Dun is one of the dilution genes that affects both black and red pigment. 

Dun looks the same when it's present in one dose or two. (heterozygous or homozygous). The only way a foal can be a true Dun is if one of the parents is also Dun. 

Non-dun foals may be born with a dorsal stripe (and other primitive markings) that usually disappear or become less visible after they shed their foal coat. These are not "true" Duns, this is like camouflage, see Foal countershading.

Dun closely resembles Buckskin when it's present on a Bay base colour. The difference between this gene and buckskin is that Dun also causes primitive markings to be present on the horse. These are a shade or two darker than the body colour.

DUNS MUST HAVE PRIMITIVE MARKINGS.  These primitive markings can occur in different combinations and vary in extent. 

Dorsal Stripe The dorsal stripe is a consistent feature of the Dun gene. 
This is a dark line that goes from the base of the mane to the base of the tail. Sometimes it goes through the middle of the mane and or tail giving the horse a dark streak through the middle of each. This trait is always present on a Dun horse and should not be confused with the more subtle dorsal stripes caused by countershading (see Sooty). 

Zebra Stripes - horizontal marks on the legs of the horse. These range from above the hock or knee and usually fade into the dark part of the leg. These can be very dark or so light they are hardly visible. These marks may not appear on all Dun horses and it is sometimes very hard to see them on darker shades.

Shoulder Stripe  These are dark marks that can be very obvious or subtle shading that cross over the withers onto the shoulders of the horse.

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Cobwebbing  Some Dun horses have darker rings or stripes on their foreheads. This is commonly called cobwebbing or spiderwebbing.

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Mane and Tail Guard Hairs  White or cream coloured hairs that line the mane . Usually also at the base of the tail but can run well into the tail as well.

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Face Masking  The face may be 'masked' - partially or fully and will be the base colour of the horse.

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Ear Tips, Edging, & Barring  In some duns the ear tips and edges are the darker base colour of the horse, occasionally the ear can have horizontal lines around the back in the darker base colour.

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