A foal is a baby horse. From the moment a foal is born until it reaches one year old, that's what we call it. After a year, we use different words: a young male horse becomes a colt, and a young female becomes a filly.

Foals can stand and walk within an hour or two of being born, which seems almost magical compared to human babies, who take about a year to walk. This ability helped wild horses survive: a foal that couldn't keep up with the herd would be vulnerable to predators. When a foal is first born, its legs look impossibly long and wobbly, almost as long as they'll be when fully grown. This can make young foals look a bit like they're walking on stilts.

A mother horse is called a mare, and you might hear someone say “the mare foaled” to mean she gave birth. Horse breeders pay close attention when foals are born, making sure both the mare and foal stay healthy during those important first hours.