Shout out to Dun horse owners!

[Sunny_Star]

I was wondering whether there are any dun horses around. I know that dun ponies are fairly common, but I own a dun horse (he's 16h2"), and dun horses seem extremley rare.

The only other dun horse I've seen is Blue Circle Boy, the paralympic dressage horse.

I'm just wondering how a dun horse is bred in the first place (what colours would its parents be?), as I have no clue on my horses breeding. Somebody told me he's part connemara (because he has a good eye for striding to a fence) , although this seems unlikely as he's so chunky!

Anyone else own a dun horse?

Here are some pictures of him.

 

[Daphnelia]

There is a dun horse mare at the yard I work at. She's lovely. Dont know her breeding though Im afraid. But youre right, you dont see them that often

 

[soph21]

this will probably sound silly but ive never seen a dun any bigger than 14.2!!! i think ive had a sheltered life living in cornwall!! what a beautiful boy by the way!!!!

 

[Honeypots]

He's gorgeous!!

He's very similar to my friends horse. He is 17.2hh approx, and is a mix of Connemara, Freisan and ID..

 

[Twilight]

I know a 15.1hh dun chap, he is cleveland, conni, welsh. My guess is your boy might well have conni in him. It seems to be a common colour from them. He also looks to have a bit of a conni head. He does look a very hansom chap.

 

[ruscara]

I have a dun horse, who is a Connemara X. He's a chocolate dun, 15.2 hh. Yours is lovely! I think they are very similar, don't you?

I have found some interesting genetic information here.

 

[siennamum]

Dun horses aren't too rare, I know a few, though technically most of them - yours included, by the looks of things - aren't in fact dun!!
A true dun will always have a dorsal stripe and generally also have zebra stripes on head and legs, dun horses are the genetic result of dun genes.

Your horse looks more like a buckskin which is combination of - generally a bay and a cremello. Cremello's contain a colour marker which makes a base coat colour paler so crossed with chestnuts they produce palaminos, and as said with bays they produce duns.
I think this is all correct though it's a few years since I read all of this, there are some great websites relating to colour.

 

[Fahrenheit]

I have a 15.2 buckskin dun mare, she is welsh x TB.

What most people class as Dun is usually Buckskin. When cremello dilution acts on bay, brown or black this produces a genetic buckskin, which maybe cream, yellow, sooty or off black.

A true dun is controlled by a different dilution mechanism, a dominant dilution which alters the concentration of pigment to one side of the shaft of the hair, you get four categories of true dun - red, yellow, mouse and blue. It is actually possible to get a homozygous dun, that will only produce dun progeny.

I have been doing alot of research into colour genetics in horses can you tell!

 

[lucemoose]

Mr_Sunny,, you look quite local is that longreach SJ? Dun tends to occur more regularly in 'native' type breeds ( Not meaning only the natives of the british isles, but those horses who have not been selectively bred by humans so much as by themselves) When dun comes to the fore in higher level competition horses (can think of the names of the eventers?) then you can be sure theyve got a fifth leg and a bit of a brain in there somewhere!

 

[MissIndependance]

My little Buckskin mare is 15.2, and she's just had a buckskin foal who should get to 16hh - but you're right - bthey tend to be ponies, prbably because there's a high % of welsh blood in most of them which is where the colour seems to come from originally...

Your boy is gorgeous!

 

[Erray]

I have a 15.2 mouse dun with dorsal and zebra stripes. He is highland x arab so obviously gets it from the highland side.
Beautiful horse by the way.

 

[the watcher]

You are right, you don't see too many dun horses, probably because this colour is almost exclusive to native pony breeds. I have a mouse dun highland pony, with the dorsal stripe and zebra type stripes on her legs - it is going to be a challenge to find a stallion who is suitable for breeding a larger sporthorse foal. I am considering a palomino and crossing my fingers

 

[Erray]

Well Caspians mum is palomino and his sire was grey but obviously carried the dun genes so could be a good choice.

