Not accepting three year old and yearling back?

My aunt has two mares who both have foaled (one three years ago and one a year ago). The red dun (one who foaled 3 years ago) has accepted her foal back many times before when her daughter was pulled because she went back to sucking (mare has yet to dry up from 3 years ago!). Then the black mare (one who foaled last year) won't accept the red dun's foal or her own foal! All are mares and have been accepted as one herd before. The black mare kicked out at the red dun's foal last weekend when we had done a re-introduction but she gets all excited once she sees her own daughter and the red dun's foal.

The red dun's name is Jazmin and she is the mother of my three year old, Cocoa. Jade is the black mare and her filly's name is Star. So after the re-introduction, Jade and Jazmin get excited to see Star and Cocoa, but won't accept them into their herd. Jaz and Jade are kept in the paddock across from where Cocoa and Star are kept so they know who everyone is and all.. It's weird and my aunt needs to have Cocoa and Star back with their mother's before the end of the month so the cattle can be bred and such.. What's a good way of going about to re-introduce them? My aunt suggested having a fence between them, but the way Jade kicked out at Cocoa, I'm worried one of them will get caught in the fence.

P.S. Jazmin and Cocoa are both the 'lead mares'. But Jaz didn't kick out.. she just nipped Cocoa and then squealed. Jade's the one who kicked out and she's not lead..

^ Sorry if that's confusing..





Sorry everyone! I posted this in the wrong spot! Helpful info would be great too.

How long did you keep them in with each other?

They are going to have some squabbling over herd hierarchy...that's normal and natural; and the 3 year old and 1 year old are not "foals" anymore, they are 'adult' horses; the mares are just making sure the fillies know who is the herd leader, plain and simple. Once they know the younger gals know that, they will all get along, although they will probably have an occasional squabble here and there, again, that is normal here and there too...they are horses, not humans.

I know they're not foals anymore but saying it is easier than saying 'the red dun's three year old mare'.. it just sounds weird too. And when Cocoa was weaned as a 6 month old foal, she was away from her mom for about 6 months, so by the time she was put back out with the herd she was a yearling. She had gone back to sucking not even a day later and it took us 3 months to figure it out and she was pulled out again in hopes Jazmin would dry up. Jaz has yet to dry up and Cocoa was put out with the herd last spring and pulled out when Star turned 6 months last year (around November). Star was weaned at 6 months and her and Cocoa were put out with heifers and have yet to be put back into the herd.

There's another question.. Why won't Jazmin dry up? She foaled almost 3 years ago and Cocoa was weaned at 6 months and such.. So why won't she dry up normally? (Would it be due to Jaz being sick when she was pregnant and losing a lot of weight to keep the foal alive or no?)

If the 3 year old (or is it a yearling.. your post was confusing) (which is not a foal either..) is trying to nurse, the mare she's nursing from should kick her away. If not, then I would separate them for awhile. I doubt the milk has any nutrition in it since it's been a couple years but it's them bonding and the 3 yr old (?) thinking she's still a little baby.

Do you work with this "3 year old" ?

the 3 year old is trying to nurse.. and she's been away from her mom for 6 months, then nearly a year, and now 6 months again. Her mother doesn't kick out at her when she tries to nurse and her mother never did when it was time to wean the foals.

I work with the 3 year old every weekend as she is mine.

Yeah I'd separate them. That's just weird.

They are separated. My aunt wants to put Star and Cocoa back out with Jaz and Jade.