal has a very clear body mask but doesn’t have any facial mask (the body mask extends onto the cheek in this case). This foal is a great example of the color and shade separation between what is ‘masked’ and what isn’t. It does come across almost as a roan.

As an adult, this horse lacks the facial mask but has kept the body mask. Other than a little masking on the ankles, there appears to be no other dun markings. This horse could be mistaken for a roan, perhaps.

Silver Bay Dun (Blue Crusade For Sapphire Crowns)

This foal has a much gentler expression of facial and body masking and lacks the stripe that most dun foals possess.

As an adult, this horse has grown into a neck stripe and dorsal markings, although the dorsal markings are very gently expressed. There is no apparent mane accents and very little tail accents that could very easily be attributed to ‘body bleed’, where the body coloration ‘bleeds’ into the tail.

Bay Dun (Devious Bell Toll Hill)

This foal expresses the body mask and the facial mask differently. The body mask is decently apparent while the facial mask barely appears at all. Again, the dorsal stripe and mane and tail accents are apparent, if a little hard to make out in some areas.

With the foal coat blown, dramatic expressions of the dun gene shine. There is even a very decent mask line on the front legs (where the body mask ends and the base color of bay sits, before the black takes over).

Bay Dun (Doubled Blue Fury)

This foal has a more uniform facial and body mask. However, it’s also affected by the metallic gene, making the facial mask appear much brighter between the eyes.

As an adult, the metallic gene has seriously brightened this body mask almost to the point of inverting the colors to the zebra stripes on the legs. This is only an optical illusion, but neat anyway. There is also a clear but minimized mane and dorsal stripe.

Bay Dun – (Adamant Blueblood)

This foal clearly offers the full dorsal stripe, highlighted by a very bright body mask. It also has a facial mask, but metallic is also in play so it is hiding the facial mask quite a bit.

As an adult, this horse offers almost no other indication of dun except the body mask and a very fine-lined mane and dorsal stripe. There is also an ankle mask and a clear facial mask. This particular no-dun markings expression seems to be much rarer than others, for the obvious fact that each dun marking is handled separately of one another.


Wild Bay
(since the wild bays present uniformly like the bays, I only offer a few examples for visualization of the difference in the legs)

Wild Bay Dun (Dancer For The Sapphire Throne)

This foal is affected by the body mask, a very gentle facial mask and obvious mane stripe. However, this stripe doesn’t seem to continue along the back and perhaps bleeds into the tail.

As an adult, no markings are present, except the body mask and barely a facial mask. This horse is a good example of how the facial mask can offer up just a little bit between the eyes. On other horses, this facial mask can extend almost the full way to the end of the nose. This horse also offers very distinctly that the body mask covers the upper parts of the legs, but doesn’t extend downward. Instead, a new mask begins on the ankle and fetlock area.

Silver Wild Bay Dun (Suspicions Of Bell Toll Hill)

This foal has a gentle body mask and virtually no facial mask. Being affected by silver offers a bright mane stripe and thin, though visible tail stripe. Looking closely will also reveal a gently expressed dorsal stripe.

With the foal coat blown, not too much has changed. The body mask is much more apparent, but the facial mask is still almost nonexistent. The mane stripe is still very visible and the tail stripe is barely evident. Between the foal coat and the adult coat, the only real change seems to be that the baby pangare was exchanged for the ‘red’ of the bay coat.

Silver Wild Bay Dun (Overwhelming Bell Toll)

This foal is not much different from any of the other bays and wild bays. The baby pangare is less expressive on this foal.

As an adult, dun stripes appear all over this horse. Also as an interesting note, this facial mask extends almost straight to the black on the nose and runs flawlessly into the body mask, offering a uniform, whole-body mask.

Wild Bay Dun (Special Blue Bloodline)

This foal offers nothing extraordinary or different from the others. Note that the mane stripe is much brighter than some of the others.

As an adult, the body mask offers a striking contrast to the original bay color. Visible, just barely are stripings along the back, thigh and upper leg.

Silver Wild Bay Dun (Faraway From Blue Crowns)

Another foal, this one with silver. The silver gene does make seeing the mane stripe much easier.

This horse may have been affected by the pangare gene as well. Notice that the bay legs are only just darker than the body mask and that the end of the nose (just above the black) appears to be the same color as the rest of the masked face. If this horse had no dun markings beyond the facial and leg masks, this horse may have been easily confused as being wholly pangare or perhaps even affected by a dilution.

Silver Wild Bay Dun (The Blur Of Bluebell Hill)

This foal, heavily affected by baby pangare, actually does a good job of hiding the mane, dorsal and tail stripe. It also tucks the body and facial mask into the baby pangare shading.

