Which term describes a one-year-old horse?

Which term describes a one-year-old horse?

• A. Colt
• B. Foal
• C. Mare
• D. Filly

Answer: (B)

Understanding how horses are labeled by age helps. A foal is a young horse in its first year of life, regardless of sex, so at about one year old it’s still referred to as a foal in many contexts. A yearling, by comparison, is the next stage—the horse between one and two years old. The other terms indicate sex or older age: a filly is a young female, a colt is a young male, and a mare is an adult female. So, for a one-year-old horse, foal is the best match because it designates a young horse in that early, first-year stage.

Understanding how horses are labeled by age helps. A foal is a young horse in its first year of life, regardless of sex, so at about one year old it’s still referred to as a foal in many contexts. A yearling, by comparison, is the next stage—the horse between one and two years old. The other terms indicate sex or older age: a filly is a young female, a colt is a young male, and a mare is an adult female. So, for a one-year-old horse, foal is the best match because it designates a young horse in that early, first-year stage.