A filly is a
female horse that is too young to be called a
mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
*In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old.
*In some nations, such as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, the world of
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
sets the cutoff age for fillies as five.
Fillies are
sexually mature by two and are sometimes bred at that age, but generally, they should not be bred until they themselves have stopped growing, usually by four or five.
[Ensminger, M. E. ''Horses and Horsemanship: Animal Agriculture Series.'' Sixth Edition. Interstate Publishers, 1990. p. 149-150] Some fillies may exhibit
estrus as
yearlings.
The equivalent term for a male is a
colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
* Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
*Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
* Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United State ...
. When horses of either sex are less than one year, they are referred to as
foals.
Horses of either sex between one and two years old may be called yearlings.
See also
*
Filly Triple Crown
*
Weanling
References
{{Reflist
Types of horse
Female horses