In nature, big things come in small and adorable packages – and foal horsies are the proof! Wobbly-legged horse youngsters are a little delicate, but they’re also packed with fascinating quirks and traits that help them live happy lives!
From the moment they hit the ground (literally), these horsies are impressive! So get ready and gallop along. Find out more about these cute littles! But don’t gallop too fast! They’re just babies! Let them catch up to you!
1. Foals Can Stand Within An Hour Of Being Born
From the moment they are born, these babies are just foal-nomenal. It’s like they know they’ve got to hurry so they don’t become a “horse” d’ouvres for a predator!
Standing and moving quickly after birth is very important for survival. So, foals can’t waste any time! Compare that to our human babies – we spend 9 months in the womb, and at least 18 years (and often a lot longer) of not knowing what we’re doing!
2. Foal Legs Are Almost Fully Grown
Being a foal is all about those gangly legs. Despite their awkward appearance, those long legs serve an actual purpose! They give the foal a good starting point!
They need them for mobility and speed! Those things are essential for keeping up with the herd and avoiding being someone’s lunch. You could say “leg day, every day” is something foals have to live by!
3. Foals Are Born With A Unique Coat
Horses care as much about fashion as they care about speed and strength! Foals are born with a coat that might look completely different from the one they have as adults!
You could say that they keep their true colors hidden until they’re ready to make their fashion debut! So, if you’re thinking of betting on what color a foal will be when it grows up, don’t be too quick to lay your money down!
4. Foals Sleep A Lot
Just like a college student on spring break, foals adore sleep. The only difference is that foals don’t sleep until noon! They just take lots of short naps throughout the day.
Their built-in snooze button is magical indeed. But trust me, they are ready to bolt at any sign of danger. If you’re about to sneeze next to a foal while they’re asleep, they’ll use those long legs and get up faster than you can actually do it!
5. Foals Start Eating Solid Food Early
Sure, foals drink their mother’s milk for the first few months. But the thing is that they start munching on grass and hay just a few days after birth! They’re basically like, “Okay Mom. Thanks for the milk. But I wanna see what the world has to offer too!”
The early intro to solids prepares them for weaning, which happens around 6 months! If human babies could do that, that would spare new parents so much work!
6. Foals Are Surprisingly Fast
Born to run! Even though they’re only a few days old, they can gallop extremely fast – like they’re about to race Lightning Queen! Centuries of evolution fine-tuned this skill so that horses can keep up with their mamas!
Besides, they have to run away from humans too! They’re so cute that you just want to run after them and hug them!