You can learn a lot watching them when they don't know you're there. Horses and ponies are sociable animals and benefit from sharing their field with each other. In the wild they would live together in a herd. Foaling around Frolicking foals are a delight to watch. They may seem carefree, but a foal's instincts tell it to stay close to its mother for protection.
Ponies can live well into their twenties.
If they are sharing a paddock, older ponies will have a calming effect on excitable younger ponies, and are perfect for very young children to ride.