SafekipediaA yearling is a young horse that is between one and two years old. At this age, a yearling is similar to a very early adolescent, not yet fully grown or mature. They are still too young to be used for breeding.
Yearlings can also be described by their sex. A male horse under the age of four is called a "colt," while a female horse under four is known as a "filly." These terms help people talk about young horses more specifically. Yearlings are an important stage in a horse's life as they grow and develop into adults.
Development and training
Training for yearlings starts with basic gentling on the ground. They are usually too young to ride or drive. Yearlings have lots of energy and can be unpredictable. Even though they are not fully grown, they are stronger than a human and need careful handling.
Some male yearlings that will not be used for breeding are gelded at this age to help improve their behavior.
A yearling should be used to basic care like being led, having its hooves handled, being groomed, and getting into a horse trailer. If not, these skills are taught during the yearling year to prepare the horse for adulthood. Different horse breeds grow and mature at different speeds, so training approaches vary. Some yearlings are gently put under saddle with light riders, while others wait until they are older. Yearlings are often sold at famous auctions like the Keeneland yearling sale in Kentucky.
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Yearling (horse), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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