What is " THE DUN GENE "

Bar None Ranch is proud to be one of 4 breeders in the country who are founding members of the Morgan Dun National Association (Morgan DNA). A link on our page to Ragtime Morgans is one of the other breeders which have a very high concentration of the Dun Gene. Dun horses consist of all horses which posess primitive markings. These consist of a dorsal stripe (lineback) and possibly one or more of the following: bars on the sides of the hocks as well as above, below or behind the knees, a stripe over the withers, and sometimes concentric rings on the forehead known as cobwebbing.

Zebra dun is the most common expression of the dun factor. These horses have black points and bodies of some shade of tan or yellow. They tend to be more of a tan shade than the clearer yellow of buckskins. Their heads are usually darker than the body shade. Duns are from pale silver thru a peanut butter shade to a golden dun. Darker shades can be nearly bay, but lack the true red color of a bay. Zebra duns with heavy countershading over the dorsal area are called coyote duns.

Grullo or grulla is generally a darker expression of dun. These horses have black points and generally black or dark heads. Body colors vary from a bluish color-some almost light enough to be silver-thru a beige shade. Primitive marks are black.

There are also some dun shades with non-black points-referred to as red duns or claybank duns. Dun horses cross on many different colors other than the typical flaxen m/t chestnuts desired for palomino. For example, when dun is crossed to black, some exotic shades of pale silvery dun may result. Dun is truly a designer gene for exotic colors in a rainbow of hues.

"Folk wisdon holds that lineback duns are very tough and durable, and are good horses for extreme situations. They generally have a reputation of being very dependable and standing up well to hard use."

Pierre Noire consistently throws colts with some shade of lineback. Some colts have the stripe over the withers. There is much debate amoung breeders as to what actually makes a dun horse. Many breeds do not clearly define what a dun is. We are obtaining "colored Morgans" from nearly every color horse. Bred to Pierre Noire you have the opportunity to put some color into your Morgans.

For a complete reference as to dun colors and color pictures of the shades, refer to Dr. Philip Sponenberg's 1996 book, Equine Color Genetics, University of Iowa Press.

Bar Non Sheba is out of a mare called Ramul's Barby.  Her foals consistently have dorsal stripes.  At some times of the year Sheba also has primitive leg stripes as well.

This picture shows both the foal dorsal stripe as well as stripe as a mature horse.   While a dorsal stripe does not a dun make, it surely is a mark of the dun gene.   In this filly, Sheba, there is a total outline of black around ears and nose.    

The filly to the left is Bar Non Esther.  She is a palomino with a dorsal stripe and black hair in mane and tail.