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5 facts about foals – Do you already know them all or?

What To Do? When a Foal Loses Its Mother
What To Do? When a Foal Loses Its Mother

You have probably also looked at adorable foals on the fields specially during summertime. Perhaps you are even so lucky you have had a foal close to you or waiting for your own foal to arrive home. We can all agree that a tiny foal muzzle is the sweetest thing ever on the planet. We know that foals shortly after being born is standing up and is practising walking for the first time. But what else do we know? We give you some facts about foals in this article – and who knows maybe you even get to know your own foal even better.  

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“Filly” or “colt” instead of “foal” 

Do you know why a foal in English is called either a filly or a colt? It is not just cute nicknames. If it is a mare, it is called a filly and if it is a stallion, it is a colt. This is to distinguish between the significant difference in genders. Some believes that fillies are more intelligent and is walking faster after being born while others believe that colts are shyer. Not until they reach 4 years of age, they are called a mare, stallion or gelding.  

Photo: Archive 

Foals do not roll in the field - or do they?

Some believes that foals are not rolling before they turn 1 years old – unless they experience pain in connection with for example colic. We have not been able to find evidence for this assertion, and it mostly seems like an old tale. 

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Foals are born without antibodies

Newborn foals can handle a lot but naturally not without the mare’s colostrum. Foals are born without antibodies and a underdeveloped immune system. The colostrum contains vitamins, fat and proteins that helps boosting the foal’s immune system. All in all, foals are completely depended on the mare’s milk just like most newborns. The same reason, foals are very vulnerable the first few weeks and are easily getting sick. Normally a foal should drink from its mother no later than 24 hours after being born but preferable only a few hours after.  

Signs that the foal needs to be checked by a vet: 

  • It is sleeping more than usually. 
  • Has a low appetite.  
  • Cold legs, hoofs and ears. 
  • Reddish at the mucous membranes. 
  • Seems out of breath and has in general trouble breathing.  
  • Swishing fiercely with the tail without having fertilized or urinated. 
  • Lameness or incorrect leg position. 
  • Is swollen or sore around the belly button. 
  • Colic, fewer, cough, diarrhea or seem week.  

The teeth develop in a short time

Horses develop their teeth quite extreme on a relatively short time. Normally it takes about 4 years. Most foals are born with a few milk teeth. Usually, they have three cheek teeth in each side both in the upper- and lower part of the mouth. The front teeth are also there, but they usually do not erupt until a few days after birth. For 85 % of all horses, wolf teeth appear when the foal is between 6 and 9 months. 5 % also have them in the lower part of the mouth. When the horse is about 2,5 years old, they slowly change to permanent teeth. Milk teeth are usually more white, shinier and wider than permanent teeth. Sometimes you can be lucky to find one. Not until the horse is about 3,5-4 years old the last teeth will erupt – the sixth cheek teeth. If you have a gelding or stallion canine teeth will appear around 4-6 years of age. About 25 % of all mares also have these teeth, however they are way smaller.  

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Is a young horse really a pain in the a...? 

When a foal turns 1 years old, both in Denmark, Holland and in Sweden they are called a “plag” – meaning a plague. This, as you know, is not the case in English. But the name is not that wrong to be honest. A young horse can really be a plague, and as an owner of one, you do not always know what you are dealing with. Luckly, they grow up and everything stabilizes through time – just be patient and give it time!  


Sources: Evidensia DyrelinikThe Spruce PetsNetdyredoktor 

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