How Long Is The Horse Pregnancy?

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How many months are horses pregnant?

Equine Reproduction From Conception to Birth | AAEP By Benjamin Espy, DVM, DACT Equine reproduction costs money: Feed, electricity, labor, water bills, barns, employees, stud fees, transportation and veterinary bills. To maximize your reproductive dollar you have to decide what the goal of your reproductive program is. Is it to breed performance, show or pleasure horses? Horse embryos are not more fragile than other species; it’s primarily that horses in general have poor reproductive performance (ability to maintain a conceptus). There are many causes of early embryonic loss. Stress, fever, uterine infections, hormone abnormalities and twins can all cause a mare to spontaneously abort. The egg is fertilized in the fallopian tubes and does not enter the uterus until it about Day 6 of gestation. This is important to remember since you can manipulate the uterine environment up until this stage. Once the embryo descends into the uterus, it has to traverse the entire uterus to be recognized by the mare. If the embryo does not touch all portions of the uterus by day 16 of gestation, the mare will reject the embryo, and begin showing signs of estrus to begin the next “heat” cycle. If the mare does recognize the presence of the embryo, then the embryo will attach itself to the wall of the uterus on or about Day 17. Your veterinarian can perform transrectal ultrasound as soon as Day 26 of gestation to visualize a heartbeat and confirm fetal viability. Before ultrasound was so widely available, many people relied on the fact that most mares will come back into heat 17 to 20 days after breeding if they have not conceived. In some regions, veterinarians could use a sterile speculum to see if the cervix was tightly closed (indicating pregnancy) or relaxing (indicating the beginning of another heat cycle). Experienced equine veterinarians can feel a mechanical bulge in a mare’s uterus by Day 30 to 35 of gestation. Typical intervals for checking mares are: Day 14 to 16 – confirms initial pregnancy and looks for twins. Day 26 to 30 – confirms heartbeat and fact that fetus is alive. Day 45 – elective examination that has no specific reason since endometrial cups should already be formed by this time. If the mare aborts her pregnancy around Day 40-45 or after, it is unlikely she can get pregnant again the same breeding season anyway. Day 60 – elective examination that has no specific reason, but has become more important since the advent of fetal sexing. Twins are more common in Thoroughbreds (25 to 35 percent of all conceptions). They are uncommon in Quarter horses (five to 10 percent). All horses should be examined for twins with transrectal ultrasound. This author prefers to check mares on Day 15 or 16 since the twin should be 14 or 15 days old. If you consistently check mares at Day 14, at some point you will miss a younger twin that is 12 or 13 days old and too small to be visualized. Regardless of what day of gestation you check for twins, it is much easier to reduce a twin before they become fixed at Day 17 of gestation. Reducing twins is also called “crushing” a twin. This has only been possible since the advent of ultrasound. Before this time, veterinarians and owners often didn’t know until the mare aborted. The smaller twin is usually crushed. The mare is typically examined 48 to 72 hours after the procedure to confirm that the remaining embryo survived. Almost all (>90 percent) of twins are aborted. Almost all die. There is a limited amount of room in the uterus. If twins do survive, they are usually weak and/or non-viable. Fetal sexing is a revolution in the reproductive industry that had been perfected in cattle but only became available in the equine industry approximately 10 years ago. Starting on Day 58 of gestation, the genital tubercle will migrate towards the tail to become the clitoris OR will migrate towards the prepuce to become the penis. You can fetal sex between Days 60 to 70 or between Days 110 to 140. Fetal sexing is virtually impossible between Days 80 to 90 and after Day 140. BEING A MOTHER IS AN ATHLETIC EVENT Athletic horses have the best reproductive organ conformation and do not require sacrificing calories to stay alive. They can dedicate all necessary energy to cycling correctly and maintaining a pregnancy. Avoid transporting your mare unnecessarily. Make sure she is quarantined from new arrivals. There is no need to supplement a mare’s diet until she begins lactation. Obese mares have difficult times trying to expel a fetus. Drug companies rarely spend the money trying to get their product “approved for use on pregnant mares.” The commonly found deworming medications Pyrantel Pamoate (Strongid ®), Ivermectin, and fenbendazole (Panacur ®) are all commonly used on pregnant mares without any more side-effects than would be seen on a non-pregnant mare. Pasture turn out provides all the necessary exercise and a regular diet should maintain a mare in the correct body condition even if she is in mid-gestation. Water supply is critical because of the increased fetal fluids and milk production. Be mindful of automatic water supplies and ice-covered troughs during the winter months. Herpesvirus (EHV-1) can cause late-term abortion and mares should be vaccinated for this disease preferably at five, seven, and nine months of gestation. Thirty days prior to foaling: Caslick’s procedures (when the vulva is sewn partially closed) should be opened or the patency of the vulvar lips should be confirmed. All vaccinations should be administered to the mare protecting against diseases for which you would like the foal to be vaccinated. Vaccinations given to the mare at foaling DO NOT PROTECT the foal since the colostrum does not have adequate time to manufacture the correct antibodies. Ascarid larvae can be passed in the milk so the mare should be dewormed with a product containing ivermectin. Ascarid impaction was a common cause of colic and death in foals before the use of ivermectin became common. Neonatal Isoerythrolysis (NI) screens are done within two weeks of foaling. These are blood tests to determine if the mare has hypersensitized herself to the blood-type of the foal. Older mares are more prone to being hypersensitized to a foal’s blood-type. If the mare is NI (+), the foal must be muzzled for the first 24 to 36 hours of life, and a colostrums donor must be sought. Normal mares have a broad range of gestation. It is very normal for mares to carry a fetus for 320 to 380 days. In general 330 days (11 months) is the most commonly cited gestation length. The most common question I get is “how long do I wait before I get worried.” Fescue toxicity is the most common thing that can cause prolonged gestation and reduced milk production, but by the due date, it is too late to restrict the fescue grazing of the mare since it usually requires 60 to 90 days of restricted grazing to make a difference. If it appeases owners, I usually ultrasound for placental thickness or palpate for fetal movement. I have never found a dead fetus at term after an owner has been concerned about a prolonged gestation. Although induced labor is possible and has been done in research or controlled settings, I NEVER recommend this option. There are many very experienced and well-educated veterinarians that regularly have experienced horrible side-effects and death of both the mare and foal. There is never a reason to induce abortion unless the health of the mare is in danger. In my opinion, convenience of the owner is a very poor reason to induce labor when considering the danger. I experienced the two years of Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) in Lexington and never saw a fetus that benefited from induced foaling. Foals can survive, but an ICU facility needs to be available with trained critical care veterinarians and support technicians. If mares do spontaneously abort, the fetal membranes as well as the fetus needs to be refrigerated or preserved for necropsy, histopathology, or for examination by your veterinarian. Vaginal discharge or dripping milk may indicate impending abortion or foaling. It is the most common scenario to see a mare abort without any clinical signs of being sick herself. The udder will usually fill two to four weeks before foaling. The teats will usually distend four to six days before foaling. “Wax” will appear on the teats one to four days before foaling. There are commercial kits that can check for the increase of calcium in udder secretions. This can also be accomplished by water-hardness test strips. Calcium increases usually happen 24 to 48 hours before foaling occurs. Relaxed appearance of the vulva and movements in the flank “of the foal kicking” are inconclusive and should not be trusted. Minimize stresses and observation since the mare has been shown somewhat of an ability to govern her labor. “The fetus determines the day of delivery and the mare determines the hour.” Outdoor foaling arrangements have been used for centuries. Foaling stalls should be at least 14 feet X 14 feet or larger. Disinfect floor between deliveries. Straw is the best surface. Shavings stick to eye and may cause corneal ulceration in the neonate. FIRST STAGE LABOR: Most (>85 percent) of mares foal at night. This is thought to be a survival adaptation since the foal should be ready to run with the mare by daylight. Mare is anxious. Kicks at belly. May make nesting behavior. May be mistaken for colic with continuous up and down movement and excessive urination. Many mares will sweat within an hour of giving birth. “Mare is heating up.” Wrap tail and clean perineal area. This stage usually lasts about an hour. When the chorioallantois breaks and you see a rush of fluidStage I is over. SECOND STAGE LABOR: Usually 15 to 25 minutes. It may be wise to start a stopwatch since many people will lose track of time due to the excitement of the moment. Expect to see continuous progress with front hooves, nose, ears, etc. Red bag appearance = EMERGENCY. YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO CALL A VET OR EVEN DIAL THE PHONE. THIS MUST BE CUT AND THE FOAL DELIVERED IMMEDIATELY. Caudal presentation vs. “breech delivery” Make sure foal is breathing. Stimulate with a blunt object in nostrils. Rub vigorously with a towel. When foal is born, do NOT cut the cord like they do in humans. Some researchers believe that a certain amount of blood flows into the foal after birth through the umbilical artery.

