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?????