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# Dun
- URL: https://equinecolors.com/dun/
- Published: 2025-11-24T12:24:39.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-10T10:40:06.000Z
- Description: Dun is a dilution, located on the same gene as non-dun1. It lightens the base coat of horses and causes primitive markings. It leads to the colors chestnut dun, black dun and bay dun.
- Author: Hannelore Roodhooft
- Tags: Colors, Dilutions, #Import 2026-08-12 09:42

> The dun dilution lightens the coat color of horses. It affects both red and black pigment, but has less effect on the points of the horse. It also causes primitive markings.

## Colors

[Chestnut dunChestnut dun (also called claybank or red dun) is a horse color caused by the dun dilution on a chestnut base. The coat is diluted, and primitive markings are present.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-105.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/chestnutdun.png)](https://equinecolors.com/chestnut-dun/)

[Black dunBlack dun (also called grullo or mouse/blue dun) is a horse color caused by the dun dilution on a black base. The coat is diluted, and primitive markings are present.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-106.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/blackdun-1.png)](https://equinecolors.com/black-dun/)

[Bay dunBay dun (also called classis or zebra dun) is a horse color caused by the dun dilution on a bay base. The coat is diluted, and primitive markings are present.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-107.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/baydun.png)](https://equinecolors.com/bay-dun/)

### Cream combinations

[DunalinoDunalino, or palomino dun, is a horse coat color caused by one copy of cream and one copy of dun on a chestnut base. The coat is golden with primitive markings and a creamy or white mane and tail.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-207.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/dunalino-3.png)](https://equinecolors.com/dunalino/)

[Smoky dunSmoky dun, or smoky black dun, is a horse coat color caused by one copy of cream and one copy of dun on a black base. It looks the same as black dun: the coat is diluted, and primitive markings are present.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-127.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/blackdun-2.png)](https://equinecolors.com/smoky-dun/)

[DunskinDunskin, or buckskin dun, is a horse coat color caused by one copy of cream and one copy of dun on a bay base. The coat is golden with primitive markings and dark points.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-129.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/dunskin-1.png)](https://equinecolors.com/dunskin/)

## Gene

[TBX3 geneThe TBX3 gene is responsible for the dilution dun and non-dun1.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-118.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/tbx3.png)](https://equinecolors.com/tbx3-gene/)

## Presence in horses

Dun is the original or wild-type color of all horses. The lack of dun is, however, more common in horse breeds today. Some breeds, like the Fjord Horse, are almost exclusively dun in color.  

**Read more:**  
Blogpost - [Characteristics of dun](https://equinecolors.com/characteristics-of-dun/)

[Back to Dilutions](https://equinecolors.com/dilutions/)

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