WOODBURY — Some will say that they admire renowned athletes. Others will say that their siblings are who they look up to. For Chase Soto, a sophomore at Nonnewaug High School, his dad has been his inspiration.
From a very young age, Soto has always had a love for horses and time spent with his father. At the age of 5, the two started working together, and the younger Soto learned the refined craft of a farrier — the art of horseshoeing and blacksmithing.
The father and son tandem started small then moved up to bigger and newer projects in the world of horseshoeing.
“I travel the country,” says Soto, “working with the top horses in the world and working for the top trainers in the country.”
John Soto, Chase’s father, has always been right by his side teaching him everything that he knows.
“My dad has helped me a lot throughout my career,” Chase said. “He is one of the top horseshoers in the country and I plan on following in his footsteps. I enjoy being able to travel with him and work with him.”
Today, Soto is still learning new things and taking everything that he already knows everywhere with him. With countless days away shoeing, he never rests. From spending long weeks in Florida to exhaustive trips to Kentucky, Soto never seems to be able to catch his breath.
“Between being gone for so long and missing school, it’s hard to catch up on work sometimes,” says Soto. “But I’ve learned to balance schoolwork and working. I think that one of the most important things so that I can continue working.”
Even though work can become a lot at times, this has never stopped him from pushing through and continuing to do what he loves.
“For me it’s just something I like,” says Soto. “I’ve always enjoyed it and plan on shoeing for a while. My dad has helped me so much and I continue to learn from him.”
The Sotos continue to travel, and together they are able to grow a stronger bond. His dad continues to be an inspiration to him and teach him so many new things.
“I would say the best part of working with Chase is seeing him developing over the years to the point where I would trust him working on our top Grand Prix horses with nothing but confidence that it’s going to come out perfectly,” said John Soto.
Getting to see his son grow up into the person he is becoming has been an inspiration for him, too.
“I feel like he and I have more of a friendship as opposed to a father-son relationship,” says John. “He and I discuss most every horse in detail, and he pays way more attention to the international scene than I do, so many times I go to him when we get a call from a new account to ask him if it is the type of barn we want to take on or not.”
Chase Soto continues to learn from him and plans on doing this in the long term. Working with his dad has helped him to become a better worker and build their bond together while also learning to navigate the business side of their craft.
“I like working with my dad because he is one of the only people that I look up to,” said Soto. “He has taught me so much through my career, not just about shoeing but about business and how to deal with clients.”
