It’s May, which means we’re celebrating Buy A Horse Book Day! This week, we’re talking to a horse dad about how he got sucked into the sport, and survived to write a book about it. Also: there’s a lot of dark days when rehabbing a horse from an injury. We’ll share some tips on how to stay sane. Thanks for tuning in!
Click here to stream Episode 110.
Special Guest:
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.
More about what we talked about on this episode:
In honor of the Kentucky Derby, we’re drinking an Oaks Lily. | @derby
It’s been an unbelievable week for women in 5* eventing. | @COTH
The equestrian community has rallied to support the loss of Hannah Serfass. | @COTH
Are hoof abscesses connected to liver disease? | @EQUUS
May 10 was Buy A Horse Book Day. We discuss our favorite books this year. | @heelsdown
Chad Oldfather joins us to talk about life as a horse dad. | @horse&riderbooks
Ellie and Justine commiserate over the highs and lows of rehabbing horses. | @heelsdown
Mail Bag: “I see a ton of ads for different riding holidays across the globe – what are your top picks for international riding holidays for experienced riders?”
More about our hosts:
Jessica Payne is a 35-year-old international event rider who is rarely seen without her long-haired chihuahua under her arm. She was born in London, Ontario but grew up in Franklin, Tenn. and graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Animal Science. She once lost the tip of her pinky finger clipping her 4* horse, and husband Doug says she can “talk to anyone including a wall….and they will like it!”
Ellie Woznica happily lives on a mountain in northern Pennsylvania in her horses’ front yard. She works from home as a graphic designer, manure mucker, and zoo keeper, but only gets paid for one of those gigs. Ellie grew up showing hunter/jumpers (and still does) but in college she learned to ride western and fell in love with reining and reined cow horse. Outside of horses, Ellie loves to knit, whittle, and write! Her boyfriend says she has too many hobbies.
Justine Griffin is an award winning 35-year-old journalist who has written about everything from horses to high profile CEOs to her ovaries. (She donated her eggs once.) Two things she loves the most? Whippet puppies and cheese. Justine is a lifelong lover of Thoroughbreds and is a native Floridian.
Many thanks to our sponsors this month, Purina!