Equestrian Life Magazine September Issue 220 | Page 94

Sophia Sandow

and her miniature Shetland
Pony Stallions

Lincs Tonker - four year old leopard spot stallion, very willing and
quick to learn but sometimes a little laid back, number four in the
training order

Report & Photos by Nadya Brown

I would like to introduce you to the talents
of the miniature Shetland pony and of
course their trainer, Sophia Sandow. Born
and bred in Lincolnshire five of these little
fellas are closely related, then we have
Sundance, who was abandoned on the
motorway and it is merely by the hand of
fate that he survived at all.
Sophia herself comes from a
very long traditional circus
background and has a natural
way with her horses; she has
trained many different animals
over the years including
teaching liberty to a team of
Arab stallions for the Sultan
of Oman, she can trick ride,
Spanish High School, trapeze
and speaks several languages,
her mother is Spanish, the
ponies are trained traditonally
in German.

It has taken a year to train the
ponies to the stage they are
at now, all of them being raw
unbroken recruits, they can now
work in two’s and fours and are
almost ready to perform for the
public. Just perfecting the hind
legs movement, bow and other
extra little bits.
“Many hours of practice and
repetition is the key, if they get it
wrong just go back and calmly
repeat until it becomes clearer

for them” explains Sophia.” I
prefer to train stallions as they
are very quick to learn, each
have their own turn out paddock
and stable: this has developed
their individual character and
they have really grown up”

and patience to get these ponies
working beautifully for her ready
hoping to take their 6??rF??6?V?G'?f?'2?6??w2?fW7F?f?0??B&?fFRgV?7F???2V?FW"F?P???R?b6???6?F?r?B?W ?6?WF??B7F????0??v?F??WB???bF?Rf6??F?W2vP?F?Rf?"w&?FVBF?F??6?????2??vVBv?F?6???w&70?&V?B'V6?WFgV??bW?W'F?6P??6???6?&R6??F7FVBf?V????WVW7G&???V????6??f? ?'&?6?W&R?B&?????w2?7V?F?6R?&?6?7F????6???V'2??B?F??27V6???GF?RW'6??v0?&W67VVBg&??F?R??F?"v??v?W&R?Rv2&?F??VB??V?&W ?F?&VR??F?RG&????r?&FW#??F??Vv??R?2fW'?V?6?F??V&???R?0?f7FW"F?7BF??F?R&W7B?bF?RFV??BF??26?6W6R6??gW6???????666???2???72???V???f?fR?V"??B?V?&B7?B?B6?W7F?WB7F??????BF??W2?W7B?VVG2?GF?RW?G&?V?2?R6?vWB6??gW6VB?V?&W""??F?RG&????r?&FW"?fV???B&?&??6?Wv&?B?f?W"?V'2??B7F?????6?GF??r??F?P?6?FR??W2v?F??rf?"??27?F?v?BGW&?2?R7VffW&VBfW'?6WfW&P?66R?b6??2?Bf????v??r7W&vW'??2??r??&V6?fW'?????72F??7F?R?f?W"?V"??B&?6?7F?????B?V?&W"??R??F?P?G&????r?&FW"?fW'?f?7W6VB?BW&fV7B?VFW ???@????72vV?&vR?&?6??Bv??B?W7B2?V'2??B?&VG??2??66??Wf?W27G&V??B6???'G?G&?6??"Gv??wwr?WVW7G&???fV?v???R?6??V???T??4UC2?3b???FB?@??#"???#2#?C?????