Breed Information
Colour Coat Genetics - Red Dun
  

WHAT DOES A RED DUN LOOK LIKE?
RED DUN has a broad range of colour combinations but will never have black points. The body colour of the RED DUN ranges from pale red to gold or light tan, or any variation in between, all of which are diluted forms of RED. Like SORREL and CHESTNUT, the mane and tail colour of the RED DUN will also have a wide range. This includes blonde or cream (sometimes appearing almost white), flaxen, light gold, pale red, sorrel red, or chestnut. You may notice that a RED DUN with a golden body and a blonde mane and tail has the same colour description as PALOMINO. However, it is also the presence of the DUN gene which sets them apart. Unlike a PALOMINO, a RED DUN has some or all of the DUN characteristics-dorsal stripe, zebra stripes on the legs, striping over the withers, sometimes darker tips on the ears, and sometimes darker colouration on the lower legs. On the other hand, a tan or light gold-coloured RED DUN with chestnut coloured points may have a similar appearance to (and may be confused with) the colour recognized as DUN. It is important to note that a red dorsal stripe does not denote the colour of the horse as RED DUN; DUNS and RED DUNS may have red dorsal stripes.

WHAT ARE THE COLOUR GENETICS OF RED DUN?

The base colour of RED DUN is identical to that of SORREL and CHESTNUT. It is the inheritance of the DUN gene from at least one parent that gives it the diluted appearance as well as the DUN characteristics. (The DUN DILUTION gene is nor to be confused with the recognized colour DUN, which includes having black points.) The RED DUN never has black points.

Sometimes a horse will be identical in colour to a PALOMINO but will also have striping on the legs (called zebra stripes or tiger stripes) and a dorsal stripe. Since a PALOMINO does not have zebra stripes on the legs and rarely has a dorsal stripe, these markings would be the result of the DUN gene and would then be one example of RED DUN. (See PALOMINO) A RED DUN that has the same colouration as PALOMINO will also carry the CREAM DILUTION, which means this variation of RED DUN carries both the DUN and CREAM DILUTIONS.

HOW DID THIS HORSE GET THE DUN DILUTION?

At least one of the foal's parents contributes one copy of the DUN DILUTION gene. This parent will most likely be a DUN, RED DUN or GRULLO. There are a few exceptions. Some pedigrees may show a parent or ancestor as being registered BLUE ROAN but is actually GRULLO-ROAN or as being registered RED ROAN but is actually DUN-ROAN or RED DUN-ROAN. The colours may appear to 'hide. the DUN DILUTION or appear to skip generations, oftentimes leading to the erroneous assumption that DUNS can be 'crop ours.. The same holds true if a parent started out as a DUN, RED DUN, or GRULLO but turned gray (in the event of a gray parent), whereby the colour was amended to reflect this on the certificate of registration. Some pedigrees may show a horse registered as BUCKSKIN but may, in fact, have been a DUN. In any event, DUN is a dominant gene, which means at least one parent must always be a type of DUN, whether registered as a ROAN type or has turned GRAY. But being dominant does not necessarily mean dominating in that, merely breeding a DUN DILUTION horse to a horse of any other colour will guarantee a DUN DILUTE horse.

Sometimes, a RED DUN horse is the result of two DUN DILUTION parents. This includes any combinations of crosses between DUNS, RED DUNS, GRULLOS, or horses registered a colour (erroneously or not) that is carrying the DUN gene. If each parent passes on one copy of the DUN gene, the result is a horse that is homozygous for the DUN DILUTION. This means that this horse will pass on the DUN gene to its offspring 100 percent of the time, regardless of the colour of the other parent.

CAN A RED DUN ALSO BE A ROAN?

It is possible for a RED DUN to express the ROAN gene, Genetically, this is called a RED DUN-ROAN. This may happen if one parent carries the roan gene and is bred to a parent that carries the DUN DILUTION. Since RED DUNS may be light in shade, the ROAN may not be immediately recognized. At present, AQHA does not have a separate colour choice of RED DUN -ROAN. For registration purposes, the horse is registered as the base colour of RED DUN. AQHA then indicates the ROAN characteristic under the markings area of the registration certificate with the phrase "CARRIES AND EXPRESSES ROAN GENE."
Some GRAY horses may have started out as RED DUN, These horses still retain the colour genetic information to pass on the DUN DILUTION gene and produce RED DUN foals regardless of the colour of the other parent. Some RED DUNS that are turning or have turned GRAY may not easily be recognized as such, since the coat may be light in shade. (See GRAY).

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