The male tends to guard a small territory with a water source. If a jenny who enters this small territory is in estrus, the male who guards the territory will breed her but they will generally not stay together for an extended period of time nor will the foal born to this jenny be guarded by the male. The female must raise her young alone or in the company of other jennies, some of whom may be her sisters or mother. Both horses and burros, however, do share certain communication signals. When there is a female in heat males will lift their upper and lower lips, inhaling deeply to bring the scent of the female into their vemeronasal organs.
Body posture is another way horses communicate feelings.
A stallion will lower his head to the ground with his ears laid back and his neck stretched out and move toward his band, signaling that it's time to get moving. Watching a horse's ears can tell you a lot about what they're thinking. Pinned back ears usually signal anger or submission. A foal that is being disciplined by its elder may pin his ears back and open and shut its mouth repeatedly, a behavior called teeth clacking. Young stallions who are ejected from their families form bachelor bands.