Miracles, freedom and connecting with horses
Name: Angelika Trabert
Nationality: German
Disability: Angelika (pictured above, at the 2008 Paralympics) has dysmelia, a congenital disability. She was born without legs, and with only three fingers on her right hand.
How she got into horses: Angelika started riding aged six.
“I watched cowboys and Indians films and wanted to ride like the Indians,” she says. “I just loved being around horses and riding gave me the freedom I didn’t have.”
To begin with, Angelika rode with artificial legs, but they rubbed her skin, so a saddle was specially made for her in 1989 which revolutionised her riding.
“My saddle has a cushion on each side for my legs to sit in,” she says. “I have an unfixed leather strap that goes over my legs to help me stay in the saddle. I also ride with two
