…it’s not too late, but you will have to ‘dodge’ the newly sprouted leaves… Actually, sliding your hand pruner or loppers (or saw) back ‘up & under’ them – leaving around an eighth inch ‘stub’ cut works well. ...That's pruned like normal while dodging as much leaf as possible. You won’t likely be removing a lot, but don’t drag large pieces across the young leaves…
I’m trying to envision the tree… usually ‘four-on-one’s’ are placed on a very vigorous ‘base tree,’ thus the grafted limbs are a bit spindly in comparison. The grafts are often hidden in the understory. So find those ‘varieties’ and be sure not to prune them off! Look for the weakest, then figure out a way to get it some sunlight…
If you’ve had fruit, you may have a preference. And though it may be preferential to ignore a variety you ‘don’t like that much,’ most of these trees require at least one of the other varieties for pollination, so don’t give up on them.
My advice is to balance it between the various grafts. Cutting the most vigorous variety (or cultivar) back is no problem, it will recover. You may also tie up or down shooting ‘suckers’ - up to 3 years old to fill in a gap. I was recently able to bring a friends multi-grafted pear back into form by pulling over and weighting down older uprights to fill in such gaps. Use some heavy twine and maybe a stake in the ground, or tie it off to a lower branch.
[Note to us all: there needs to be A Lot more descriptions of Training fruit trees! --‘everyone’ knows the basics of pruning, but I’m having some amazing results with Training. …perhaps (yet) another seminar…]
Any questions, ask; any photos, post. …and it’s always nice to talk with someone from my home County - Multnomah 
I think I'm over my head. I probably asked the wrong question.
My total pruning education has been on YouTube and web pages...and as embarassing as it is to admit, I've never even seen anyone prune a fruit tree.
Yet, we have this lovely little tree that looks confused and a little tangled, and I want to ease its load some.
Let's try these questions instead.
Where can I learn how to prune correctly? Or, failing that...
How do I find someone experienced and patient that I could hire to do the job while I watch and learn?
Thanks so much!
There are many opportunities such as at the HOS arboretum, where if you volunteer to help prune, they will teach you. Sometimes it happens in parks and natural areas. You could email Karen to find out if she's doing that soon.
Email is I think, arboretum@homeorchardsociety.org
Let me know if that's wrong, people.
Thanks
John S
PDX OR
John’s suggestion is good regarding the pruning classes …though I had an interesting talk with an artist friend recently. She suggested I (again) prune her trees, but let her watch, that way she could learn. She’d actually watched before...
This year it dawned on me, I’ve watched her paint – and can do some myself, but ‘watching her’ paint hasn’t rubbed off on me … she’s the clear winner of that activity! She got it… it’s taken me 20+ years to learn to prune and describing the nuisances can become overwhelming. I gave my first public pruning seminar this winter to the Master Gardener’s of Yamhill County; they were good – though understandably puzzled by occasional information-overload 
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Plan B: pay to have it done. It’s a long way to there from here… and I don’t know anyone looking for (or capable of) that ‘type’ of pruning work near you. I (also) suggest an e-mail to our HOS Arboretum manager, Karen: arboretum@homeorchardsociety.org She once covered ‘the east side’ and may still have some contacts, or free time…
Seems like a niche in need of filling… if one knew their stuff. Though small jobs, expensive fuel, occasionally dangerous and seasonal work…
You can prune any time your pruners are sharp. However, this time of year has an increased risk of fireblight.
Consider training as an alternative to pruning. Training induces early fruiting, whilst pruning slows fruiting.
Tie the limbs down to horizontal with cotton string.
Horizontal wood will tend to flower/fruit next year.
Ben
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
John S
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