 

[Murphy3]

He's gorgeous and very like my horse who is a Connemara. My guy is 15.3 so has gone over the acceptable breed height. My horse's colour is hugely different between summer and winter - winter coat quite sandy with pinkish tinge when clipped. His summer coat seems to be darkening with age (he's 10) and this year he is getting quite cholatety across the back. Does anyone know if duns' coats change with age? He has zebra stripes on legs but no dorsal.

There seems to be a real confederacy of dun-fanciers - if you have one you make a bee-line for them when you're out and about. Here (Ireland) dun horses usually turn out to be over-grown Connies - met one lady with a pure-bred Connemara of 16hh. The Connemara Pony Society don't like em this big but my guy is gorgeous and very well put together. I like to think he has strength, character, beauty and a well-formed pony attitude!

Just wish duns didn't get lumbered with those silly names like Done to a Turn and The Done Thing - I think that's been dun to death.

 

[sevenoceans]

I had a heinz 57 (connemara thrown in) he was 15.2 and great horse... brilliant jumper.

 

[Sparklet]

I have a 14.3 buckskin (I usually call her dun because noone seems to have heard of buckskin) but Siennamum's right they are Buckskins. My girlie was the result of her mum (a bay) having a bit of tomfoolery with a Palamino PBA colt.

I must admit that is is beautifully marked - her coat is a gold colour and her mane/tail and all the points are black.

 

[Sparklet]

I suspect its the way your picture has loaded but your horsey looks more liver chestnut than dun!

 

[BethH]

I have a 15.3 hh 3/4 connie/ 1/4 TB he is a chocolate Dun but more malteaser coloured in Summer and milk chocolate in Winter, he has a dorsal stripe and black leggings with bronze running through his mane and tail, he is a similar build to yours, connies are quite chunky. I think think he is stunningly beautiful just like yours, I am very biased of course!

 

[Sparklet]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a 15.3 hh 3/4 connie/ 1/4 TB he is a chocolate Dun and just beautiful like yours!

[/ QUOTE ] Even the colour sounds delicious

 

[Gingerbird]

He's a piccie of my friends dun gelding, He's 16.1hh and predominantly TB but has some Connemara thrown in for good measure. He's an absolute peach of a horse, I adore him and apparently in his hay day he was a fabulouse SJer.

PS - your horse is stunning, as is the beautiful Marius x

 

[haybales]

WOW! he is stunning, and those photos are fab, gosh i am soooo in the mood for XC right now!

 

[BethH]

Well have just been given the idiots guide to downloading photos so here goes, hopefully a picture of my Dun boy Ryan!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb124/BethH_album/DSCN0551-1.jpg

 

[the watcher]

He looks buckskin rather than dun.Does he have the darker points and eel stripe?

 

[fine_and_dandy]

i have just bought a mouse dun foal (he is nearly 7 weeks) and called him Bailey! Will get pics up later to show you, but he is gorgeous!!! Should make about 15.2 we think

 

[BethH]

Yes he has a dorsal stripe etc he is a little weather bleached in that photo which is a couple of years old, must get some up to date ones on computer but just feeling proud managed to work out how to get photo on website!!!

 

[1928sky]

I have one- mines 15.1h so only just a horse! Shes tb x welsh D. I'll put a couple of piccies up in a min hopefully!

 

[1928sky]

Here she is

 

[disco]

Mr Sunny, your horse is absolutley stunning! I bet your very proud!
I always wanted a Dun, when it came to looking for a new horse recently I couldn't find a Dun over 14.2hh! There was one for sale in h&h beginning of June around 16.1hh that sounded very talented but too far away for me plus I'd got my new one by this time (a bay who's georgous too!!)
I've certainly learnt a lot about "the true Dun" since reading this!

 

[disco]

SJ Saphire - not to miss you out! - your horse is georgous too!!
from a massive fan of Duns! - or Buckskins!

 

[tabithakat64]

I have a dun (buckskin) Welsh D gelding called Fudge

Dun has always been my favourite colour, I love all the different shades my horse changes to through out the year