Disinfection should be performed with CHLORHEXADINE > IODINE. THIRD STAGE LABOR: If the placenta is not passed within three hours it should be considered an emergency. ONE, TWO, THREE RULE* Foal should stand in ONE hour.

* Should show ability to nurse by TWO hours. (Placenta is also usually passed by this time as well.) * Foal should be actively consuming colostrums by THREE hours. Foals should be administered an enema (or two) to aid in the passage of the meconium. Meconium impaction is the most common form of colic in a newborn foal.

1. Harvest colostrum from the mare if the foal does not aggressively consume it.
2. You can always have your veterinarian administer colostrum via a nasogastric tube.
3. If milking the mare, you should attempt to get 16 to 32 ounces of colostrum from the udder.
4. Eighty to 85 percent of colostrum absorption is in the first eight to 12 hours of life.

Get in the practice of pulling blood for an IgG six to eight hours after foaling and you should have adequate IgG to test and you will also have 3 to 4 hours remaining with which to administer colostrum via a nasogastric tube if required. Mares usually require no post-partum care.

Phenylbutazone (Bute ®) or flunixin meglamine (Banamine ®) may be required to reduce swelling in their vulva or rectum. Before you call your veterinarian about a sick mare that has recently had a foal, take her temperature BEFORE YOU ADMINISTER ANY DRUGS. Bute ® and Banamine ® will reduce fevers so take a rectal temperature before you artificially reduce the mare’s fever.

It should be under 101.5° F. Retained placenta or endometritis is common in febrile mares immediately after foaling. Mares are prone to colonic displacement after foaling and can also rupture their cecum or bladder DURING foaling. It is normal in many foals to have fetlocks that are so weak they may be touching the ground.

These will usually rectify themselves with age and exercise and require no bandages or splints. Fractured ribs are common in Thoroughbreds but not in other breeds. Contracted legs or deviations in legs that prohibit nursing should be dealt with immediately by your veterinarian. Most foals are designed to be turned out with the mare the morning after foaling.

Stall restriction is not necessary for any reason other than if the foal has orthopedic concerns where movement and exercise must be limited. Reviewed by original author in 2016. : Equine Reproduction From Conception to Birth | AAEP
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Can a horse be pregnant for 12 months?

How long is a horse pregnant? Well, the short answer is 10 to 12 months, or from approximately 326 days to 354 days (although there have been cases where gestation for a mare has gone as long as 365 to 370 days). Most mares only carry one foal per pregnancy, although twins do occur on rare occasions.

• There is, however, quite a bit more to know if you’re considering breeding your horse.
• Mares are seasonally polyestrous.
• To put this in lay terms, it means that the mare is something like a cat in that she will experience several cycles during a particular season.
• Like cats, mare cycle during periods of long daylight length.

This is thought to be an evolutionary development to ensure that the mare will give birth at the most hospitable time, this being in Spring. Given these factors, a mare can only have one pregnancy a year and will usually only have one foal in a given year.
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How many days does a horse stay pregnant?

