“It wasn’t the plan, and it wasn’t a fairy tale. It was something more important. It was fun.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
I’ve been excited to read this book and finally I had some time for it! Today’s new book club item is A Man Walks Into a Barn: Navigating in the Flawed and Fascinating World of Horses written by Chad Oldfather.
You can get your copy directly here at Trafalgar Square books!
What an absolutely fantastic idea…a book viewing our sport through the eyes of a horse dad. We don’t often see such a well thought out and highly detailed account through the eyes of the dad.
“I don’t think you can fully appreciate the scope of the commitment from the outside.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
Chad is a law school professor at Marquette University Law School and father of three girls all of whom have ridden horses at one point during their childhood. His journey into the horse world began with his oldest daughter who seemed to have the same gravitational force that we all know well and understand as horse people.
Chad brings us through the ebbs and flows of his life as a horse dad. There’s too much that goes into 14+ years but Chad tells stories about integral moments during these years. Not just the wins. Chad demonstrates that he understands the small moments that define our lives in the horse world. He was involved; and they were brought into the sport much like many of us. He’s mucked stalls, chucked hay bales, cleaned tack…all to see his daughters thrive. They began by watching a lesson at a barn that sounds a lot like one I’ve found myself in many times. A lesson barn where the students come to ride lesson horses, some work off their riding time, and everyone is expected to rise to their abilities. The barn teaches competence, confidence, and independence.
“Posed photos and big events are nice. But so much of living takes place in between them.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
I loved reading about their trip to their first tack store. Tack stores to this day are one of those stores I can spend so much time in….looking at everything and taking it in… wishing I could drop more money than I have available. It was here that they learned about the gateway drug that’s called a Breyer Horse.
Chad talks about some of his early days as a new horse show dad. The good AND the bad. Spending hours getting a horse to load and the sense of shame you feel when you have a huge setback in public. We all have icky feeling moments in this world and Chad was not spared that moment.
What Chad doesn’t express quite enough is that his daughters are above average…and highly talented riders. He nonchalantly depicted the girls moving up the levels in the blink of an eye…reaching the highest level in hunters. I had to pause a moment; maybe he doesn’t realize how rare it is to actually progress to the top level of the sport. How many of us amateurs were kids who never seemed to go higher than 2′ for a variety or reasons…talent, money, time, fear, other limitations.
That’s no easy feat! I have jumped 2’9″ once on purpose….and 3’3″ on accident. But I don’t regularly ride at these levels…I dream of it…and I’ve been riding for years (albeit less frequently and determinately due to adulting). Maybe one day I’ll finally get there before I’m too old and broken. Chad’s girls worked hard, had great opportunities, and are TALENTED. I don’t even know them.
“It’s harder to develop your own talents when nobody around you is doing much to develop theirs. We calibrate ourselves to those around us.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
We navigate Chad’s world as father and daughter(s) experience showing…and Kentucky Horse Park. I’m very glad I chose to read this book AFTER being at the same park just this past year. I enjoyed reading his descriptions of his times in the horse park. Having been there and knowing the rings and landscape I could vividly picture each moment.
“The cost of showing as much as these riders had is unimaginable. We could have devoted our entire household income to the project and still not have kept up.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
Perhaps what I love most about Chad is his wit. Throughout the book he injects humor, sometimes subtle, eliciting a brief chuckle…and other times hysterical. I found myself sharing excerpts with friends…who in turn wanted to know more about this book.
“Eventers, it seems to me, are the punk rockers of the equestrian scene.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
While he’s indeed funny, he tells excellent stories and makes observations that are spot on. He established his credibility immediately with the amount of in-depth knowledge he clearly has gained over the years. Indeed, this man is not just the guy who cleans the boots, holds the horse, and writes the checks as the memes and t-shirts suggest. He was attentive and he was involved.
“And that’s appropriate in dressage, where the relationship between horse and rider seems even more important, there the improvements are incremental, where the knowledge and skill involved is subtle and cumulative. As I’ve already mentioned, the competition becomes less clearly against others and more against oneself, and against the ideal.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
Chad also uses this book to discuss harder topics. The darker realities of the sport that people don’t talk about quite so much. He even discussed George Morris briefly. I loved his description of hunter/jumpers…it’s the exact reason I left the sport in the first place…other than the perks of the other sports like having useful feedback.
Perhaps the hardest part of it all was the realization of how elite the top of the sport is. How many thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands it takes the compete at the highest stage…and how seemingly unfair it all feels to be excluded not for lack of talent but simply because you don’t have the money. It’s such a hard pill to swallow…and one reason that I don’t pursue competition as rigorously myself.
In the end those without the funds can fall back on remembering they love the horse and love the sport. The memories remain.
“Hang around the beginner ring at a hunter/jumper show where the newcomer parents are likely to be and you’re bound to find people who are both puzzled and irritated. Which is understandable for the simple reason that the waiting is usually both puzzling and irritating. Puzzling because it doesn’t seem like it should be that hard to formulate and stick with a schedule (especially when you find out that the disciplines of dressage and eventing both manage to do just that). Irritating because each day and each show presents large swaths of seemingly wasted time. Often there are long intervals where there is absolutely nothing going on in a show ring, and no apparent reason why that’s the case. Things will seem like they’re starting to move quickly, then suddenly stop.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
Final Word:
Chad Oldfather is a talented writer and an incredible father. He was able to support his daughters’ interests, and he was more than just the guy on the sidelines who’d rather go home and just have a beer. He understood how precious these years and those moments are and together they made the most of those years. Hard work and all.
The stories are very well written, and the arguments are well laid out. I have made similar observations through my own life with horses and happen to agree with much of what Chad writes in these pages. The writing is thoughtful, flows well, and it’s not technical. It’s primarily autobiographical in nature. Occasionally Chad leads you down what seems to be a flow of consciousness to help explain his point or thoughts about a specific topic. I love those moments most because you can see how much thought and intellect he has given to that point.
This book is a great read for horse parents as I think they’d appreciate hearing this perspective from a peer. It is great for daughters and sons who ride…so they can appreciate what parents will do and sacrifice for their children. What I’m saying is this is an excellent read for all. If you’re not a horse parent, you were once the horsey son/daughter.
“Time marches unsympathetically forward, paying no mind to whether we’ve managed to puzzle our way through all the things we’d like to get figured out.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
I also want to add that I buy most of my horse books from Trafalgar Square Books. I’m excited to say that I am an affiliate with the publisher, and so proud to be. Trafalgar Square embodies the spirit of horse people…. they ARE horse people. The operation is based in an old barn in Vermont and run by only a few people…people you can talk to and meet in person at events. It’s not a big corporate conglomerate, and for that I am grateful. This happens to be one of such books. You can find your copy through my affiliate link here, it’ll let TSB know I sent you!
Published by Trafalgar Square books, North Pomfret, VT
If you have any questions, comments, or would like further information, please contact:
contact@trafalgarbooks.com / (802) 356 6706
“Whether he succeeds or not is less important that the fact that he might. Not knowing isn’t all of what keeps us going, but the possibility of improvement, the idea that there’s still a little magic left, provides another reason to get out of bed, a nice incentive to keep moving forward on days when it would be easier just to rest.”
―Chad Oldfather: A Man Walks Into A Barn
The Green Horseman 
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