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In human terms, “girl” and “boy” are used to refer to babies based on their gender. While most people would generally use the term baby horse, there are terms like filly or colt.
A female baby horse is known as a filly, while a male baby horse is known as a colt. Collectively, baby horses are known as foals.
When adult female horses (mares) have babies, they are said to have foaled. When the newborn horse stands up and nurses, he/she is called a foal.
In some countries like the United States (Western parts to be specific), local dialect makes it possible for any foal to be referred to as a colt regardless of gender.
What Is A Male Baby Horse Called?
A male baby horse is called a colt. The name can be used up to a horse’s 4th birthday.
In the wild, colts are separated from the herd when they reach a year or two to prevent inbreeding. They join other male horses to form a rake or rag, a term used to refer to a group or herd of colts.
Baby male horses graduate to adulthood when they are fully grown. Adult male horses are known as stallions. This name is exceedingly common globally to the extent of being linked to masculinity.
The term stallion is common in different English idioms. It’s worth noting that the specific term stallion is only preserved for adult male horses that haven’t been gelded (castrated).
Baby horses that become stallions develop more muscular physiques such as thicker necks due to testosterone. This distinct difference makes stallions distinguishable from their female counterparts.
Stallions are also more aggressive, mostly towards other Stallions. Therefore, they should be handled with care.
Gelding And Ridgling
Male baby horses that are castrated (gelded) behave better than stallions because castration eliminates hormone-driven behavioral patterns. Gelded horses are more calm and gentle, making them better for day-to-day applications like riding or working.
There’s no need for gelding if a male horse suffers from ridgling – a condition characterized by undescended testicles. Male baby horses that suffer from this problem are known as rigs.
In some cases, rigs can be castrated. Gelding may fail to make a horse less aggressive. Proper horse training can eliminate such problems.
What Is A Baby Female Horse Called?
A young female baby horse is called a filly. Like a colt, a filly can maintain its name up to age 4.
A filly is usually sexually mature by age 2. However, it is recommendable to start breeding fillies when they stop growing (after 4 years of age).
When fillies turn 4, they become adult female horses called mares. This name is common among zebras and mules as well when they turn 4.
Mares that are kept for horse breeding are known as broodmares. When mares become expectant, they are said to be in foal. Giving birth is referred as “to foal”.
The process is known as foaling, and the baby horse just after birth is known as a foal. A female adult horse (mare) that has foaled becomes a dam.
Mares can be neutered (removal of reproductive organs). When neutered, they are referred to as spayed mares.
What Are Horses Older Than A Baby Called?
As baby horses age, their name changes. Names usually change at 4 to 6 months when baby horses are separated from their mothers.
A baby horse after separation is called a weanling (this happens after the baby comes off its mother’s milk). The name is derived from the separation process known as weaning.
A baby horse is known as a weanling up until the age of 1. Once a baby horse turns a year old, the name changes to yearling. This name lasts for 6 months.
A young horse that is over 1.5 years (18 months old) is known as long yearling.
A baby horse that is 2 years old assumes adult names like mares for adult female horses or stallions for adult male horses.
Is A Pony A Baby Horse?
A pony is not a baby horse, it’s a horse that is naturally short. We can consider a horse a pony at any age, as long as they are shorter than 14.2 hands.
The only exception is if a foal is born to two horses that are considered ponies. In this case, with short parents, the expectation is that the foal will be a pony as well. You can call a foal like this a pony foal, or just simply a foal.
Sometimes, a pony foal will grow larger than its parents. If they grow above the standard 14.2 hands, they will be known as horses and not ponies anymore, even if both parents were ponies.
Is A Colt A Baby Horse?
A colt is a baby horse, specifically a male baby horse under 4 years of age.
Until 1 year of age, you can refer to a baby horse as a foal, but past the 1-year mark, a male baby horse will be referred to as a colt foal or just a colt.
The other gendered term for a baby horse, filly, is for female foals under 4 years of age.
Why Is A Baby Horse Called A Foal?
A baby horse is called a foal because when the mother horse is pregnant, she is known as being ‘in-foal’, and during the birthing process, the mother is said to be ‘foaling’.
