We have a herd of one 22 year old gelding and a 5 year old mare and we've recently purchased a 4 month old foal. ( I know, WAY early to wean but that's when the guy decided to wean him. ) so yeah. What we're planning on doing is taking our roundpen and making him a very large paddock inside the pasture connected to one of our run in sheds stalls. I was going to leave him in there till he was 6 months ( with night turn out) and then let him out into the herd.

Do you guys think this is a good idea or should he be completely separated from the herd? I would /really/ like him to be with other horses, I think it'd help the transition off mom go more smoothly and I do not want him to turn all naughty from lack of horse discipline. If worse comes to worse, we do have another pasture for him to go in but he'd be very isolated over there.

Also, the man has been feeding him oats. Would it be better to take him off oats and put him on a foal feed or leave him on oats? He's a very stout little foal so he's obviously doing very well on it, I just want to make sure he's getting the proper nutrients.