What to Expect when your Mare is Expecting- A Normal Foaling – Hagyard By The birth of a newborn foal is a very amazing experience to watch and to be a part of. As the pregnant mare approaches her due date, or foaling date, it is important to prepare and review the normal events that will take place so she may give birth to a healthy, long legged bundle of joy. Reviewing normal preparations for foaling, the stages of foaling, and the normal activity of a newborn foal will help prepare everyone involved and help the youngster hit the ground running. The average gestation length of the mare is 340 days (range 315-365 days) and gives ample time to prepare for the arrival of the newborn foal. Mares due in winter tend to carry their foals longer than mares due in summer. Any foal born outside of the normal range may warrant a more thorough evaluation by your veterinarian. As the mare approaches her due date it is important to booster her annual vaccinations one month prior to her due date. This stimulates her immune system and boosts antibody production. The antibodies concentrate in the colostrum as the mare nears foaling. A newborn foal is immunologically naive and acquires its initial immune protection from the antibodies in the mare’s colostrum. If the mare leaks colostrum or “runs milk” prior to foaling it is a good practice to supplement the foal with clean, tested colostrum via a bottle or to have your veterinarian administer it via a nasogastric tube. Prior to foaling it is important to screen the mare for neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI), a disease that can lead to an anemic jaundiced foal. An NI positive mare produces antibodies in her colostrum to the foal’s red blood cells. The foal becomes weak and anemic after the ingested antibodies causes their immune system to destroy their own red blood cells. An NI Screen can be done on a red top vacutainer tube of blood at most veterinary labs. If the mare tests positive, the foal should be muzzled and restricted from nursing the mare until the colostrum tests negative. The Jaundice Foal Agglutination test will determine when it is safe for the foal to nurse from an NI positive mare. The JFA test is run on a sample of the foal’s blood and a sample of the mare’s colostrum. The foal should be given two pints of NI negative colostrum during the first twelve hours of life. Once the mare has been vaccinated and tested for neonatal isoerythrolysis we can wait for signs of foaling. If the mare has a caslicks in place due to poor perineal confirmation, it should be opened prior to foaling. With the due date around the corner it is a good idea to have a pregnant mare monitoring system in place. This could be either a foal alert system secured to the mares vulva, a live video feed of the foaling stall to the internet or a monitor on your bedside table. Often the best option is to have someone with foaling experience watch the mare or group of mares all night long. Outward physical pre-partum changes in the mare can help us predict when the foaling will occur. The udder begins to enlarge 4-6 weeks prior to foaling. The teats usually fill and distend 2-14 days prior to foaling and “waxing” of the teats should occur as the mare approaches foaling but this may not always be seen. Other signs may include relaxation of the tailhead and pelvic ligaments, and relaxation of the flank area, vagina and vulva. The mare may begin to sweat or “heat up” in the early stages of labor. Since some, all or none of these signs may be seen, other tests can be done to help predict foaling. Tests available to predict foaling most commonly evaluate the “hardness” of the mares pre-colostral mammary secretions. With varying reliability, these tests more accurately tell you when the mare will not foal rather than when she will foal. Ultimately, the best foaling monitor is to remain with the mare in a quiet and dark barn and personally monitor the mare for the signs of foaling we’ve previously discussed. The mare’s stall or a designated foaling stall should be properly cleaned and maintained before and immediately after foaling to minimize bacterial exposure of both the mare and the foal. Stalls should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between foaling when possible. Stalls of sufficient size for the breed should be used and heavily bedded with clean straw. Other beddings may promote bacterial growth or be too dusty for newborn foals. In the event of an emergency it is always a good plan to have a truck and trailer or horse van readily available for transport of the mare or foal to a referral clinic. Once our mare is bedded down for the night we can wait patiently for Stage I of labor. Stage I of labor is the preparatory stage where final positioning and posturing of fetus takes place. As the foal moves into the normal dorsosacral position, the feet and nose help to dilate the cervix as the uterine contractions increase. The beginning of this stage may be difficult to identify and it is not marked by a single event or change in the mare. Stage I labor often begins two hours before foaling and may be seen only as colic-like signs; restlessness, gets up and down, tail swishing and pawing. Milk may be seen streaming from the teats. The colic-like signs are due to the pain from intermittent uterine contractions. This stage may range from 30 mins – 4 hrs. During stage I it is best to observe quietly and notify managers or foaling team about the pending birth. Any disturbances may delay the foaling. Stage I ends when the chorioallantoic membrane ruptures and the allantoic fluid is expelled. This is most commonly known as “when the water breaks.” Stage II of labor, the Active Stage, is clearly marked by the water breaking. Most mares are recumbent during Stage II but they may sit sternal and sometimes roll as they try to ease the pain of the uterine contractions. The average length of Stage II is 20-30 minutes. Once the water breaks, the amniotic membranes should be visible at the vulvar lips within 5-10 minutes. The fetus is now in the birth canal and this further stimulates stronger abdominal contractions. At this point of the foaling, experienced foaling personnel may choose to hygienically (palpation sleeve and lube) palpate the mare vaginally to confirm a normal dorsosacral position. When palpating vaginally, two upside down v’s, the front feet, should be followed by the nose during a normal foaling. As the abdominal contractions continue the feet will be observed extending from the vagina through the amniotic membrane. The amniotic membranes generally rupture when the foal is midway through the birth canal and they should be ruptured or opened if they come out intact and over the foals airway. The normal position of the forelimbs should be one followed by the other to help the shoulders pass through the mare’s pelvis. The nose should rest on the forelimbs or knees and the head and neck are extended. This is analogous to a diving foal. If the nose of the foal is not observed, only one hoof is present or the hooves are upside down, the foal is not in the correct position. This is an emergency and your veterinarian should be contacted right away. Time lost during Stage II can greatly jeopardize the survivability of your newborn foal. Assuming a normal position, the abdominal contractions may be assisted with gentle manual traction on the front legs in a downward direction toward the hocks until the foal is delivered. As contractions continue, the hind feet are the last part to be delivered and indicate the end of Stage II. It is important to stress that Stage II should progress fairly quickly once the foal enters the birth canal. Deviations from normal put the foal at risk of a hypoxic (lack of oxygen) insult. Please contact your veterinarian if you think your foal experienced a hypoxic event during foaling. The mare and her newborn foal should be allowed to lie quietly as the last transfer of blood passes through the connected umbilical cord to the foal. When the healthy newborn struggles and flails its legs trying to stand or as the mare stands the umbilical cord will break on its own. The cord should not be cut with scissors or a scalpel blade. At this point it should be quickly dipped in a clean cup of naval iodine or chlorhexidine naval solution. It is recommended to use clean exam gloves when handling an umbilicus for the first time. Stage III of labor begins when then foal is born and ends when the mare passes a complete placenta. The placenta is normally passed within 3 hours of foaling. The placenta should be weighed and weigh approximately 10% of the foals birthweight. Unusually heavy placentas should be presented to your veterinarian for examination. All placentas should be laid out in an F position and examined for completeness. This insures that no pieces of uterine horns are left in the mare. If unidentified, retained fetal membranes can cause profound sickness and laminitis in a post-foaling mare. Mares that fail to pass their placenta within 6 hours of foaling should be evaluated by your veterinarian. For more information on how to examine an equine placenta please watch this video -, The initial exam of the newborn foal is typically carried out on the farm by farm personnel. The initial respiratory rate is 60-70 breaths per minute and the mucous membranes should become pink within one minute after delivery. If they are not or they become pale, nasally administered oxygen may help oxygenation. The foal should be responsive to stimuli and have a suckle reflex within 5-20 mins post foaling. The heart rate should be 60-120 beats per minute. Foals with heart rates less than 60 should be carefully monitored and your veterinarian notified. As a rule of thumb, foals should stand within 1 hour of birth and nurse the mare within 2 hours of birth. These are general guideline as other factors; size, confirmation, etc., may influence your newborn foal. Mares that deliver according to plan and have newborn foals that stand approximately within 1 hour and nurse within 2 hours should be considered normal. The mare and foal should be evaluated by your veterinarian sometime within the first 12 hours of life. Your veterinarian will evaluate the foal clinically, physically and submit bloodwork to evaluate the foal’s white blood cell count and IgG concentration before giving your foal a clean bill of health. The normal WBC for a newborn foal is 5,000-16,000 cells/ul and the normal IgG ranges from 400-1200mg/dl after 12 hrs of age. An IgG <400mg/dl indicates failure of passive transfer and requires either colostrum or plasma supplementation. A healthy pregnancy culminates with the birth of a healthy newborn foal. The goal of this article is to present the normal foaling with normal newborn mare and foal parameters. In some instances things do not go as planned and emergencies arise. We will present and share cases of dystocias, difficult births, and newborn foal complications in the coming months. If you have any questions please talk to your veterinarian or you may talk to a Hagyard veterinarian at 859- 255-8741. : What to Expect when your Mare is Expecting- A Normal Foaling – Hagyard

