Red Dun is the result of one or two dun genes on a red (chestnut/sorrel)
base.
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A red dun will usually be lighter in overall body color than the average
chestnut, and will have red-brown markings left behind (undiluted areas) by
the dun dilution gene.
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Our first red dun example is "Levi", owned by Dick
& Mary Annita Blake AQHA,ApHC & NFQHA Performance Horses, Wolf
Run Ranch. Other red duns, with different owners, are below his
pictures.
Click on these thumbnail photos to see them normal
size. Comments are the webmaster's unless otherwise noted.
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Here is the side view. I would expect some people to write him
off as a "light sorrel" if looking at this photo only. Many horses' base
colors are so dark that we can't rely on the *appearance* of dilution to
determine the presence of a dun gene. But look:
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In this photo we can see that he has a red-on-red dorsal
stripe. This is the *first* place we look to determine whether
a horse is a dun. The stripe is sharp-edged, a very important
trait to differentiate it from dorsal "shading".
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The stripe breaks up over his withers, but over his rump it goes right
down into and throughout his tail. We learned from Kiger
Cougar, a famous Kiger (dun), that dorsal stripes can vary greatly.
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See the lovely, typical dun markings on his front legs.
The dark color is the color he would have been if not for the dun
dilution. This is the *second* place we look to determine if a
horse is a dun.
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He is also graced with nice dun markings on his hocks (hind
legs.) These are not visible on all dun horses, but they do give a
good additional indicator when they are present.
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Levi also has the shoulder
barring (like a transverse stripe on a donkey) that is so typical of
duns. We are also seeing this on horses whose dun status we have
not yet determined, however.
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These photos of another red dun were taken by Julia Lord. They
are of the dorsal stripe and shoulder markings, both on one horse (name
unknown).
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Red dun foal at age of 8 hours! Chai, owned by Ivan (Dick) & Mary
Annita Blake ApHC,AQHA,&NFQHA Performance Horses www.wolfrunranch.com
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This Red Dun mare (from Colleen) belongs to Donna of VooDoo
Farm in FL
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As does this stallion.
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© 2009 Barbara A. Kostelnik |