Flore Giraud's Mindful Sensitivity
Horse riding has been an essential feature in Flore Giraud’s life. Her mother Delphine is a sculptor as well as an avid rider and introduced Flore to a Shetland pony when she was four years old.
That marked the beginning of a soulful journey, with her horses, her family, her friends and her trainer, Pénélope Leprevost - a French Olympic showjumper who has also inspired Flore to want to become one.
“I’m so lucky that my ‘horsey’ friends are almost like my family. My father has been good friends with Mathilde (Pinault)’s father since they were teenagers so we kind of grew up together. Although I met Iman (Perez) much later on, we clicked and became close straight away. She only lives down the road from me so we hang out a lot too. I love the fact that we can exchange thoughts, give each other support and advice when it comes to horse riding and competing, and at the same time we also have a lot fun together.”
“Through horses and horse riding, I got to learn how to deal with emotions – my own emotions, the horses’ emotions and the emotions of everyone around me. Horses need so much attention and they can feel every nuance of your emotion too. To nurture a relationship with horses requires both sensitivity and sensibility, much like people. I love the sensation of jumping with my horses. You really can feel the bond and trust that you’ve fostered. The horses want to challenge themselves too! I can feel their power, how they try to give you everything. That also motivates me a great deal to keep on striving.”
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To nurture a relationship with horses requires both sensitivity and sensibility, much like people.
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“I love going to business school and enjoy learning everything about finance. My best friends from school have no idea about my horsey life. But I like that contrast and diversity. Because with horse riding you need to be attuned to the vibes that everyone gives off, it helps me to be more mindful towards my surroundings and others. It doesn’t matter if we might not have so much in common, it’s really about a feeling.”
“Apart from horse riding, fashion is my other passion. I love flicking through magazines and shopping with my friends. Creating different outfits according to my mood is so important. I also love swimming. We went to Greece last summer holiday. The feeling of freedom, being in the sea, jumping into crystal clear water and under the bright, warm sun… oh I miss it so much already!”
Stylebook images by Fiona Torre, other image source @FloreGiraud