What Is a Mare? Female Horse Terms Explained

A mare is an adult female horse, generally one aged four years or older. Along with stallions and geldings, mares are one of the three main categories of horse you will hear referred to constantly around the barn. Mares can be ridden, driven, worked and competed just like males, and they are also the only horses able to carry and produce foals.

What is a mare?

The term mare refers specifically to a mature female horse. A young female under about four is called a filly; once she matures, she becomes a mare. A mare used specifically for breeding is sometimes called a broodmare. Mares make up roughly half of all horses and are valued as riding, working and competition horses every bit as much as geldings.

Horse terms: male, female and young

• Mare. An adult female horse, usually four years or older.
• Filly. A young female horse, under about four.
• Stallion. An intact adult male, able to breed.
• Gelding. A castrated male — see what a gelding is.
• Colt. A young intact male, under about four.
• Foal. A baby horse of either sex, under one year.

Do mares make good riding horses?

Absolutely. Mares are ridden and competed at every level. Some mares show behavioral changes when they are in heat (their estrous cycle), which a few owners find affects focus, but many mares are completely steady year-round. As always, the individual horse temperament and training matter more than sex — the same principle that guides choosing a first horse.

Mares and breeding

Only mares can produce foals. A mare carries a foal for about 11 months, and breeding is a serious commitment best approached with professional guidance — see how to choose a breeding service. Whether or not you ever breed, keeping any mare healthy comes down to the same fundamentals of good veterinary care, nutrition and hoof care.