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Can a horse give birth at 9 months?

Some basics of equine reproduction and horse pregnancy include mating, the gestation period, and foaling. A mare (or female horse) can typically produce one viable foal per year. A mare is capable of producing a foal at about 18 months of age, but it’s healthier if the mare is at least 4 years old, as she will have reached her full size.
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What animal has longest pregnancy?

Elephant gestation period longer than any living species Animals By Martin Montague Elephants have the longest pregnancy period of any living mammal. If you – or someone you know – has experienced a pregnancy that seemed to go on forever, spare a thought for the elephant. Elephants have one of the longest gestation periods of all living species: nearly two years. © Anup Shah I Getty Elephants are the largest land mammals in the world, so it’s perhaps not surprising that they have the longest pregnancy of any living mammal: African elephants are pregnant for an average of 22 months, whilst for Asian elephants it’s 18 to 22 months.1 You might think such a long pregnancy is because of what huge creatures they are – but you’d only be partly correct. Elephants develop slowly in the womb both due to their size and their intellect. © Diane Seddon Photography I Getty Elephants are highly intelligent mammals – they’re born this way, which takes time. They also have an impressive brain to show for it: it’s the largest of any land animal, with a structure similar to that of a human brain.

However, it’s three times as large as ours, with three times as many neurons – 250 billion, in fact.3,4 They say, ‘an elephant never forgets’, and there’s actually some truth in that saying. Their temporal lobe region (the area responsible for memory) is exceptionally developed, with a greater number of folds, meaning it can store more information.

It allows for retaining details that are vital for elephant survival, such as where to go to find food and water – and how to get there. The matriarch of a herd can lead family members to waterholes by calling up complex mental maps that cover hundreds of kilometres.5 Elephants rank alongside dolphins and chimpanzees in terms of levels of intelligence.

They’re adept at problem-solving, from piling up blocks to reach food, to using branches and rocks as tools. Their trunks allow them to be dextrous beasts, using them to move and manipulate objects in much the same way that we would use our hands and arms.6 They’re one of very few species that understand what pointing means – for example, many dogs understand it, but chimpanzees do not.

Elephants can also recognise themselves in a mirror – another rarity in the animal kingdom, as only the great apes, crows and bottlenose dolphins display the same levels of self-awareness. They demonstrate compassion, too; they help injured members of the herd and show grief when a family member dies. Elephant brains are the largest of any land mammal. © Martin Harvey I Getty Worldwide, elephant populations are dwindling rapidly due to organised crime and the ivory trade. Today, populations remain stable and high in much of Southern Africa, but there’s a rising threat in the east, due to poaching.8 Savanna elephants are endangered and forest elephants are critically endangered – both appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.9 The problem of declining elephant populations is exacerbated by their reproduction cycles.

They have a long gap between calves (4-5 years) and – unlike other animals – usually only have one baby at a time.10 Zoological breeding programs play an important role in elephant conservation, but adult male elephants who are reproductively active can behave unpredictably – and sometimes there are problems finding a suitable mate.

Consequently, ‘assisted reproduction’ is sometimes required for successful breeding 11 – and to do that, it’s important to understand elephant pregnancies. Worldwide, elephant populations are dwindling rapidly due to organised crime and the ivory trade. © Diana Robinson I Getty For some time, the process that creates such remarkably intelligent animals was something of a mystery. But advances in ultrasound technology over the last couple of decades has meant scientists have been able to take a closer look.

One important piece of research was published in 2012, following the study of seventeen African and Asian elephants at zoos in the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, and Germany.12 Studies have found that the elephant has a unique cycle of ovulation and an extended pregnancy due to a hormonal mechanism not seen in any other species of animal.

It’s triggered by two surges of the reproductive hormone LH (luteinising hormone), while the pregnancy is maintained by hormones secreted by several ovarian bodies known as corpus lutea. This knowledge of how the pregnancy is maintained is invaluable to conservation efforts, both in the wild and in zoos.13,14 If artificial insemination is to be carried out, it needs to take place after the second LH surge – but timing is important: there’s only a two to three-day window when ovulation occurs and fertilisation is likely.

In order to be ready, scientists look out for the first LH surge, by checking hormone levels via weekly blood samples, or by measuring hormone metabolites excreted in urine and faeces. Using artificial insemination helps increase the species’ gene pools, by matching two animals that can be many kilometres apart.

This is key to survival: the more diverse the gene pool, the healthier, and more stable the population becomes. It also means no animal has to be transported and so the female can stay with her herd, which is very important for elephants.15,16 Elephants arrive into the world with advanced brain development, helping them to understand the matriarchal structure around them. © Karl Ammann I Getty Of course, the story doesn’t end there. When calves are born following the marathon pregnancy, they arrive on the scene with an advanced level of brain development.

