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Color Information
Among other things, the Kiger is known for it's Dun Coloring. While referred to by some as Dun Factor, dun is actually a dilution
of the base color while leaving the points dark. Points is used in reference to the legs, mane/tail, outlined ears and dorsal
stripe. Others markings can include leg bars, reverse face mask, cobwebbing, tipped ears, shoulder bars, mane/tail frosting,
ventral stripe, ghost smiles and other primative markings.
Base Colors
There are only two base colors in all horses: black and chestnut. All other colors are the work of other dilutions, modifers
or white patterns.
True black horses do not fade from sun or weather conditions, while fading blacks do just that - fade (there may be some
unknown color factors that cause this).
Chestnut (or red) is sometimes referred to as Sorrel, depending on the breed or circles you prefer. Genetically speaking,
they come from the same gene no matter what shade of red they are. Chestnuts can vary in many shades from very light to very
dark. They will never carry black hairs though, and the mane/tail and legs will (almost) always have a reddish tinge to them.
Points can vary from flaxen mane/tail - appearing almost white at time - to very dark; appearing black or dark brown.
Chestnut is recessive and a horse must have two doses of the same gene in order to show up - meaning both sire and dam
must carry it; it can stay hidden for many generations. This also meaning chestnuts are homozygous and two chestnuts will
always produce a chestnut.
Dun Dilution
Dun will affect both red and black bases and will express itself whether in one dose or two from parents. The points and primative
markings could be as light as a shade or two darker from the body color; or a complete contrast (usually shown in addition
to the bay modifer). Dun can be expressed along with other color modifiers and dilutions.
Dun on black will cause grullo (or grulla if female); grullo being the Spanish word for Crane, signifing the blueish coat
color. Dun on chestnut will be a red dun. Each dilution can express in many shades within itself - from dark to silver grullos
and liver to peach colored red duns.
Dun Dilution plus Modifiers
Bay
The most common modifier seen with dun dilution is bay. Bay is a dominant color with many varying shades, with a red body
and black points (mane/tail and legs). Bay is really black based but restricts the black hairs to the points.
Dun dilutes the bay to a dun or zebra dun. This color usually has the highest contrast between body color and points.
Many people refer to a buckskin and a dun as the same color, when in truth, a buckskin is simply a bay with a creme dilution;
while a dun will show primative markings.
Sooty
Sooty is a modifier that affects both black and red based horses by darkening the whole color or just particular areas.
It can manifest as darker shading across the topline, dapples, uniform coat darkening or small spot/individual hair areas.
Sooty buckskins (bay+creme+sooty) are often mistaken for grullos, especially when the sooty causes a dark topline (referred
to as Countershading).
Some duns can appear so dark that at certain time of the year they look grullo. Grullos can easily appear black when this
modifier is present and can explain the black coloring within the Kiger breed. They are also referred to as Dark Grullos or
Lobo Duns (meaning "wolf" dun). However, the coloring inside the ears will be lighter, frosting can appear over
the mane and along the sides of the tail and the points can be more noticable certain times of the year depending on the concentration
of the sooty modifier.
Grey
Another comon modifier is grey. If grey is present, it will be expressed by taking the pigment from the base color. Grey
also affects any other modifier or dilution - all color will go and the horse will wind up a shade of grey or white sooner
or later. A grey horse must have a grey parent in order to be expressed. Some horses will always produce grey, while others
will only partially. Even two greys can produce color.
Grey can progress quickly or very slowly and even sometimes affect the pigmentation of the skin, making it pink. Foals
can be born at varying stages of grey, while some are born solid and start the process later.
Greying does occur occasionally in Kigers, though considered by some as taboo. Some Kigers that are referred to as "Claybanks"
have in fact greyed out. The depigmentation of color seems to happen much slower when combined with the dun factor being so
strong in pure Kigers. Some Kigers have known to keep their dark points late into their years, thereby still expresing the
dun dilute.
With grey being a modifier and not actually a color, it makes sense that this can be expressed along with other modifiers
or dilutions that occur. It is not a white pattern color like a pinto, appaloosa or roan.
Dun Dilution plus Cream Dilution
The creme dilution affects the base color of chestnut in both single and double dose; while not seeming to affect the black
base in single dose, only in double. It takes a chestnut and produces a palamino. It takes a bay and produces a buckskin while
leaving the dark points. Smoky blacks appear black, though may fade and appear brown or bay.
In double doses, creme takes a chestnut and produces a Cremello. Varying shades from almost white to cream color. Double
creme on bay produces a Perlino with the points being a few shades darker than the body. On black will produce a Smoky Creme,
which can appear to be a Cremello. All double dilutes will have blue eyes.
Many confuse the double dilutes with the Albino, which is a complete depigmentation of all color - including red eyes.
To our knowledge, there are no purebred Kigers that have tested positive for creme dilution. This may be the case of some
Claybanks that do not grey; or some very light duns.... even in the grullo were it is not usually expressed. It is possible,
however, to have these dilutions in the part-bred Kigers.
The dun dilution plus one creme dilution on chestnut would give you a Dunalino. This would appear a palamino coloring
with the points and primative markings being a darker shade. Dun plus one creme on bay would produce a Dunskin. This would
appear as a very light dun with black points. Grullo plus one creme may not be noticable in the black base.
Dun Dilution plus White Patterns
White patterning is not common in the purebred Kigers. To our knowledge, there have been no Kigers with pinto coloring coming
from either management area, though some having minimal roaning. Excessive white markings on the legs and face is discouraged.
White markings are said to be a sign of domestication in scientific circles.
White patterns are super-imposed over any color of the horse. Genes that control white patterns and genes that control
color are not related and therefore act seperately from each other. They can appear as individual hairs mixed in with the
base coat or small to large areas of white spots.
Roan and appaloosa coloring are examples of white hairs mixed in with color, while pinto coloring is an example of white
spots.
Since white patterns take away the pigmentation of the skin, any dun marking that would have otherwise shown up, will
be missing on any white areas. This includes leg markings as well as a dorsal stripe or face webbing.
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