# My new pairs



## happy appy (Jun 13, 2014)

After 2 years of looking for like horses to train I gave up! I would like to introduce my pairs.

Prince (silver bay) and Diamond (grey) They are AMHR registered but I would have to get out their papers to look up their fancy names. lol They are 31-33 inches tall.







These 2 were paired once before last year when I first got the marathon carriage just to see if they could pull it ok.

Next is Sugar (sorrel) and Mabes (white and sorrel pinto) AMHR registered also. They are 35-36 inches tall.







Mabes is still green in cart single but she is a star when it comes to driving. She loves it! This was their first time hitched together as a pair.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jun 13, 2014)

You look so happy! And no wonder!


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Jun 13, 2014)

Congratulations! I love your carriage. My SIL just started her 2 geldings, father and son, both blue roan, as a pair. They look like they are going to go very nicely together, now she is wanting a nice 4 wheeled vehicle to hitch the to. She was just saying how much she wishes she could get a marathon carriage ... I can see why too. I look forward to lots of pictures and updates as they spend more time driven together.


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## happy appy (Jun 13, 2014)

The only down side to pairs driving - you need a gator! I have a hard time finding help when I can drive. Everyone works during the day






On the up side of my pairs, each set have a steady eddy type, totally trained that love to work! Makes it a little easier. The silver bay is my beginner hubby's solid drive and the sorrel is my solid drive. Both have been everywhere and through everything. Nothing bothers them so it makes it easier to pair them up. The Grey is good, only once in a while she will have an OMG I'm a mare in heat moment. The pinto is still learning and only green yet.


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## BSharpRanch (Jun 13, 2014)

I would never get to drive my teams if I had to wait for help. I just make sure that my phone is stapped to me and I am very careful. I have driven all the way to five-up by myself. My biggest thing is to have a plan IF things were to head south. It isn't the best thing to do and I would highly caution anyone from doing it, however, I want to drive and am willing to take the chance.


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## happy appy (Jun 13, 2014)

I can't take that chance yet. None of these guys have drove as a team other then when I have drove them. The pinto is green to driving so not a good thing to try right now. One day though, when they have miles under their belt I will.


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## diamond c (Jun 14, 2014)

I too always drive alone . Not real happy about it but thats the way it goes


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## Kendra (Jun 14, 2014)

What brand is your carriage?

I wouldn't worry about mismatched colours ... much easier to drive a team that's alike in stride than in colour!


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## happy appy (Jun 14, 2014)

It's a dominiakz carriage from Poland. It comes in at 95 kg and it great. Sits in the back of my pick up truck sideways so I can take another cart with me.

http://www.dominiakz.pl/web/eng/carriages.html

It's under new carriages and it's the 022A model.


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## paintponylvr (Jun 15, 2014)

Tina - both your pairs are beautiful just the way they are! Like already stated - color doesn't matter nearly as much as striding and the ability to work together. You could think of it this way - you are able to get each of these going until they are solid, then when the right one comes along to match them - the one will be ready to teach the new "greenie/beanie". I do understand on the coloring since I'm so crazy about my silver dapples - but it will come eventually.

As to driving with a helper, I understand that, too. I used to think people were CRAZY when I was told they couldn't ride by themselves or, since I've started really getting into driving, couldn't drive unless there was a helper at least available to help out. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND that concept at all - I'd ALWAYS worked horses mostly by myself. I wouldn't have been able to do my many horse/farm related jobs if I'd always had to have a helper around and then I would have had a green horse person helping out - more of a liability for me - (then - but I didn't realize that).

When I first started driving, I pulled Vicki into it too. We DID do a lot together. She wasn't working, I was working part time. We arranged to go to driving lessons together and since I didn't have a truck at the time, she would pull up to pick me and my pony (s) up (I usually took more than one right from the beginning). I paid gas and when we were hot, strung out and tired (our lessons often started at more than 80*f and went up to 100*f+), I paid for lunch in COOL restaurants that didn't mind sweat and dirt on the occasions we didn't stop long enuf to take showers (always took ponies home and rinsed them off before turnout, sometimes showered or just rinsed off outside w/ the hose). Our shortest time at our lesson (s) was 1 hour but we regularly were there for 2 -4 as we often helped out with his training horses and/or watched while he worked some. That's what helped to keep our lessons themselves down to just $20/hour AND mega-increased our understanding of harnessing, training/working horses as multiples and getting in LOTS of driving time. Since we helped, he simply refused to take more $$... Every time we started something new, Vicki would come to my house to help out or I would go to hers (we live 6.8 miles from each other). That first year (2010) was a constant back and forth that worked for both of us and got quite a few ponies started/trained in harness - as singles, pairs, different pairs put together and then I started working mine 3 abreast, too. This actually went thru about mid-2012 when it started changing up a bit...

