Anyone heard of a colt being male or female?

Question

Has anyone ever heard of a person referring to a colt as a male or female young horse? And is it correct, i use the term colt as ether s*x, however people always say i'm wrong, however i know a bunch of old timers that say colt and they are talking about fillys

Answer 1

Technically a colt is male and filly is female, but I have heard a lot of people refer to either s*x as "colt", just to be general about a young horse.  For instance, "colt starting" clinics can have both sexes, but it's still referred to as "colt starting."  It's just easier, I think.

Answer 2

Technically, it is filly- female, colt- male. However many people do reffer to it as you do. Anyway, I hope I helped!

Answer 3

i use the term colt for any horse under the age of 2 years,stud colt is a male and filly colt is a female,a green colt is an untrained horse under the age of two.a lot of cowboys call them colts whether they are male or female because when they are in the middle of a fourty acre pasture and you are told to bring in the colts it doesnt matter what s*x they are you just bring them in and sort it out in the pens.

i should also add that a foal to me is under one year old then it becomes a yearling.

Answer 4

I've read some old classic books that describe a filly as a colt, so maybe that was just the old way of describing baby horses. As of now, the system I'm most familiar and is the only one I've ever heard people say is that a foal is just a baby horse in general, it can be a male or a female. A filly is a female horse under 4 years old, and a colt is a male horse under 4 years old.

Please, correct me if I'm wrong :)

Answer 5

no!!!

colt means male

filly means female

but i know what your talking about when you say that a lot of older folk referr to colts as a foal of either s*x... silly!!! :)

Answer 6

You are right.

A colt is a male young horse. After they are four yours old, they are considered a stallion. Unless the were gelded or fixed, than they are a gelding.

A filly is a female young horse. After they are four as well, they then are considered a mare. Theres no special term for a fixed mare.

Answer 7

I think it just depends on weather a person wants to be "politically correct. It's just easier sometimes to say colt, to refer to a young horse. Like most people say they have a colt to break rather than I have a filly, stallion or gelding to break.

ADD; Awesome - 2 thumbs down!   Ha ha ha

Answer 8

Colt : male foal

Filly : female foal

Foal : either s*x

Answer 9

In many areas the term "colt" is used for any young horse under 2 years or so. It's a hold over term used by many of the older generation cowboys, they called them all colts until they started riding them.  They'll clarify by saying Stud Colt or Filly Colt. Not wrong just a different vernacular. I've even used it myself, depending on who I'm talking to :-)

Technically, a Colt is a male horse under 4 years, after 4 years of age it is technically a Stallion. A Filly is a female horse under 4 years, after that age she is considered a Mare. Generally, most people refer to geldings as "geldings" no matter what age they are.

A foal refers to either gender, usually while still by it's dam's side.

Answer 10

In some parts of the country any young horse is called a colt.  To specify s*x they use the terms filly colt or stud colt.  

however in most parts of the US the term colt refers to a male.

Answer 11

A colt is a intact (non Gelding) male horse under the age of four years old.

http://www.saferhorseracing.com/

Answer 12

umm i hate to break it to you but a colt is a baby male horse. No one calls a female a colt. thats just stupid! =]

Answer 13

I myself have heard that too, many older people use that term but they use stud colt and filly colt to be specify.

but the most people use:

colt = for males under 4 (neuted up to 2, un-neuted under 4)

geldings = males neuted over 2

filly = females under 4

foal = used for both s*x's under 1

yearling = used for both s*x's over 1 under 2

stallion = males over 4 un-neuted

mare = female over 4

hope this helps and makes sence

Answer 14

a colt is actually a male under 4 yrs.

a filly is a female under 4 yrs.

a foal is a baby!

Answer 15

Sure, I have heard of this for years- and it's something which appears in in literature as well as in common, old style usage. If you have ever read books like " The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck, then you have probably seen this term used at some point. That particular novel is full of references to the term " filly colt" and "stud colt", as are all of the O'Hara novels ( "My Friend Flicka", "Thunderhead", and "The Green Grass of Wyoming") and the term even appears in some of the other books I have read over the years. Most of the time, those who use this term are of the old " cowboy" type, because that was how they spoke then. It took quite a while before the term " foal" really latched on and took hold- and it still hasn't,at least in some places.

Answer 16

ill start at the begging

foal- is a baby horse

colt- is a baby boy horse

filly- is a baby girl horse

mare- is a girl horse

stallion- is a boy horse

gelding- is a desexed boy horse.

Answer 17

I was born and raised on a farm have had horses on the farm from day one.  Yes we all know the correct medical terms for male and female foals.  However like everything else in rural communities or horse stables things are short formed...for instance...in general conversation.a cow, could be anything from a heifer, steer, calf, etc...when we all really know it is a female that has had a calf...so another short form is calling any baby horse a colt...just for general speaking...it is just one of those things that you grow up with...even though it is not in the books...I guess you have to be there to understand it.

Answer 18

yeah i've heard of it as a colt going for both genders

but its not correct

use foal for both genders, filly for female, colt for male

Answer 19

It is a male horse under the age of 5

Answer 20

I've heard many 'old timers' refer to a young horse of either gender as a colt. My dad used to use that as a general term.

It does NOT mean they are stupid or don't know what they are talking about... I've seen many more than qualified horseman refer to all young horses as colts.

I use the term colt for males and filly for females but I say whatever works for you.

Answer 21

Colt=male

Filly=female

a lot of people use colt for both because i think that is what they used to describe young horses in general a long time ago.

Answer 22

I was always taught that a colt is a baby male horse and a filly is a baby girl horse.

Answer 23

well most western riders call them filly colts.

But ever since i can remember ive called males colts ( under 4 yrs old i believe) and females fillies ( under 4yrs old  i believe)

Answer 24

as far as i know...a colt is a lil' baby stallion...under 4years old?

Answer 25

your right a coalt refers to either s*x a female would be a filly and and a male would be a foal.

Answer 26

I have never heard a filly being called a colt.

where i come from

a filly is a girl

and a colt is a boy

and a foal is both.

Answer 27

A colt is a young male horse under the age of four. I don't know if there is any other meaning for that word though.

Answer 28

colt is a male.....filly is a female

Answer 29

Sure, this is an "old school" way that used to be the norm.  Now it is the colt and filly differentiation that seems to be in vogue.  Some will need clarification.  No big deal really.

Answer 30

Yeah out here in WY/SD they do that commonly.

They refer to a colt as a young horse and its not in regards to gender.

But your right it is mainly the old timers I see doing it.  I know I get in the habit of it too after being around them for a while lol.  

EDIT- its definately that they arent stupid, i would venture to say these old guys would ring circles around the 2 posters below me.  You guys need to get out more seriously.

Answer 31

i hear it with unexperienced horse people a lot. no offense.

colt is a young male horse. filly is a young female horse. i think its 3 - 4 years and younger.

foal is just a young horse, a baby.

then theres stud colt, yearling, mare, stallion, gelding, ect.