Horses are stunning, magnificent, and loving animals. They are, however, referred to by several different terms in different stages of development. Find out when they are called colt and foal.
As a general rule, a colt is a horse under four years old, while a foal is a baby less than a year old. Hence, the colt is a later stage of the foal, while the foal is a beginning stage of a horse.
Besides, this primary difference between colt and foal differs in various ways. For instance, they vary in height, size, speed, weight, and others. Let’s explore these differences in more detail.
Who are Foals
You must have seen those tiny cute baby horses many times in your life. You must be wondering if there is any terminology for them. Let’s find out what baby horses are called
Horses that are under a year old are called foals. Soon after their birth to the completion of one year of age, they are known as foals. Because of this reason, when a mare is pregnant, she is known as ‘in foal’.
An 11 month gestation period is required to give birth to foals. After delivery, both males and female horses are considered foals.
They weigh around 100 pounds at the time of birth which is probably less than their mother’s weight, who are around 1000 pounds. Most foals are 10-12 hands high at birth. Foals usually have long legs, measuring about 80% of the length of their matured counterparts.
Who are Colts
You now know for up to a year, a horse is called a foal. But, what about when they have reached their second year? Are they still referred to as foals? Let’s find out
Horses under four years of age are referred to as colts. They are horse species with masculine gender, or, to be more precise, male horse species.
Alternatively, female horses of four years of age are called a filly. Since every horse at some point in time is a foal or newborns thus every colt is a foal at a certain point.
A horse’s height increases up to the age of three. After that, their height grows about an inch or two. Now you must be wondering how tall a four-year-old horse is? So, they are approximately 15-16 hands high.
Difference between Colt and Foal
Having reviewed their detailed overview, let’s compare them on different strata!!
| Comparison Basis | Colt | Foals |
| Age | Horses over the age of four are called colts | Foals are newborn horses, particularly less than a year old |
| Gender | Only Male horses are called a colt | Both males and females can be a foal |
| Weight | They weigh around 900-2000 pounds | They weigh around 100 pounds |
| Developmental Stage | Foal at the later stage is called the colt | The initial stages following birth |
| Relationship | All colts are foals | Every foal is not a colt |
When Does a Foal Become a Colt?
It is evident at this point that after a certain period, foals become colts. But when did foals become colts is still undiscoverable. Let’s find this out.
Foals become colts soon after they complete the age of one year. From one year till the end of their fourth year, they are considered colts after birth.
However, colts are also known by different names. For instance, When a colt is weaned, it is called a “weanling colt,” and when it is one year old, it is called a “yearling colt”. While a colt older than one or two might be called a “stud colt.”
What are Foals Used for?
Although foals can walk within two hours after birth, does that mean the ponies can perform all tasks just like grown up horses? Let’s figure out what they can do and what they are used for.
Except for loading purposes, the foal does not participate in other activities. Since they are very young and weak, they are not suitable for riding and carrying heavy loads.
Until young horses attain the physical maturity necessary to carry weight safely, they should not be ridden hard. Most horses reach this point when they are about three years old.
What are Colts Used for?
Since colts are physically matured, they can be used for various purposes. Let’s examine what they are used for.
Since colts are grown up male horses, they are ideal for racing, riding, and carrying weights. The ability to run up to 55 mph makes them suitable for participating in races and covering long distances.
