Colt (horse)
A colt is a male horse, usually below the age of four years.[1][2]
Description
The term "colt" only describes young male horses and is not to be confused with
The term is derived from
An adult male horse, if left intact, is called either a "stallion" if used for breeding, or a horse (sometimes full horse); if castrated, it is called a gelding. In some cases, particularly informal nomenclature, a gelding under four years is still called a colt. A rig or ridgling is a male equine with a retained testicle or one which has been incompletely castrated.[6]
In the wild, colts are driven from their herds by the herd stallion somewhere between the age of one and two. This may be, in part, an instinct to prevent inbreeding. When driven out, they usually join with other young stallions in a bachelor herd. They stay with this band until they are mature enough to form their own herd of mares. The terms "rag" or "rake" have been historically used to refer to a group of colts, but they have fallen out of modern usage.[7][8]
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References
- ^ This definition is preferred by OED, Merriam Webster, Saunders Veterinary dictionary, Websters (with narrow exceptions) and Collins
- ^ "Colt | Define Colt at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
- ISBN 1852916001.
- ISBN 9781902937090– via Google Books.
- ^ "colt | Origin and meaning of colt by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.
- ^ Summerhayes, RS, Encyclopaedia for Horsemen, Warne & Co, London & New York, 1966
- ^ Barrows, Edward M. Animal Behavior Desk Reference. CRC Press, 2001. p. 296.
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary 1933: Rag
