Favorite Finds Week Nine
Breeches I Love
One of my clients at the barn was telling me how much she loved her Cavallo breeches. Not long after our discussion, I was coaching at a dressage show and my friends at St. Croix Saddlery told me I had to have the new Cavallo Lin tights. I was skeptical because I am generally very traditional and do not like anything without belt loops and a zipper but alas, I tried them on and instantly fell in love. So, not only did I purchase the Lin tights in brown, but when I was visiting the St. Croix Saddlery store the following weekend, I had to have the tights in navy even though I really was in there looking for the tights in black. As I perused the black full seat breeches, I saw a different pair of Cavallo breeches and lo and behold, I had to have the Cavallo Luca breeches in black as well. I fell in love with all of these Cavallo breeches/tights because of the wonderful fabric and fit. I do not like thin fabric that makes you feel somewhat naked (no one wants to ride a horse naked) but the fabric of both the breeches and the tights are a stretchy tech material that feels super durable with a higher waist band that stay up, no more hiking your breeches up all day long. My friends at St. Croix Saddlery recommended I go down a size and they were correct, the fit was perfect. You can find them in store at St. Croix Saddlery or on their website in the link below.
Old Favorite
From the artistic way this video is shot to the way Jessica is so elegant yet playful with the horses, this video just never gets old in my eyes. Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her brother Benjamin Werndl run a dreamlike barn in Germany called Aubenhausen. In this video, Jessica is playing with one of her previous dance partners, Unee BB. If you want to be inspired to ride, play and connect with your horse, this is the video to watch. You can see in the video that there is a true relationship built between Jessica and Unee BB which is why they were so successful together. But this is not abnormal at Aubenhausen, though I have not been there myself, I have heard from others and seen in videos that the partnership and welfare of the horse is number one. This short video is just a small glimpse at the Aubenhausen style, but if you’re intrigued, there is so much more out there. The Instagram link has english subtitles, the Vimeo link does not but it is still worth watching if you do not have an Instagram.
Insights from George Mumford
I first discovered George Mumford on The Tim Ferriss Show where they discussed awareness, compassionate action and more mindfulness topics. It’s a great episode that I will link below in case you’re more of a listener than a reader. That being said, my favorite content from George Mumford is his book The Mindful Athlete. It isn’t a long read but full of some great insight. And if you look at my copy of The Mindful Athlete, it is riddled with flagged pages and pencil marks that I look back on often. George Mumford is a meditation teacher and mindfulness coach who has worked with all walks of life including inmates and the Chicago Bulls. His personal journey is truly inspiring as well considering he was living a double life and addicted to pain killers when he first discovered meditation. Even if you are not a meditator or you think meditation is some zen voodoo bogus, I encourage you to explore George Mumford’s content if you want to improve your riding.
“…as long as your ego-mind is focused on how you’re doing instead of what you’re doing, you’re operating out of self-consciousness.” (The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford, 203).