A foal is a young horse or donkey up to one year old. The term is mainly used for horses but can also apply to donkeys. A male foal is called a colt, and a female foal is called a filly. When a foal is nursing from its mother (called a dam), it may be referred to as a "suckling," and after weaning, it is called a "weanling." Once the foal reaches one year of age, it is no longer called a foal but a "yearling"

. Foals are born after an approximately 11-month gestation period and are relatively mature and mobile shortly after birth, able to keep up with the herd within a few hours. They initially feed on their mother's milk, which provides essential nutrients and antibodies, and start eating solid foods around 10 days old. Proper nutrition is crucial to their healthy growth and development

. In summary, a foal is a baby horse from birth until one year old, with specific terms used to describe its gender and developmental stages within that first year