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Mares carry their young (called foals) for approximately 11 months from conception to birth. (Average range 320–370 days.) [2] Usually just one young is born; twins are rare. When a domesticated mare foals, she nurses the foal for at least four to six months before it is weaned, though mares in the wild may allow a foal to nurse for up to a year.
During the final month of gestation, alloantibodies concentrate into the colostrum. Horses, unlike humans, have an epitheliochorial placenta which prevents the transfer of antibodies to the foal in-utero. Foals are only exposed when they first nurse and ingest colostrum, so therefore are born without the disease and acquire it soon after birth.
The tail is used by the horse and other equidae to keep away biting insects, and the position and movement of the tail may provide clues to the animal's physical or emotional state. Tail carriage may also be a breed trait. Tails of horses are often groomed in a number of ways to make them more stylish for show or practical for work.
Free-roaming mustangs (Utah, 2005). Horse behavior is best understood from the view that horses are prey animals with a well-developed fight-or-flight response.Their first reaction to a threat is often to flee, although sometimes they stand their ground and defend themselves or their offspring in cases where flight is untenable, such as when a foal would be threatened.
A foal should stand and nurse within the first hour of life. To create a bond with her foal, the mare licks and nuzzles the foal, enabling her to distinguish the foal from others. Some mares are aggressive when protecting their foals, and may attack other horses or unfamiliar humans that come near their newborns.
A newborn zebra will follow anything that moves, so new mothers prevent other mares from approaching their foals while imprinting their own striping pattern, scent and vocalisation on them. [17] Mares with young foals may gather into small groups. [21] Mares may leave their foals in "kindergartens" while searching for water. [21]
The world’s oldest known wild bird has sparked “special joy” among scientists after she laid an egg – her first in four years – at the age of 74.
Usually, only a single foal is born, which is capable of running within an hour. Within a few weeks, foals attempt to graze, but may continue to nurse for 8–13 months. [9] Species in arid habitats, like Grévy's zebra, have longer nursing intervals and do not drink water until they are three months old. [47]