Horses are some of the most interesting animals in the world. Did you know that horses can see better at night than humans can? While full-grown horses are interesting, baby horses are pretty amazing as well. Not only are they adorable, but they’re impressive and intelligent.
Whether it is the amount of time they need to grow, their ability to communicate silently between a baby horse and mom, or even how big their legs are, newborn baby horses are amazing creatures.
The good news is that you’ve come to the right place to learn all of the baby horse facts you can handle. Continue reading to learn about seven cool facts about baby horses.
1. Leg Size
Did you know that when a baby horse is born, its legs and baby horse hooves are already 80 to 90 percent grown? Their long and strong legs provide them with an advantage that allows them to survive in the wild after they’re born because they’re able to cover large amounts of ground. Their legs also allow them to keep up with the herd of grown horses.
2. They Can Walk Within 2 Hours of Birth
Upon being born, it only takes about two hours for a baby horse to learn how to stand and then walk. That is an impressive timetable for development. The need to stand so soon comes from the importance of being able to nurse from the mom horse after birth.
3. Baby Horses Are Often Born at Night
Another fun fact about baby horses is that it is typical for a mare to give birth to its foal at night or in the early hours of the morning. This is another evolutionary trait that allows horses in the wild to conceal the baby horse from any predators that would try to harm it when it is most vulnerable.
4. Baby Horses Eat Grass After Two Weeks
In as little as 10 to 14 days, a baby horse starts eating grass and hay. They are still nursing during this time, but the grass and hay provide the baby horse with other nutrients that are vital for its growth and development.
5. Baby Horse and Mom Communicate Silently
After giving birth to a foal, the mare bonds rapidly with its offspring. This bond comes in the form of silent communication that is so subtle that it is imperceptible to humans. You can learn more about mares and foals in horse books.
6. Mares’ Milk Provides Immunity Help
The first milk that a baby horse gets from the mare is the most important, called colostrum, which helps to boost the immune system of the foal and protect it against bacteria. The best-case scenario is that the foal gets the colostrum within the first few hours after birth for rapid protection.
7. Foals Grow Rapidly
Most foals are born weighing around 150 or 200 pounds. This is roughly 10 percent of the mare that birthed the foal weighs. From there it is normal for a foal to gain as much as three pounds per day. This means that by the time the foal is a year old it has grown to almost its full size.
Now You Know About Baby Horses
There are plenty of fun facts to learn about when it comes to baby horses because they’re beautiful, fun, and interesting creatures. They grow at a rapid pace and need milk from the mare to have a strong immune system that protects them from bacteria.
They’re also born at night to protect them from predators and they are able to walk just a few hours after their birth.
For more helpful and informative articles, be sure to check out our blog.