Most animals will continue to cycle throughout their life, with the exception of extremely aged animals and some disease states. Many animals only cycle during certain times of the year, but menopause is not recognized clinically in non-primate animals. A mare in heat may appear to urinate more frequently than usual and may call to other horses more often than she does otherwise. Some owners report that their mare may seem grumpy.
Mares show a great deal of variation in their estrus behavior.
Most foals gain about 3 pounds a day, but this can vary depending on breed and other factors. Colostrum is the first milk produced by a mammal after giving birth. It is different from other milk because it contains high concentrations of antibodies and may not look white. In some species, such as horses and cattle, the antibodies in the colostrum are a very important part of keeping the newborn healthy. In other species colostrum is not as important to neonatal health.