It’s used to recognise the structure of the matriarchal society around them and to help them feed themselves – they watch the adults and quickly learns which plants to eat and how to access them. But they’re not alone. Other females help out with younger members of the herd and when on the move, the pace is adjusted to allow the calves to keep up.

But none of that would be possible were it not for the 680 days in the womb. The complex neural development that occurs during this period has given them a head start, allowing them to survive from day one of birth.17,18 Featured image © Karl Ammann This article was originally published in August 2021.1. : Elephant gestation period longer than any living species
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What is a pregnant horse called?

A mare is pregnant. When the mare is foaling, she is actually in labor and giving birth. We say, “A mare foaled” when she gives birth. The foal is the young horse after birth. The newborn male is a colt and the new born female is a filly. ← What do you use on the newborn foals to help prevent problems or infections? What does is mean when a foal is scouring? →
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Is 14 too old to breed a horse?

Peak fertility in horses occurs at approximately 6 to 7 years of age. Fertility begins to decline at around 15 years of age as mares become more difficult to get in foal and the rate of pregnancy loss increases.
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How many times can a horse give birth in its lifetime?

Average Number of Offspring – The number of offspring varies greatly between mares and stallions.

Mares: Can have 0 to 20, with an average broodmare producing around 15 to 20 foals in her life. Stallions: Most stallions are bred 30 to 50 times a year. If 40 of those attempts result in a live foal, a stallion could have 600 foals in his life.

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Can you breed a 25 year old mare?

When should mares stop having babies? – A lot of this depends on the mare and whether she’s had any foals before (and how many). A mare who’s had no foals, or only one or two, shouldn’t be bred past 16. Mares who have been regularly bred, and are able to manage pregnancies well, can be bred as old as 25, though most breeders will stop at 23. Photo Cred: Canva
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Why do horses fall after mating?

Excitement / Stress – The most likely reason that mares lie down after mating is because they are overwhelmed and need to rest to bring their heart rate back down to normal levels. Stallions can be aggressive and hyperactive when courting and mating, and horses are socially sensitive creatures.
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How often do horses go into heat?

The Biological Basics – Female mammals of many species have a reproductive cycle that includes a recurring period of sexual receptivity (estrus). For horses the natural breeding season occurs in the spring and summer. During this time, mares ovulate every 21 days and are in estrus for five to seven days.

• In the winter months they experience a period of sexual inactivity (anestrus).
• Normal cyclicity in mares is dependent on the onset of longer day lengths,” says Charles Love, DVM, PhD, Dip ACT, professor of equine theriogenology at Texas A&M University.
• Specifically, the increase in daylight that is a hallmark of spring signals the pituitary gland at the base of the mare’s brain to release what is known as follicle-stimulating hormone into the bloodstream.

FSH travels to the ovaries, where it initiates the development of a cavity, or follicle, containing an egg (ovum). As the follicle grows on an ovary, it produces the hormone estrogen. At a certain point, the level of estrogen in the blood signals the pituitary gland to secrete a second hormone.

• This one, luteinizing hormone, triggers ovulation, causing the follicle to rupture and send the egg into a fallopian tube, the passageway where it may be fertilized as it makes its way to the uterus.
• Once its contents are released, the follicle forms a temporary structure called the corpus luteum.
• It functions for approximately 12 to 14 days, secreting some estrogen and relatively high levels of the hormone progesterone to sustain pregnancy.

In those instances where conception does not occur, the hormone prostaglandin—which is released by the uterine wall—causes the corpus luteum to be reabsorbed into the ovary. In turn, the level of progesterone decreases and the estrus cycle resumes. If, however, the mare conceives, the activity of the growing embryo in the uterus halts the release of prostaglandin.

1. As a result, the corpus luteum remains functional and progesterone levels are maintained so that the pregnancy continues.
2. When the mare ovulates she will remain in heat one to two days after and then will go out of heat,” Dr.
3. Love explains.
4. During that time she may display a variety of signs—usually when she’s around other horses, especially males—to indicate she’s receptive to a stallion.

They include lifting her tail, squatting, urinating and “winking”—opening and closing the lower part of the vulva, the outside portion of her genital tract. Beyond the behaviors that signal she’s ready to breed, a mare in heat may also exhibit some degree of change in attitude and performance—but not all mares do.

The most common behaviors are tail swishing, squealing and kicking as well as excessive urination. In addition, physical discomfort from the pain of a developing follicle may cause a mare to be uncooperative and hard to ride or train, leading to decreased performance under saddle. “Most mares are difficult in heat due to the constant urination and the distraction of being around other horses,” Dr.

Love says. “Some mares do exhibit ovarian pain and may actually colic as a result.” For these reasons and others, it’s natural for a concerned owner to turn to the offerings of modern medicine in search of a remedy to ease the ill effects of estrus. © Amy K. Dragoo/AIMMEDIA
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How many times can you breed a mare?

Breeding Basics – Breeding is all about timing. A healthy mare can go into estrus one to two times per month, and these are the times when she can be bred.
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Can you ride pregnant mare?

Any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you make a purchase. Thanks in advance – I really appreciate it! Our granddaughter is anxious to ride her pregnant barrel racing mare. But, we’re concerned it may cause damage to the horse or its unborn foal, so I did some research to learn about the safety of riding a pregnant horse.

• A healthy pregnant horse can be ridden during much of her pregnancy.
• However, there are periods when riding should be avoided, don’t ride a mare for at least 30 days following conception or during the final two to three months before her due date.
• Otherwise, it is ok to ride your pregnant horse.
• Many horse owners avoid riding a pregnant mare; however, this is not necessary, and often pregnant mares benefit from being ridden.

But there are some essential things you need to keep in mind when your mare is pregnant.
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What is the longest a horse has been pregnant?

We all want to greet the new babies! When are they due to foal? The ‘average’ gestation for horses is 340 days, but ‘normal’ gestation can be as short as 320 days and as long as 370 days. The longest recorded successful gestation was 445 days, although most foals born after an extended gestation are small in size due to delayed uterine development.

There are many factors that affect duration of gestation, including genetics of the foal and season of the year when due to foal. Foaling date is ultimately determined by the foal, when he/she decides that development is sufficient. Remember that the terms ‘premature’, ‘dysmature’ and ‘postmature’ apply to the foal’s condition at birth and not to the duration of gestation.

