Color & Description

A true colored buckskin should be the color of tanned deerhide with black points.  Shades may vary from yellow to dark gold. Points (mane, tail, legs) can be dark brown or black. Buckskin is clean of any smuttiness. Guard hairs which are buckskin colored grow through the body coat up over the base of the mane and tail.

Dun is an intense color with a hide that has an abundance of pigment in the hairs. The dun color is a duller shade than buckskin and may have a smutty appearance. Most dun horses have dark points of brown or black. Dun horses sport the "dun factor" points which include dorsal and shoulder stripes, leg barring, etc.

Grulla is also an intense color. The body color can be mouse, blue, dove or slate colored, with dark sepia to black points. Grulla (pronounced grew-yah) has no white hairs mixed in the body hairs. Grulla horses have the dorsal and shoulder stripes, and leg barring.

The Red Dun will vary in shades of red, in the range of peach to copper to rich red. In all shades, the accompanying points will be darker red or chestnut and be in contrast to a lighter body color. Red Dun must have a definite dorsal stripe to be eligible. The dorsal stripe will usually be dark red and predominant. Leg barring and shoulder stripes are common. Horses with faint  dorsal stripes that do not appear on photos may be denied registration.

A different and unique body coloration with stripes appearing over the barrel of the  body and most, if not all, the dun factor characteristics. Brindle Duns show up in the Netherlands and they are referred to as an ancient dun color. The peculiar body markings can appear in the form of tear drops or zebra stripes.