Inheritance of yellow dun and blue dun in the Icelandic toelter horse

Abstract

The coat colors of 161 progeny from matings between 10 yellow dun and 6 blue dun stallions and mares of 8 different colors are described. The results confirm the previous hypothesis that a dominant dilution gene, D, converts bay to yellow dun with dark mane and tail, chestnut to yellow dun and dun mane and tail, and black to blue dun (mouse, grullo). The palomino gene, c cr, on the other hand, is hypostatic to black and blue dun. In heterozygous form, c cr converts bay to buckskin, and chestnut and sorrel to palomino, and results in blue-eyed white when homozygous. No particular effect of D is known in the homozygous state. Altogether 12 progeny were obtained from matings where both parents carried D; all progeny carried D, and no abnormal colors occurred.