A. Sexual maturity

 

Clydesdales reach sexual maturity at approximately three to four years.

 

B. Gestation

 

The gestation period for Clydesdales is 11 months.

 

C. Birth season

 

Most foals are born in early spring.

 

D. Frequency of birth and number of young

 

Clydesdales generally have one foal per year.

E. Young at birth

1. At birth, foals average 3.5 ft. (1.1 m) and 125 lb. (57 kg).
   
2. Male foals are called colts, and female foals are called fillies.

F. Nursing and care of young

1. Foals nurse from their mother’s groin area.
   
   
2. A foal spends its first six months at its mother’s side, growing rapidly as it nurses. Toward the end of that time the foal is weaned to a mixture of feed and other nutrients.
   
   
3. The skeletal and muscular systems of a horse are sufficiently developed to allow a foal to walk and follow its mother within a few hours after birth.