Christopher Metzler

Courtesy of Amanda Madeira

I’m at the year mark with my farrier, Chris, and am thrilled with how much progress my horses have made with him. He came highly recommended by my vet, and I completely understand why. Chris took on my whole herd, including 2 of which had severely under run heels, incorrect angles, flaring walls and no sole depth, which led to lameness and body soreness issues. He worked right alongside my vet to review X-rays and make a game plan and back up plans tailored to each individual horse.

My mare was battling negative navicular changes, SI discomfort and ulcers from pain. He prioritized her comfort while slowly working on correcting her angles. She’s now back to work and much more forward moving. Chris pulled back my gelding’s long toes and focused on his sole depth so that he wasn’t crippled if he lost a shoe.

I’m excited and thankful that my horses are moving better with significantly more even muscle tone. I can’t express how thankful I am for Chris, his expertise, time spent educating me and his dedication to my horses. I wouldn’t be where I am today with my horses if it wasn’t for Chris taking on the challenge with the corrective farrier work they desperately needed. Thank you, Chris!

— Brie Slaman, Chesapeake, Va.

Chris became the farrier for my farm a little over 2 years ago. I was in need of a farrier for a difficult horse, and he said he could help. On his way to me for this horse, my farrier at the time stood me up for the last time, and I called Chris and asked if he could do any more while he was here. He asked me how many more, and I explained I had twelve horses that I had scheduled to be done and most I had already moved to the barn and were standing waiting. I was nervous because it was a last minute huge ask. His response, “let’s see how many we can get through.”

After that day, I asked him to be the permanent farrier for my farm. Chris is the first farrier to actually educate me on what he sees going on with a horse's feet. He has a recommendation or solution for every issue we come across. He’s not only an outstanding farrier, but he’s also a pleasure to be around. I have 30 boarders and the majority of those boarders are serviced by Chris, so I sometimes spend the majority of an entire workday handling horses with him. I appreciate the ability to talk horses with him. I am extremely grateful for all the horses he has helped and the knowledge he has shared with us all.

Valerie Arroyo, Virginia Beach, Va.

Chris is the best farrier by far. I have had horses for 54 years, coast-to-coast. He is so passionate about every horse. Chris is incredibly knowledgeable and finds a way to fix or help every individual horse. My draft cross (18yrs) is now excelling in a second career of Dressage. There is never a question that is answered with patience and understanding. If you don't have the answer, he finds it! Best Farrier Ever!

— Mischelle Everest, Portsmouth, Va.

Chris Metzler has been my farrier for over 3 years now. Not only is he very educated, he is a great person who cares about his clients and, more importantly, his equine clients. Every visit, he takes the time to explain what is happening with each horse's feet and a plan to make each one as comfortable and best they can be. When I got my Morgan, he had zero heel. With patience and teamwork, after a year, the difference was amazing! And now his heels grow as if there was never a problem. Anytime we need Chris, he’s also just a call away, which isn’t easy to find with farriers! We appreciate Chris very much, and he deserves to be recognized for his dedication and hard work!

— Amanda Madeira, South Mills, N.C.