Pony and 3 yr old seriously changing herd dynamics, need input

[WIChookchick]

Let me start by saying these are not my horses, well one is, but that is beside the point.
My friend has two LARGE paddocks, 2 pastures and a fenced in barnyard.
He only has two sources of water, each with a de-icer, one paddock is attached to the barn with a run in that has a built in feeder, he can feed through a window for that paddock.
The other paddock is several feet from the barn with a large free standing run in shed (larger than the one at the barn). The water tank is smaller here, but there are only 3 horses in it.

He has two adult QH geldings, one is 16 HH, the other a little taller. 1- 3 yr old orphaned MFT (No social skills per se), 1- 1.5 yr old draft cross colt, 1- 5 yr old shetland, and 1- older weanling.

Here is the current set up
Small paddock- 1 QH gelding, 3 yr old MFT, 5 yr old shetland, and draft cross.
Large paddock- 1 QH gelding, 11 yr old arab(mine) and the weanling.

The problem, the shetland is getting fat, and pushing the MFT out of the shelter, (which is odd, they grew up together). The MFT is not getting enough to eat now (and is my friend's fav horse)

Other problem, we tried to introduce the MFT to the weanling, he would NOT stop chasing him and trying to bite him. The weanling gave all the correct signals to say "Hey I am a baby, don't hurt me".
The MFT just doesn't recognize it, he was orphaned the the breeder's did not put him in with a mare or other horse to teach him correct social skills.

My friend wants to move my arab, and put the MFT in with the weanling and the bigger QH.
I suggested he move the pony, he said that the pony would push the bigger QH around too much (he is also a hard keeper). We don't know this for sure, i don't think the pony pushes the big QH he is now with around...

So here is my dilema, he is worried about the MFT, his idea could lead to a very bad accident.
He thinks my idea will lead to the hard keeper(bigger QH) being pushed around too much...

Here are my ideas.
Move pony, MFT, draft cross to larger paddock, leave my arab there, and move hard keeper(bigger QH) and weanling to smaller paddock to be with other big QH.
Or
Move pony to big paddock, arab to small paddock and see what happens, I don't think the pony will push hard keeper (bigger QH) around too much, and shelter is bigger.
Pony likes the weanling and they get along great
OR move pony and draft cross to the big paddock, and move my arab to the small paddock.

What do you think?

 

[ChickenFanaticAB]

Your first solution sounds like it could work, but why not just switch MFT and weanling?

 

[WIChookchick]

The weanling and the big QH are good buds, and he knows the draft cross, but has not really met the other QH.

 

[Alicia G]

IMO put the young draft horse, MFT and weanling together in smaller paddock, the rest in the larger paddock. Have your friend work with the trouble maker. If he keeps it up it could turn into a more serious issue.If they dont plan to work with him I would sell IMO.

 

[welsummerchicks]

The general rule is that horses of the same gender, age/size/activity level, go together.

 

[WIChookchick]

Thanks for the ideas/thoughts.
The MFT is getting worked with, by me, 3 days a week, weather permitting. He loves people, he was raised with the pony from the time he was about 6-7 months old, BUT was not socialized before weaning. Pony was kept alone in a stall for a year, and in with goats, before my friend purchased him.
He still has more social skills than the 3 yr old.
I started working with these 2 and 2 QH's myr friend got about a year and a half ago. The pony and the MFT would play very rough, but not injuring each other.
The MFT is about 14 HH now, slow growing and was undersized when I started working with him. His owner decided it would be better to wait till he got a little size on him to start saddle training.
He lunges, ties, is nearly completely desensitized, has been saddled and bridled weekly. But he is clueless about herd dynamics.
My friend sold one of the QH's, a horse that was sold as a beginner horse (he was not), and kept the one I found for him (the bigger/hard keeper QH).
I truly think that if he were to put the weanling and the MFT together, we would have an injured baby and broken fence. Duncan (the MFT) would not stop chasing Cisco(the weanling), when I tried to put them together the first time, he was grabbing his neck, face, back, any where he could get his teeth.. I am not talking baring teeth and laying back of ears, or chasing off of a food pile...
He ran him ragged, and when he cornered him, he was trying to take chunks out.

Would you really put those to together after seeing that?

My friend has offered another choice, it means more work for him, but a probable good outcome.
AND has another dilemma, which I will find out more about tomorrow, and again I am offering a possible solution.

His biggest issue is that the pony is getting too chubby, he can't really limit the hay as its in one feeder, and he is feeding 1 large horse, 2 growing youngsters and the pony. He does not feed grain in the paddock, the youngsters are brought in for that.

When I called him tonight, he thought about putting the pony in a stall for now, letting him into the fenced in barnyard during the day, and in a stall at night. There are two goats who are in an adjoining stall for the winter (they go out on daily walks). That way the pony is getting less hay, will lose weight, but could stay near his herd.
The water would be placed outside and then hot water carried in to thaw out the frozen water as needed.
But the new dilemma is that my arab gelding has become top horse in the large paddock. So the two solutions are to put some 2x4's up in the big shed so that he can't chase the other horse out. Or move my gelding to the small paddock since the pony will likely be removed and live in the barnyard to lose weight.