My name is Cade Hamilton, and I am pursuing a trade as a professional farrier. The short answer as to why I am pursuing a trade is simple—it is because of my dad. He has been a concrete man almost his whole life, and to be completely honest, I never thought he was all that cool while I was growing up. As I have matured into adulthood, I see the hard work and sacrifices he has put in for the betterment of our family, and I see how terribly wrong I was. I see my hands starting to look more like his after a long day's work, and it makes me very proud. If I could be half the man he is in my lifetime, then I believe I will be far ahead of the curve.  Before I discuss my goals, I would like to briefly describe what a farrier does for anyone reading this that is not familiar. A farrier is historically known as a metal worker, but today farriers are known as horse care professionals who specialize in maintaining a horse’s hoof and soundness. They work closely with veterinarians to solve problems regarding the foot of the horse. This is a beautiful trade where craftsmanship and knowledge are combined to form an art. The easy answer as to what my goals are in the farrier trade would be to become a Certified Journeyman Farrier through the American Farrier’s Association and win some blacksmithing competitions. These are good goals; however, I believe my goals are a little more complicated than that. During my independent study of horse anatomy and many other aspects of the trade, I have grown to love learning. The goal I am most excited for is hard to measure, that being the goal to achieve a level of knowledge and respect within the farrier industry that would qualify me to teach others. I want to teach others and make them as excited as I am about this trade. In my generation, no one wants to work hard and learn valuable skills. Many are always looking for an easy way out. I feel sorry for these people, even if they get everything they ever wanted, because they will never be able to look back on the hard work and sacrifice endured to achieve their goals. This scholarship would help me to attend Kentucky Horseshoeing School to learn from one of the best in the industry, Mitch Taylor. Although I believe in attending a formal school and learning from the best, farrier schools can be expensive. This scholarship would help cover most of the cost of the tools required and cover a portion of tuition. I truly believe attending this school will set my career up for success and possibly allow me an opportunity to achieve my goal of teaching by instructing at the school.  I want to live a life serving others, like my dad. This trade is how I will become more like him.

Jay Lankford Farrier Scholarship Essay Cade Hamilton I would like to attend farrier school to learn and dive deeper into equine anatomy, physiology, pathology, and to learn the craftsmanship required to shoe horses safely and proficiently. Although my experience as an apprentice with Dee Joyce has made me confident underneath a horse, I believe shoeing school is necessary to be able to learn and make mistakes without destroying someone’s business. Attending farrier school in combination with my independent studies will make me a much more valuable apprentice. The material I will learn in farrier school will also help me to communicate better with veterinarians, which is an extremely important aspect of being a farrier and maintaining/regaining the soundness of a horse. I also plan to become a member of the American Farriers Association, and farrier school will help me to better prepare for the first level of certification, Certified Farrier. I would also like to become a Journeyman Farrier later in my career. Farrier school would also allow me to network by meeting many farriers and veterinarians who are already established in the industry. Farrier school could also potentially open up teaching opportunities for me at the same school or others. The reason I mention teaching opportunities is because of Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience. To summarize this idea, you remember 10% of what you read, and you remember 100% of what you teach. I am extremely excited to reach the point in my career in which I can teach an apprentice or at a horseshoeing school. Lastly, and most importantly, I want to go to school for the horse. At the end of the day, all that matters is the health, soundness, and comfort of the horses I work on daily. I have wanted to learn the farrier profession since the first time I saw a farrier work on a horse in late 2024. The accuracy and speed at which he worked fascinated me. Dr. Doug Butler says accuracy plus speed equals skill, and I see this to be true in my mentor. After seeing the farrier do roughly 8 shoeing cycles, Dee Joyce asked me to be his apprentice. There is no better way to describe the situation—I leaped at the opportunity to work alongside him and his son, Jesse. My experience with horses includes daily care of lesson horses and boarders, over 4 months of a horseshoeing apprenticeship, and countless trips to the veterinarian. At Barn 150 in Oak Ridge, I assist with daily feeding and maintenance on 8 or more head at a time. I also work with the trainer at barn 150, who happens to be my significant other, on horses who need special care for different conditions causing lameness. During my farrier apprenticeship, I have learned more about horses than I ever thought I would. I have learned the importance of shoe fit, shoe selection, nail placement, and more. I have learned advanced techniques such as casting the hoof, using special pads for corrective or therapeutic shoeing, and using specific shoes such as natural balances to speed up the breakover of the hoof. Although this is not directly working with horses, I also enjoy reading textbooks such as Gregory’s Textbook of Farriery and Principles of Horseshoeing P3. I have been passionate about many things in my life, but none of them come close to my love of the horse's hoof and the farrier profession. I am ready to devote my life to this trade, and I can hardly wait to work as a team with veterinarians to give horses the best shoeing possible.