Generally, foals born before 300 days gestation are unlikely to survive, although there are exceptions. Miniature horse pregnancies may be shorter than full-size horses and gestations as short as 280 days may produce healthy foals. Also, when a pregnancy is threatened, as by placentitis, fetal stress (cortisol) may hasten development resulting in normal maturity at very short gestational duration.

1. Foals born between 300 and 320 days gestation are at risk of being premature and requiring some level of intensive care.
2. Average gestation is 320 to 370 days, but longer pregnancies can still be normal.
3. Signs of impending parturition are generally not very specific.
4. Changes in the mares demeanor or routine may indicate impending birth.

The mare’s abdomen will become enlarged and pendulous in late gestation, but in the last week of gestation, the abdomen may become smaller as the foal moves into the birth canal. Over the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, the hormone relaxin causes relaxation of the pelvic musculature and vulva.

1. The mare’s udder should begin enlargement about 4 weeks before parturition, with consistent enlargement and filling of the teats at 1 week before parturition.
2. Waxing, or colostrum deposit on the teats usually happens within 6 – 48 hours of parturition.
3. Milk calcium can be determined daily and when it reaches 200 ppm, the mare is very close to giving birth.

Just prior to giving birth, the mare may become restless or even look colicky. False labor is possible, but keep watching, she is likely to reach to final stages of labor very quickly! Enjoy your new foal!
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Can horses have abortions?

About 10% of equine pregnancies (after a positive 6-week pregnancy test) end in abortion. Most are due to non-infectious causes but a significant number are caused by viral or bacterial infections, some of which may be contagious.
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Can a human get pregnant by an animal?

We mated with Neanderthals. Can we breed with other animals, too? – Franco Zacharzewski Last week, scientists announced that the human gene pool seems to include DNA from Neanderthals. That suggests that humans interbred with their primate cousins at some point before the Neanderthals went extinct about 30,000 years ago.

Could we mate with other animals today? Probably not. Ethical considerations preclude definitive research on the subject, but it’s safe to say that human DNA has become so different from that of other animals that interbreeding would likely be impossible. Groups of organisms tend to drift apart genetically when they get separated by geographical barriers —one might leave to find new food sources, or an earthquake could force them apart.

When the two groups come back into contact with each other many, many years later, they may each have evolved to the point where they can no longer mate. In general, two types of changes prevent animals from interbreeding. The first includes all those factors —called “pre-zygotic reproductive isolating mechanisms”—that would make fertilization impossible.

1. After so many generations apart, a pair of animals might look so different from one another that they’re not inclined to have sex.
2. If we’re not even trying to mate with monkeys, we’ll never have half-human, half-monkey babies.
3. If the animals do try to get it on despite changed appearances, incompatible genitalia or sperm motility could pose another problem: A human spermatozoon may not be equipped to navigate the reproductive tract of a chimpanzee, for example.

The second type of barrier includes ” post-zygotic reproductive isolating mechanisms,” or those factors that would make it impossible for a hybrid animal fetus to grow into a reproductive adult. If a human were indeed inclined and able to impregnate a monkey, post-zygotic mechanisms might result in a miscarriage or sterile offspring.

The further apart two animals are in genetic terms, the less likely they are to produce viable offspring. At this point, humans seem to have been separate from other animals for far too long to interbreed. We diverged from our closest extant relative, the chimpanzee, as many as 7 million years ago. (For comparison, our apparent tryst with the Neanderthals occurred less than 700,000 years after we split off from them.) Researchers haven’t pinned down exactly which mechanisms prevent interbreeding under most circumstances.

Some closely related species can mate even if they have different numbers of chromosomes. Przewalski’s horse, for example, has 33 pairs of chromosomes instead of the 32 most horses have, but it can interbreed with regular equines anyway—the offspring takes the average and ends up with 65 chromosomes.

• Neanderthals weren’t our ancestors’ only dalliance with other primates.
• Pre-humans” and “pre-chimpanzees” interbred and gave birth to hybrids millions of years ago.
• In the 1920s, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin sent an animal-breeding expert to Africa in hopes of creating an army of half-man, half-monkey soldiers.

Attempts both to inseminate women with monkey sperm and impregnate female chimpanzees with human sperm failed. That doesn’t mean that tales of humans interbreeding with other animals haven’t endured. Rumored animal-human crosses from the past few hundred years have included a man-pig, a monkey-girl, and a porcupine man.

1. Got a question about today’s news? Ask the Explainer,
2. Explainer thanks Trenton Holliday of Tulane University.
3. Correction, Nov.15, 2006: Due to an editing error, the original version of this piece suggested that interbreeding humans and apes might produce half-human, half-monkey babies.
4. The offspring of such a union would be half-ape, not half-monkey.

( Return to the corrected sentence.)
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What animal gets pregnant by itself?

Creatures big and small – For millions of years animals have reproduced via parthenogenesis, which first emerged in some of the smallest, simplest organisms. For more advanced animals like vertebrates, scientists think that the ability to reproduce asexually came about as a last-ditch effort for species facing adverse conditions.

That may explain why parthenogenesis is possible in so many desert and island species. Most animals that procreate through parthenogenesis are small invertebrates such as bees, wasps, ants, and aphids, which can alternate between sexual and asexual reproduction. Parthenogenesis has been observed in vertebrate species, about half of which are fish or lizards.

It’s rare that complex vertebrates such as sharks, snakes, and large lizards rely on asexual reproduction, which is why Leonie and others initially stumped scientists. Endangered Shark Gives Rare “Virgin Birth” WATCH: A captive female zebra shark separated from its mate for three years has given birth to juvenile sharks.

Select photos courtesy Tourism and Events Queensland Because it’s challenging to track how often parthenogenesis happens in the wild, many “firsts” in asexual reproduction are seen in animals in human care. For vertebrates, whether in the wild or in captivity, these “virgin births” are rare events triggered by unusual conditions.

No mammals are known to reproduce this way because unlike simpler organisms, mammals rely on a process called, Like a molecular stamp, imprinting labels which genes are from mom and which are from dad. For mammals such as humans, this means that certain genes are switched on or off depending on the contributing parent.
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Which animal is pregnant all life?

Why is the female wallaby always pregnant? Babies on board: The female swamp wallaby is permanently pregnant. Image: Shutterstock The swamp wallaby is the only mammal that is permanently pregnant throughout its life according to new research about the reproductive habits of marsupials. Unlike humans, kangaroos and wallabies have two uteri.

