Episode 105: On Parenting Equestrians, Managing Expectations & Enjoying the Ride with Chad Oldfather (Equestrian Author Spotlight Podcast)

Episode 105: Welcome to the Equestrian Author Spotlight podcast! In each episode, you’ll hear inspirational stories from horse book authors, including writing advice and marketing tips to help you write your own horse book. If you are an author, aspire to be an author, or simply love horse books, then you are in the right place!

​In this Equestrian Author Spotlight podcast episode, you'll meet Chad Oldfather. Tune in to hear how his dedication to his daughters' equestrian dreams led to his book, A Man Walks Into A Barn.

​Saddle up for a conversation about why Chad chose to write a personal memoir about his life, his daughters, and their experience with horses. In the interview, you'll glean tips on parenting equestrians, including how to manage expectations in the sport, as well as insight on enjoying the little things. Chad believes "the best moments are not always on the biggest stages."

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Watch Chad Oldfather's Interview on YouTube!

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Or listen to the audio version.

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About Chad Oldfather

Chad Oldfather has ridden horses just enough times to appreciate how difficult it is to do well. He has also mucked stalls, cleaned tack, stacked hay, helped fix fences, and logged hundreds of hours ringside as his daughters have taken lessons and ridden in shows.

By day he is a professor at Marquette University Law School where, among other things, he teaches classes on and writes about judicial behavior, constitutional law, and the jurisprudence of sport, and serves on the Board of Advisors to the National Sports Law Institute.

His non-legal writings have appeared in the Chronicle of the Horse, the World Equestrian Center Magazine, and Harvard Magazine.

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About A Man Walks Into A Barn

When Chad Oldfather found himself the parent of a toddler who, out of nowhere, became obsessed with horses, he had no idea what awaited. With his younger daughters similarly afflicted, Oldfather was soon enmeshed in the consuming subculture of barns, riding, and horse shows, learning not just about the animals that so inexplicably drew his girls, but also about the people and personalities that populated the spaces around them.

A book for parents, whatever their children’s interests, and for equestrians, who know what it’s like “on the inside” (but maybe not what it’s like on the outside, looking in), A Man Walks into a Barn is a wise, witty, and, at times, critical look at both the light and dark sides of youth sports, and equestrianism in particular.

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Readers find themselves rooting for Oldfather as he struggles to be the best dad he can, supporting a child’s dreams in the face of long odds and extraordinary expenses. He writes about his parenting choices and the strange world he finds himself in with humor and honesty, critically examining riding’s high cost and the inaccessibility and inequality that results. Aware of the flaws and dangers of youth athletics, as well as the benefits, he strives to protect his girls while supporting their ambitions the best ways he knows how.
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Filled with the joys, heartbreaks, and life lessons that come from training, competition, and time in the company of horses, this is mostly a book about family, and the strong bonds that can form when parent and child join hands and pursue a passion together.

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Watch the Book Trailer

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Connect with Chad Oldfather

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horsefather
Instagram: @oldfatherc
Twitter: @oldfatherc
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-oldfather-71484811
​Buy the Book: www.horseandriderbooks.com/a-man-walks-into-a-barn

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Want More Equine Author Interviews?

Make sure you never miss a show by subscribing on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. This podcast is made possible by listeners like you. I appreciate your support! 

​Thank you for joining us this week on the Equestrian Author Spotlight podcast I hope you enjoy these Q&A sessions with wonderful equine authors who love all things horses and writing just like me. 

​If you are an author who writes about horses and would like to be spotlighted please let me know. Visit my contact page to fill out a request. I'd be happy to have you on the show, too.

Want a free guide to secrets of horse book authors? Gallop over to https://www.carlykadecreative.com/wisdom.html and join the Equestrian Author Spotlight email list to have the author advice resource delivered instantly to your inbox.

Visit the Episode Directory

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About Host Carly Kade

Carly Kade is an award-winning author, horse owner, creativity coach, and the host of the Equestrian Author Spotlight Podcast. She helps fellow writers start, grow, and expand their author careers. Creative writing makes her spurs jingle!

Carly writes her novels with horse lovers in mind, no matter which discipline they ride. The horses are as vital to moving the story forward as the human characters are.

These books are the perfect escape for equestrians who love settling down with a good book at the beach, in the tub, or in bed after a day of horseback riding.

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