Most baby animals have separate names from adults. Just like puppies are baby dogs, and kittens are baby cats, foals are baby horses.
What Is Another Name For A Baby Horse?
Before a foal is weaned, we know it as a suckling. A baby horse under 1 year of age that is weaned is called a weanling, while a baby horse over a year that has weaned is called a yearling. A male foal is a colt, and a female foal is a filly.
Most often, you will only hear foal, colt, or filly. Suckling, weanling, and yearling are less common terms for baby horses.
Oddly, after 1 year of age, the general term ‘foal’ isn’t used for the baby horses anymore. Instead, the gender-specific names colt and filly are used. These babies can also be called colt foals or filly foals.
After 4 years of age, a horse is considered fully grown, and will then go by the names of adult horses: mare, stallion, or gelding.
What Is Foal’s Mother Called?
A foal’s mother can be called a dam or a broodmare.
In general, adult female horses, even pregnant or nursing ones, are referred to as mares. To differentiate nursing and pregnant mares, the interchangeable terms dam and broodmare can be used.
Once her foal is weaned, the mother is called a mare again, unless the intention is to breed her right away.
Baby Horse Name In English
In English, a baby horse will be referred to as a foal, colt, or filly. Less commonly, you may hear the terms suckling, weanling, and yearling.
Suckling is a baby horse that is still nursing from its mother. Once the foal is weaned, it can be called a weanling, unless it’s over a year old. A horse that is one year old is called a yearling.
Horse Baby Name In Nepali
In Nepali, a baby horse is called baccā ghōḍā. Baccā for a horse, and ghōḍā for baby.
Nepali, while not a common language in the US, is spoken in Nepal and parts of India.
Baby Horse Name In Afrikaans
In Afrikaans, a baby horse is called vulletjie, which means foal.
Afrikaans is spoken in South Africa and Namibia.
Baby Horse Name In Spanish
In Spanish, the phrase for a baby horse is caballo bebé, while the word for a foal is potro.
Spanish is the official language of 18 countries; Mexico, Argentina, and Chile included.
Baby Horse Name In Zulu
In Zulu, they know a baby horse as ingane yehhashi. The word foal in Zulu is inkonyane.
Zulu, like Afrikaans, is also spoken in South Africa.
Baby Horse Name In French
In French, un bébé cheval translates to a baby horse in English. Poulain is the word for a foal in French.
French is primarily spoken in France, but a form of French is spoken in Canada as well, known as French Canadian.
What’s The Difference Between A Pony And A Foal?
When we hear the word pony, an adorable little horse often comes to mind. It’s true that a little horse is a pony, but is a pony the same as a foal?
A pony and a foal are two different things. A pony is a horse that is small in stature, less than 14.2 hands tall, and a foal is a horse younger than 1 year.
What Is The Difference Between Colt And Foal?
A colt is a male baby horse while a foal is a newly born horse. The name foal is given to baby horses soon after birth when they stand up and start nursing.
However, the local dialect in some countries like the U.S. (Western parts) makes it possible for any foal born to be referred to as a colt regardless of gender.
What Is The Baby Of A Donkey Called?
A baby donkey is called a foal.
An adult male donkey is called an “ass” or “a Jack”. An adult female donkey is called a jennet or jenny.
When jack donkeys mate with adult female horses (mares), they produce mules. A baby mule is known as a hinny.
Conclusion / Summary
The name of a baby horse depends on many factors ranging from gender to age, setting, and location, among other factors.
A male baby horse is known as a colt, while a female baby horse is known as a filly. Collectively, baby horses are called foals. When baby male horses are in a group, they are referred to as a herd of colts.
In regards to age, a baby horse that is separated from the mother (4 – 6 months) after birth is known as a weanling, regardless of age. When baby horses turn a year old, they are called yearlings.
The name then changes to long yearlings when they turn 1.5 years old. Long yearlings become Stallions if they are male and above 2 years old. Long yearlings are referred to as mares if they are female and above 2 years old.
In regards to location, baby horses in some parts of America are referred to as colts regardless of their gender. While other factors come into play when determining the correct name for a baby horse, the above information summarizes everything you should know about baby horses and their names.
