How to Gender a Horse

The most exciting part of a horse giving birth is finding out the gender of the foal. When determining gender, a horse's physical attributes are easy to find. Male horses are born with a penis and testicles. Female horses are born with a visible vulva and a set of teats between their hind legs. The gender of a horse can change depending on its age, its body maturity or an owner's decision.

Things You'll Need

  • Veterinarian
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check the foal when it is born. If he has a penis, he is a colt. If there is no penis and a small vulva under the tail, she is a filly. A filly will stay a filly until she turns four. At four years old, she becomes a mare.

    • 2

      Check your colt at six months of age to see if both testicles have descended. If they have, he is considered a colt until he turns four years old; then, he becomes a stallion or a stud. Most colts are castrated by the time they turn three years old if they have no breeding prospects or if they become too difficult to manage. Castration involves the removal of both testicles. When a colt is castrated, he becomes a gelding.

    • 3

      Breed your mare and she will become a broodmare. A filly can become a broodmare as well, as a horse is mature enough to breed at two years of age.