Our love for this coloring started with the purchase of Mountain Ash, a slate grullo mare with a heart of gold.
WHAT IS A GRULLO?
Quite simply, a Grullo is a BLACK DUN.
Grullo or Grulla is a Spanish Term referring to the blue "crane" and is pronounced correctly as "grew-yo" or "grew-ya" depending on gender. Not to be confused with a buckskin, a DUN is a separate color entirely. It is created by a dominant color gene that affects ALL base coat colors, unlike the silver dapple and creme gene which are limited in expression on certain base colors.
Dun horses exhibit primitive markings such as the required dorsal stripe, leg barring, face masks or cobwebbing, tipped ears, and counter shading on other areas of the neck and withers. This specific color gene dilutes the main body color, leaving these markings behind.
A grullo is considered the rarest form of dun, most likely because of the rarity of blacks in comparison to bays and chestnuts. Grullos can also be of different shades from the very dark Lobo Dun, to the very light Silver Grullo. Slate Grullo is a very common shade.
The Dun gene affects base coat and already diluted colors to possibly produce the following results:
Dun + Bay = Zebra Dun (A lightened bay horse with primitive markings often confused with buckskins) Dun + Chestnut = Red Dun
Dun + Silver Dapple = Chocolate Grullo Dun + Buckskin = Dunskin or Buckskin Dun Dun + Palomino = Dunnalino etc. etc.
It is a theory of ours (though scientists and color genetics experts may not back us up on this) that the grullo and dun horses are exceptionally hardy even in comparison to other colors within the Mountain Horses we own. They seem to be more resistant to illness and skin problems and never cease to amaze us in their stoic qualities.
Alliance Mountain Horses has been fortunate enough to collect the following DUNS:
"Mountain Ash"- slate grulla
"Holy Smoke" - chocolate grullo
"Spanish Lights" - smokey grulla
"Bonsai Wild" - slate grullo
"Steely Dan" - slate grullo
"Apricot Brandy" - apricot dun
"Claire De Lune" - smokey chocolate grulla
"Uffda Nina" - apricot dun "Tooshay" - slate grulla "Gunnar"- smokey chocolate grulla "Capeesh"- slate grullo "Mambo #5 - apricot dun
This year Holy Smoke also produced a silver bay zebra dun! His name is "Reese" and he's owned by Sheri Ward from Florida.
Alliance Mountain Horses Chris and Tara Stone Bushnell, Florida 352-270-1662 or 352-270-1663 email: alliancemountainhorses@yahoo.com copyright 2002-2009