In late 2012, I was laid off from what turned out to be a pretty "cushy" job (less then 8 miles from home, started later in the morning which allowed me to drive my hubby's car after he got home from working nights, NICE pay/benefits, enjoyable!). I knew it was coming as the business was being closed - but was let go 4 months earlier than planned. At the same time (right after Nationals), I developed some pretty serious health issues (and still going to the Dr regularly). In 2013, I discovered just how much the grown, young adult children had actually helped (though it was always a fight to get help and often caused me headaches/ulcery) after they'd moved back in (at one time our 1100 sq ft home had 7 adults living in it!!) with maintenance/chores (they didn't do HORSE CHORES except when I was out of town and then ?? sometimes I questioned it - feed levels not low enuf, etc..). By spring 2013, they'd all moved out (again), I wasn't working and didn't regularly have $$ to pay someone to do the work/maintenance I needed help with. I did pay major $$ for having a ditch/trench re-done and to drop 3 very large trees that I then used ponies to move the parts of, but I struggled with fencing, weed eating, cleaning/mowing the pastures (even w/ my new lawnmower and Cyclone Rake that works as a manure vac), and all the damage created when thunderstorms whipped thru - now causing serious erosion on our 2012 drought damaged property. Late 2013 I started working again - but the drive is 35 miles one way (not far compared to some - but I had NEVER driven so far to go to work - it's not so easy right now) and the hours - LONG - at a much, much lower rate of pay (just over min wage - ouchy for me right now). On top of that, hours are earlier so usually driving the BIG trk (yes, I have one now) and though it gets GREAT hwy mileage - most of my paycheck is doing nothing but buying gas/maintenance on it!! 2014 - I feel like I've been nothing but BEHIND. My hours have been cut again due to "slow season" AND due to health issues (not a chance of heart attack but some severe allergy things going on and breathing/awake/sleep difficulties - have "passed out" a couple of times while out in the barn...), no longer confident working multiple horses/ponies by myself. Depression, too?? Not sure. Also, not in the same shape I was in just 2 - 4 years ago (due the "help" of various medications tried since late 2012, I've gained a lot of weight - not helping)! Makes a huge difference...

AND I now understand some folks' complaints of just a few short years ago. I have cleaned out my barn, sorted harness and other equipment and some serious house/property maintenance that was much needed but it's taken forever and in the meantime, I just look at my ponies after feeding... I have sold a few, offered to give some away to "the right homes" (didn't happen!), several w/ health issues were euthanized this year, and I go smart and didn't breed any mares for this year and next. Still have several for sale, plan on gelding colts that were originally planned on remaining stallions for a bit... My wagon hasn't been hitched since December



and I can't imagine working a pair of green ponies by myself at the moment!! much less a larger component. Vicki has also had major health issues, plus, like me dealing with a lot of family things - family members in/out w/ and w/o jobs; new house (lots of headaches!!), her dad needs physical help but refuses to pay for any type of outside care so she's "tied" to her place cooking/taking meals to him 3x daily on the weekends and sometimes during the week, and her ponies are virtually "wild" when worked right now (and very, very fat - harness/collars not fitting, etc). It's been an interesting time...

Thanks for posting about your carriage - it is simply BEAUTIFUL!! I drove one when I took a weekend of concentrated lessons in Dec 2012 w/ a woman who competes in CDE's w/ VSEs. The one I drove was a little larger - could take two adults on the front seat - and looked ok w/ my pair of 40"/43" ponies in front of it! When the financials and work/health issues straightened out, I would like one like that, too! Then I'll be set "forever" with pony/mini vehicles, I think!!!


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## Peggy Porter (Jun 16, 2014)

Looking good, Tina! Nice to see Sally again, too! (Waves) Everyone looks great! Sugar and Mabes look to be a great team, already in step with each other. I haven't hitched my boys as a pair yet this year, also because of needing a gator and never having any help. We drive on the road, so I CAN'T go out without a gator. I see you got a wedge seat. Good for you having SO MUCH FUN!

Paula, I'm sorry to hear all your troubles. The past few years have not been good for many of us. I just lost one of my jobs due to the business closing unexpectedly. (I'm sure the corporation knew it was coming, but we were given less than 1 week notice.) My other job has still not returned to pre-depression (2008) levels. Here's hoping that 2014 will show us some improvement.

And I have to share a little funny: a recession is when your neighbor loses her job. A depression is when you lose your job. And a recovery is when Obama loses his job.


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## happy appy (Jun 22, 2014)

Here are some more video's of me working the pairs. Both have different things I have been working on.

Diamond and Prince

Diamond is not so tense anymore and trying to work with Prince instead of doing everything herself.


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## diamond c (Jun 22, 2014)

lookes to me like both teams are coming along very well


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## happy appy (Jun 25, 2014)

Thanks. When i don't have someone to help me put to, I ground drive instead. All the practice is good in the end.


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## paintponylvr (Jun 26, 2014)

I agree...

I LOVE the Sugar/Mabes pair. Don't know why... Just like them.


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