When the sucking stimulus from the young in the pouch declines, the dormant embryo starts growing again and the cycle starts anew, with females returning to oestrus in late pregnancy, mating, and forming another embryo.”Thus, females are permanently pregnant their whole lives,” said Dr Brandon Menzies who collaborated on the research with Professor Marilyn Renfree and Professor Thomas Hildebrandt from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife research in Berlin, Germany.The findings shed light on the record-breaking reproductive systems of marsupials.Mammalian pregnancy is usually longer, up to 22 months in elephants, with several stages that require different combinations of hormones.While most mammals also require a break between pregnancies, either to support new young or during periods of seasonal lack of resources, the female swamp wallaby is the only one that can claim the reproductive feat of being permanently pregnant throughout its life.Marsupials have the largest sperm, the shortest pregnancies, and exhibit the longest periods of embryonic diapause (developmental arrest of the embryo) among mammals.Furthermore, kangaroos and wallabies regularly support young at three different stages of development, namely, an embryo in the uterus, an early stage pouch young and a semi-dependent young at foot (still sucking milk).”Whatever the reason, the swamp wallaby is an incredibly successful and ubiquitous species in Australia, occupying a range that stretches from the Western Victoria/South Australian border all the way up the eastern seaboard to cape York in far north Queensland,” said Dr Menzies.The research is published today as Unique reproductive strategy in the swamp wallaby ( Wallabia bicolor ), in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

“We used high resolution ultrasound to track pregnancy and mating in 10 female swamp wallabies,” said Dr Menzies. “What we found amazed us – the females come into oestrus, mate and form a new embryo 1-2 days before the end of their existing pregnancy.

The swamp wallaby is the only mammal known to be continuously pregnant in this way.” Just one other species of mammal is known to go into oestrus while still pregnant – the European Brown Hare ( Lepus europaeus ). This species also returns to oestrus in late pregnancy and conceives additional embryos before giving birth.

This feat may be all the more remarkable in the hare because the embryos are conceived within common uterine horns already supporting late-stage fetuses. : Why is the female wallaby always pregnant?
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How many times can a stallion mate in a day?

Supporting Fertility in Stallions – Kentucky Equine Research Stallion fertility can be influenced by nutrition, management, presentation of mares, and the stallion’s age, among other factors. To ensure the best pregnancy rates, managers need to take these points into consideration.

1. Breeding stallions are working hard, and should therefore be fed like performance horses in a moderate training program.
2. During the spring season, Thoroughbred stallions must produce enough semen for two or three daily breedings.
3. This process requires a lot of energy as well as sufficient levels of dietary protein, fat,,

Stallion diets should be based on high-quality forage (hay or pasture). During the breeding season, the addition of energy-dense feed products may be necessary to satisfy calorie requirements for the increased workload of breeding. should consist of no more than five pounds of concentrate, so more than one daily feeding may be required.

1. Fortified concentrates designed for breeding stallions will contain the vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal nutrition.
2. While they should not be allowed to become obese, stallions can carry a little more body condition than fit equine athletes in other disciplines.
3. Handling a stallion is a complex job.

The horse must be controlled so that he is not a danger to humans or other horses, but he must still be allowed to express natural vocalizations and actions. Stallions that are harshly disciplined for showing instinctive behavior will sometimes lose interest in breeding because of fear of punishment.

1. This is an important reason why acquiring a stallion is not a good decision for first-time horse owners.
2. A stallion’s fertility rate is determined by how many mares he serves compared to how many of the mares become pregnant.
3. Ideally, a mare will conceive on her first breeding, and this is most likely to occur if she is presented to the stallion at the peak of her fertility, usually within a few hours on either side of ovulation.

Decades ago, the mare had to be brought to the stallion every couple of days when she showed signs of being in heat. With today’s technology, veterinarians can determine the time of ovulation with excellent precision, often eliminating the necessity of breeding more than once per cycle or season.

• When mares are bred at their most fertile time, the stallion’s pregnancy rate goes up, and he can serve more mares during a single season.
• Young stallions should not be booked to as many mares per season as older, more mature stallions.
• Much of a growing horse’s energy goes toward adding muscle and bone, with a lower level supporting the production of testosterone and semen.

Especially if the horse has recently been retired from race training, it may take a while for him to settle into his new role as a sire. Mature stallions can breed two or three mares a day throughout a long breeding season and maintain a good level of fertility, but young stallions should not be expected to handle this level of work.
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What is a horse newborn called?

A foal is the term we use for baby horses. Male foals are called colts and female foals are called fillies. When a mare (female adult horse) has her baby, we say she has foaled. When foals turn one year old, we no longer call them foals but instead we call them yearlings.
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What is a boy horse called?

Stable Talk: Horse Terms – Kentucky Equine Research Just as any sport or hobby has its “insider” jargon, so it is with the horse world. Not only are there many terms to learn, but the newcomer to equine circles must also learn to differentiate between words that sound similar, but have totally different meanings.

A quick look at the following definitions may help neophytes figure out what’s being discussed. Young horses of either sex are called foals. Males are colts; females are fillies. An occasionally heard variation is to call male youngsters horse colts and female youngsters filly colts, but you can hardly go wrong with foal for any very young horse that’s still nursing.

After foals are weaned, usually at four to six months old, they are known as weanlings until their first birthday, when they become yearlings. All Thoroughbreds are officially a year old on the first day of January, no matter when they were actually born.

1. Yearlings become long yearlings in the fall, and two-year-olds the next year.
2. A stallion is a mature male horse at the age of four or older; a mare is a mature female horse at the same age.
3. A gelding is a castrated male horse of any age.
4. Stallions are also known as entire horses or uncut horses.
5. Stallions that have produced offspring may be called sires.

Sometimes the term stud is used to designate a stallion. A stud farm, or simply a stud, is the place stallions live. It’s most common in Thoroughbred circles for mares to come to the stallion for breeding; sometimes stallions travel to the mare’s home.

1. Pasture breeding occurs when a stallion and a mare are left together in a pasture, and breeding occurs without human assistance.
2. A live cover involves copulation, while artificial insemination involves collection of semen from a stallion and then the introduction of that semen into a mare, often at another location a day or so later.

Thoroughbred pregnancies, and those of some other breeds, must result from a live cover if the foal is to be registered. Many other breed associations, including the American Quarter Horse Association, allow artificial insemination. Pregnancy lasts about 11 months, but may vary by several weeks in individual mares.

