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Light dun markings

Andrea July 02, 2010 February 22, 2011

Forums

I've been searching all over for duns with light light markings. My yearling's markings are there, but so light. She's got a nice wide dorsal but it fades as it gets to her withers. The leg barring is evident and a bit of a cape. She tested positive by UC Davis but I've not seen any duns as light as her. She does carry creme, but the dunskins I've see all have dark dorsals. What do you think? [img]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m26/gsagain/102_3993.jpg[/img] [img]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m26/gsagain/102_3990.jpg[/img] [img]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m26/gsagain/102_3981.jpg[/img] [img]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m26/gsagain/102_3987.jpg[/img]

Daylene Alford Tue, 07/06/2010 - 10:03

[quote]DunCentralStation's opinion is that EVERY horse has primitive markings. Dun does not cause primitive markings, it simply dilutes the coat AROUND the primitive markings leaving them obvious. Other genes have the potential to do this, but only rarely do they actually do it. Sooty seems to be attracted to the primitive markings and can darken them up and that's probably where you get the very noticeable countershading.[/quote] This is a good theory but I see one problem with it. The bay dun colt in my pasture that has a very BLACK dorsal stripe and leg bars. It could be he would have been a seal bay but he's not that dark a dun so I doubt it.

Danni Tue, 07/06/2010 - 19:34

[quote]DunCentralStation's opinion is that EVERY horse has primitive markings. Dun does not cause primitive markings, it simply dilutes the coat AROUND the primitive markings leaving them obvious. Other genes have the potential to do this, but only rarely do they actually do it. Sooty seems to be attracted to the primitive markings and can darken them up and that's probably where you get the very noticeable countershading.[/quote]

This has made sense to me ever since I read it on the Dun site. And yeh the sooty helps explain why some bay duns have a black or lighter dorsal etc.. The theory 'clicks' with me!