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!!!