Yet as an adult, although the mask isn’t greatly expressed, this horse is clearly dun. I have had much gentler expressions of dun, but this horse is a good example of dun, though still clearly visible, could be overlooked.

Wild Bay Dun (A Bluebell Aura)

Last foal, too many examples? Perhaps, but even though most of the foals appear nearly identical, their adult coats can offer quite an array of expressions. This foal has a decently bright body mask, but appears to lack a facial mask.

As an adult, the facial mask still appears missing, but the body mask is clearly evident and offers a good contrast for the neck markings.

[Nazarach]

I have examples for buckskin/creme and pearl dillution duns, if you are interested

[BlackOak2]

I have examples for buckskin/creme and pearl dillution duns, if you are interested

I'm a very far cry from tackling the other dilutions.
The reason I don't include these other dilution in combination with dun, is because the dilutions are themselves not base colors. Plus it would make this study absolutely huge.

I do these studies on base colors to show only one gene at a time that affects the base. I have examples of another gene only to offer how it plays against the one gene, counteracts it or complements it.

When I tackle the other dilutions, I should have an example of a dun and how that gene can play against, counteract or complement that dilution, as well as a pangare example.

But thank you! I will keep it in mind when I tackle those.

[mora098]

Wow! This is so cool and seems like such hard work! Thank you for sharing and taking the time to make this

[Nazarach]

I have examples for buckskin/creme and pearl dillution duns, if you are interested

I'm a very far cry from tackling the other dilutions.
The reason I don't include these other dilution in combination with dun, is because the dilutions are themselves not base colors. Plus it would make this study absolutely huge.

I do these studies on base colors to show only one gene at a time that affects the base. I have examples of another gene only to offer how it plays against the one gene, counteracts it or complements it.

When I tackle the other dilutions, I should have an example of a dun and how that gene can play against, counteract or complement that dilution, as well as a pangare example.

But thank you! I will keep it in mind when I tackle those.

Ok, that is understandable, the work you've done is already pretty extensive ^^' thanks for your hard work

[Silverine]

I've got one for you. Dun or not? I didn't notice anything on her at first, but then saw the light spots on her fetlocks. Her dam is a very lightly expressed grulla, so it's definitely possible for her to have. What do you think?

[BlackOak2]

I've got one for you. Dun or not? I didn't notice anything on her at first, but then saw the light spots on her fetlocks. Her dam is a very lightly expressed grulla, so it's definitely possible for her to have. What do you think?

It is probably a dun expression.
Here's my thought processes to this (other than the fading on the ankles that's generally caused by dun), if I accept the fact that there may be another gene that causes the fading ankles, if you take a look at the foal picture:



Do you see the 'bleeding' of the coat up into the mane?

If you look at the bay duns I offered:



You'll notice a similar bleeding. Plus if you look really close, you can 'just' make out the baby, body dun-mask covering her (I haven't yet determined whether non-dun foals can also carry the dun mask, surprisingly it hasn't crossed my mind However, I also haven't noticed a body mask on a non-dun foal).

So I offer some other buckskin foals (randomly pulled from for sale horses), of non-dun buckskin foal images as examples:



(this one has silver)


Although these foals also have bleeding from the body into the mane, you'll notice that the color bleeding upward is the same color as the body. They also don't appear to have a body mask.

Thus I conclude that your filly is indeed a dun carrier, if barely expressed.

[Raikit]

Got another one for you. Dun or not? His sire does not carry dun, but his dam does and really likes to throw it around, even though she only has one copy.

[BlackOak2]

Got another one for you. Dun or not? His sire does not carry dun, but his dam does and really likes to throw it around, even though she only has one copy.

I'd say definitely dun. Not only are their faint zebra markings on his legs (that are becoming more apparent as he ages up), but he's definitely sporting the body mask. It makes for a great distinction, almost a solid line between the lighter color on his upper legs, versus the darker color on his lower legs. Already accounted for by being bay, dun has offered even a better contrast for his color.

It's kind of funny, his dam's dun expression is barely expressed (I can't even see it in her gallery).

[Raikit]

I'd say definitely dun. Not only are their faint zebra markings on his legs (that are becoming more apparent as he ages up), but he's definitely sporting the body mask. It makes for a great distinction, almost a solid line between the lighter color on his upper legs, versus the darker color on his lower legs. Already accounted for by being bay, dun has offered even a better contrast for his color.

It's kind of funny, his dam's dun expression is barely expressed (I can't even see it in her gallery).

Yeah, I really had to zoom in on her foal pic to pick it out.

My issue with this boy is that the closer I look at his legs, the more I wonder if his stripes are actually stripes or if they're caused by the extreme sooty that runs in his lines. Here's the close-up:



Not saying he can't have it, just that he's being really cryptic about it. XD