I am a very picky horse owner. I have had farriers screw up my horses' feet causing acceleration of…read morearthritis to form which shortened my horse's life! Because of this, I interview farriers and vets! After moving to Snohomish county and away from my farrier who had 30 years experience, I interviewed farriers and had some horrible candidates. I had one feed my horse corn as a treat without asking, another who claimed he was the President of the WSFAA who did a hot shoeing without discussing it with me, and one that just bragged about his work! Most failed candidates would never watch my horse walk/trot or ask what I do with them prior to working on them. This information is important to ensure that they work the feet meets the needs of the horse's movement and what riders are doing with them. All of the candidates that failed were only used ONCE. I have had Kolb Professional Farrier Service work on my horses since 2018! No farrier is a trainer of any horse. I have already trained my horses to stand for me, farriers, and vets (no horse will be 100% but they are pretty close). It is not the farrier's job to train someone else's horse. I have had another horse who did not do well the first time and I made sure that he was trained up by the next appointment. Did Derek get mad when my horses were being impatient or taking their feet away? No. NEVER! He does not get annoyed at them ever and never expects 100% perfect behavior. There is no such thing with horses. But I agree with him that there is a line that the horse should not cross & it is up the owner to train the horse. If I was working on their feet and the horse was misbehaving, I would do something about it and not allow the horse to do what they wanted with me. I would not allow them to do what they wanted with a vet or farrier either. I completely understand that he has a hard job (which is why I pay him to do this work) and he should not have to deal with untrained horses over long run. It is the owner's job to do that work and make sure that the vet or farrier can do their jobs. Derek was great when I told him that I need to have a "come to jesus" conversation with my horse and he appreciated that I would not allow my horses to misbehave in such a manner. I do not want them doing that to me so I make sure they do not do it to the vet or farrier either. THIS is solely the job of the owner. Derek is also very knowledgeable in regards to Friesian hoof care (my kids are barefoot). When I got my mare in May 2020, her feet were had chips & cracks. He set up a path to get them corrected and discussed this with me. Between my plan on nutrition, some topical products, and his plan of gradual trims, her feet got better within 6 months. This allowed me to get her going under a rider knowing her feet were in good health to do so. With my gelding , I perform as a Jouster with the Seattle Knights. Dereks ensures that his feet were done no matter what type of terrain we were on. Sometimes we did not know what the ground is like for the performance until we got there. This is vital for me and my horses. Derek always kept this in mind while working on him. Having a farrier who understands Friesian feet is reassuring. Derek cares not only for my horses but for me too. I can be a worrywart mom. He eased my mind when I had an issue with my mare's feet in Dec 2020 being trimmed too short by another farrier (long story but this was due to someone else doing her feet when I was sick). Derek has never been rude, unprofessional, short, or angry EVER with me or my horses. If a farrier ever did this, I would kick them off my property in a heart beat. Derek would never work on a horse with the owner or their representative present. My horses live on my own property with no other horses. He would never start working on my horses here unless I was there. I work from home currently but he waits for me to come out before starting work. So I know that he would never go to a barn and grab a horse he thought was his client's. NEVER EVER. He would also know if they had been done recently. He was able to ascertain the trim that my mare go 2 months prior with ease. His knowledge is more than just farrier school. He has gone beyond that and although I do not trust many with my kids, I do trust him. Be mindful of the source of the comments here. I have seen comments by the competition to try to hurt other businesses. I would never think of other farriers doing this but apparently I believe that some of these are. I usually see this dishonesty in comments for nail salons but it seems that others are doing it too. I stand by this recommendation/review here. So much so, that I would gladly discuss my experience with anyone who wants more info. I ride with the Seattle Knights & can be located via their website or FB page. Feel free to reach out.

Kolb Professional Farrier Service is exceptional- from manners and scheduling to the outstanding…read morejob he does. If you want a farrier who calls you back (or texts), shows up on time, is professional and fun to chat with while he does an incredible job on your horse... look no further! He texts the Saturday before your appt to remind and checks in the day of. My horse has a full set of shoes and is 22 with arthritic hocks and Derek Kolb had him tracking straight and moving better after just one shoeing... and his feet look beautiful, too. I show, so finish matters to me. I want a break-over without making my horse's feet look square or like his shoes are an inch too far back... and I get that here. Derek Kolb is also exceptional at handling your horse- no smacking them with the file or impatience like many shoers. And you know what? My horse can tell! He LOVES Derek and is better for him than any other shoer he's had and he's 22! Derek is also an expert at barefoot and transitioning to barefoot and while I've used other Mission Farrier School grads he's the best shoer I've used. Give Kolb a try and get great hooves! #farrier #horseshoer #equestrian #shoer