1. Castrating a male horse, also known as gelding or cutting, is usually straightforward, but if the horse has an undescended testicle (testicle remains in the abdominal cavity instead of dropping into the scrotum), it is difficult to remove and may be left with the horse.
2. Such horses are known as ridgelings, rigs, or cryptorchids; they’re also said to have been proud-cut.

These horses often develop stallion characteristics and behavior; they may or may not be capable of impregnating a mare. The condition isn’t limited to geldings, of course, and there are some very successful breeding stallions with one undescended testicle.

A horse, even a gelding, is acting studdish if he shows stallion-like characteristics such as aggression, nipping, or herding mares. Likewise a mare is acting mareish if she gets nervous, spooky, and hard to handle. Mares come into heat or season (become sexually receptive) about every 21 days beginning in mid-spring.

While the most intense periods of heat occur in the spring, some mares seem to stay in season practically all the time. The anestrous period (those months when the mare does not come into heat) usually runs from late fall to early spring. In heat and hot-blooded refer to different things.

Hot-blooded is a general term that refers to Thoroughbreds and Arabian horses; warm-blooded breeds are mostly European horses originally bred for light driving work and often seen in dressage circles; and cold-blooded horses are the heavier draft breeds. All horses are, of course, actually warm-blooded mammals.

The terms designate temperament and physical characteristics, and are rather broad in their application. I’m putting my horses in if I’m bringing them from field to stall; I’m putting them out if I’m taking them back to the field. However, while bringing horses in is the same as putting horses up, putting them out is not the same as putting them down.

Putting a horse down is euthanizing it. A halter is made of leather or nylon webbing and is buckled around the horse’s head to allow a person to lead or handle the horse. There are field halters, show halter, and grooming halters, each designed a little differently for a particular purpose. A bridle is a somewhat similar piece of tack that usually supports a bit with reins to guide and control the horse.

At a show, horses may be shown in halter classes in which they are not ridden. Non-ridden classes are also known as in-hand classes; the horse may be shown in a halter in some classes and in a bridle for others. A hand is also a four-inch unit of measurement.

A horse is 15 hands high or tall if he measures 60 inches from the ground to the top of the withers (the high point just in front of the saddle area where the mane ends). If this horse were two inches taller, he would be 15.2 hands high. The number after the decimal designates inches, not tenths. Of course there’s no such thing as 15.4; that horse would be 16 hands tall.

And finally, a handy horse is one that is athletic, responsive, and capable of quick changes of direction while being ridden. Pony is another term with many meanings. Technically, a pony is an equine that never gets taller than 14.2 hands. However, some taller animals are referred to as ponies.

1. For example, a polo pony can be any size.
2. Exercising a horse by leading it while riding another is known as ponying the unridden horse; the unridden horse is being ponied.
3. Also, the full-sized ridden equines used to lead racehorses onto the track are known as ponies or pony horses.
4. Speaking of racehorses, Thoroughbreds are sometimes noted by the abbreviation TB.

An OTTB is an off-track Thoroughbred, usually one that has begun race training, lacks the speed to win races, and is being retrained for hunting, eventing, or another discipline. A TBX is a Thoroughbred cross, an animal having one Thoroughbred parent and one parent of another breed.

• Finally, a horse that has a chip might be desirable or undesirable.
• A bone chip (fragment of bone or cartilage in a joint) could be a problem, while a microchip embedded in the neck as a means of identification would be an asset.
• You don’t want a horse that chips or chips in, however, because this horse takes an extra short, choppy stride right before a jump instead of leaving the ground smoothly and out of stride to clear the obstacle.

Even those who have been around horses for a long time will not always agree on terms or meanings. In fact, anyone who has been in the horse business for a number of years could find an addition, exception, or correction for any of these general definitions of common stable terms.
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Can you ride a horse 4 months pregnant?

It’s not a good idea to go horseback riding while pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends avoiding activities that entail a high risk of falling or abdominal trauma. In addition, hormonal changes in pregnancy can loosen ligaments.

1. This makes it harder to ride and also provides less support to your joints, raising your risk of injury.
2. That said, during the first trimester, the baby is in your pelvic girdle, a bony structure that offers some protection if you were to fall.
3. So if it’s early in your pregnancy, you’re an experienced horseback rider, and the horse is only walking while you’re on its back, the danger to your baby is low.

Stop immediately and call your doctor, however, if you notice vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, or have headaches or chest pain, As your pregnancy progresses, the risk of serious injury – to you and your baby – increases. If you get thrown from or kicked by a horse after your first trimester, once your baby has moved higher up in your abdomen, there’s little to protect your baby from harm.

What’s more, the jostling motion of horseback riding can increase your risk of placental abruption, a serious pregnancy complication in which the placenta separates from the uterus. Save the horseback riding for six weeks postpartum, after you’ve gotten the all clear from your doctor to resume athletic activities.

Just remember to take it easy at first, as low back pain and loose joints can linger and cause injury.
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How many babies do horses give birth to?

Horses typically only have one baby at a time. According to the UC Davis Center for Equine Health, most mares will not be able to take two embryos to term, and usually abort during the later stages of the pregnancy. The twins were named Will and Grace. Mother, named Emma, and babies are reported to be doing well.
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Why do horses fall after mating?

Excitement / Stress – The most likely reason that mares lie down after mating is because they are overwhelmed and need to rest to bring their heart rate back down to normal levels. Stallions can be aggressive and hyperactive when courting and mating, and horses are socially sensitive creatures.
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What period do horses breed?

Page 2 – Horses can be capable of breeding from 18 months old, but domesticated horses are usually allowed to mature to at least three years old before breeding. Gestation lasts between 11 and 13 months, depending on the breed, and usually results in the birth of just one foal. The foal is capable of standing and running within a short time after birth.

1. There is specific terminology used to describe horses depending on their age:
2. • Foal: A horse of either sex less than one year old.
3. • Yearling: A horse of either sex that is between one and two years old.
4. • Colt: A male horse under the age of four.
5. • Filly: A female horse under the age of four.
6. • Mare: A female horse four years old and older.
7. • Stallion: A non-castrated male horse four years old and older.
8. • Gelding: A castrated male horse of any age.
9. Regardless of when a horse is born, for horses that enter into racing competitions, a year is added to its age every January 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and every August 1st in the Southern Hemisphere!

: Horses
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