Darby Holden (La Selva, Calif)
Darby has done an amazing job at keeping the horses sound!
— Cassie Barber (Monterey, Calif.)
Vey well-educated, smart, honest and does a great job!
— Terry Boretti (San Jose, Calif.)
Darby is the best farrier I’ve used in my 48 years owning horses. Her attention to detail is remarkable, as well as her overall attention to our horses’ health. She knows our horses and tailors their hoof care accordingly. When Darby is at the barn she is continually teaching about hoof health. She is a wealth of knowledge about horse history and behavior. She also has a wicked sense of humor and excellent values. She’s level headed and tells it just as it is and my ponies like her.
— Nancy Gum (San Jose, Calif.)
Darby Holden is the most dedicated and conscientious farrier I have ever had the pleasure to know. As well as the hardest working one. She is a stickler for details and perfection. Due to her diligence, our horse was kept sound and in perfect hoof health. I’ve never known a more responsible and honest individual. Darby deserves to be highlighted in your farrier reviews.
— Barbara Hinson (Crestview Hills, Ky.)
My name is Suzy Kissee. I live on the central coast of California. I am both proud and honored to share a story about my farrier, Darby Holden.
Sometimes the best things happen randomly. I met Darby Holden about 14 years ago at the deli counter of a small, local grocery store in Los Olivos, Calif. We struck up a conversation as we were waiting for our respective sandwiches. Turned out, she was parked next to me in the parking lot and I noticed a sticker from a farrier’s association on her truck. I needed a farrier since my brother, who had been doing my work for years, had recently moved out of the area. As a former hunter/jumper trainer and a life-long horsewoman, I am very picky and anxious when trying a new farrier. We talked about her experience and viewpoints and I decided to give her a try. I’m quite sure that God puts the right people in your life when you need them. You just have to be aware enough to notice and grateful enough to accept them. Such was the case with Darby. We set an appointment for her to do my old retired Quarter mare, my daughter’s Thoroughbred brood mare, and my granddaughters’ pony. All of my horses were sound of foot and didn’t have any real issues to deal with, although the old mare was a bit arthritic in her body and needed a bit of patience, and the brood mare had a huge scar on the inside of her hind leg from an accident before we got her. The scar was sometimes sensitive so I had to be a bit careful and let her know gently that I was going to pick up that leg. All of my horses are well-trained and well-behaved, but they (and I both!) appreciate a little kindness and acknowledgement of their age and limitations.
Darby completely surpassed my expectations. She treated the horses with respect and in turn, they were completely cooperative. She sensed when the old mare needed to put her foot down for a few minutes and made sure the Thoroughbred mare was comfortable putting the scarred leg over Darby’s thigh. Darby even folded her tall frame into a level that was comfortable for the pony. I was a happy camper and so were my horses!
Then it happened.
The Thoroughbred mare went into labor, exactly on her due date, and delivered an undiagnosed set of twins. She delivered two colts, a buckskin we named Pancho and a bay we call Lefty. I will not go into great detail here about losing the mare that night (to something other than twinning), but will focus on the plethora of issues the orphan colts had. Both were good sized and active as jackrabbits, but Lefty had what the vet called “jelly joints” causing his knees to buckle inward. The vets anticipated him being only “yard art” without eventual surgery. Pancho was a bigger mess. He was windswept, contracted in front, and down in his hind pasterns, all due to reduced room in utero. I called Darby immediately and told the hospital that she would be taking care of them. Darby went to work on both colts before they even came home. Not only is Darby an educated farrier and a life-long horsewoman, but she is an original artist as well, which gives her the ability to visualize the end result and work toward that goal. Darby visited the colts every couple of days. She did a little rasping here and a little balancing 
there, and created the wedges and “shoes” that she applied to each colt, depending on their needs. With conservative yet targeted treatment over time, both colts’ issues were eventually resolved. The vets were astounded. Darby was able to accomplish with trimming, fiberglass, and some glue-on magic what the vets told me would take surgery to even possibly correct. Neither of the colts ever experiences heat, swelling, or soreness from Darby's corrective measures. In the interest of space, I have kept the story short, but that in no way should make the reader think that the story is simple or that everything was achieved quickly. It took dedication, time, and patience during that whole first year, but I think the proof is represented in their adult pictures. The colts are now 11 years old and have never taken a lame step. I credit Darby with their success and ability to go forward as two sound, usable, strong adult horses that I can turn over to my twin granddaughters in good conscience. Twins on twins! What could be better?
Looking at them now, it's hard to remember how overwhelming the issues seemed at first.
Darby’s dedication to her profession is evident in her 
desire to learn from the masters and her participation in continuing education. She is currently an AFA certified journeyman farrier and has no intention of resting on her laurels. Her desire to be of service to the horse drives her to never stop learning. She treats every horse as if it were her own. She is currently working from her home base of La Selva, Calif., but travels far and wide to help as many as she can. I will be eternally grateful to Darby for her dedication to help my twins. Equine twins rarely end well, but my colts’ story is one of hope and gladness. After what she achieved with Pancho and Lefty, imagine what she can do for “regular” horses! The journey of their first year and Darby’s part in it was documented by Warmbloods Today magazine. You can read it in its entirety and see more pictures here in the Warmbloods Today Nov-Dec 2009 article .
— Suzan Kissee (Los Olivos, Calif.)