A foal is a baby horse up to one year of age, regardless of gender. In thoroughbred racing terminology, this represents the earliest stage of a racehorse’s life cycle, before it becomes a yearling at age one.
When a mare is pregnant, she is said to be “in foal” for approximately 11 months. When she gives birth, she is “foaling,” and the newborn horse is described as having been “foaled” on its birth date.
Foals cannot compete in horse races – the earliest age for racing competition is two years old. This makes foal purchases relatively risky investments, as they carry significant uncertainty during their first year of development.
In thoroughbred racing, all horses officially age on January 1st, regardless of their actual birth date. This means foals born early in the year have developmental advantages over those born later, as they are physically more mature while being considered the same “age” for racing purposes.
Gender Classifications for Foals
Physical Development
- Birth weight: Approximately 10% of the mother’s weight (around 90 pounds for a typical thoroughbred mare)
- Weaning weight: Around 500 pounds at 4-7 months when separated from mother
- Growth rate: Can gain up to 3 pounds per day during early development