What Is a Colt Horse?

The word "colt" is often used to refer to any baby horse—but this is incorrect. The proper gender-neutral term for a young horse is "foal." All colts are foals, but foals can be either fillies or colts, in the same way that all infant boys are babies, but babies can be either infant boys or infant girls.

The Definition of "Colt"

Strictly speaking, a colt is an uncastrated (intact) male horse, pony, donkey, or mule younger than four years of age. The word is pronounced to rhyme with "bolt." The term's proper usage takes into account the fact that the baby horse is a male. For example, "The colt and filly played in the paddock while their mothers grazed nearby." The sentence would be equally correct if stated thus: "The two foals played in the paddock..." but the first example specifies the genders of the foals.

Common Usages of "Colt"

People frequently and incorrectly refer to all baby horses as colts, but as previously mentioned, this is incorrect. It’s a common mistake often encountered in movies and books.

A very young horse may be called a "filly foal" or "colt foal." When a colt is weaned, it may be called a "weanling colt," and when it reaches the age of one, it may be called a "yearling colt" (or simply "yearling"). You might hear a colt over the age of one or two called a "stud colt."