Steve O’Grady – Authority on Equine Hoof Biomechanics

DVM, MRCVS & Farrier

Few professionals in the equine world have reshaped modern hoof care the way Steve O’Grady has. Known internationally for his rare dual expertise as a veterinarian and a farrier, Steve O’Grady has built a career focused entirely on understanding, protecting, and restoring the equine foot.

His work sits at the intersection of biomechanics, medicine, and craftsmanship, an intersection he occupies with unmatched authority.

A Foundation Forged in the Forge

Long before he wore a white coat, Steve O’Grady spent a decade mastering the forge and anvil. His introduction to horses came not through riding but through the meticulous work of hoof care. As a young man, he entered a formal apprenticeship with Joseph M. Pierce, a highly respected farrier and member of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame.

The three-year apprenticeship in West Chester, Pennsylvania, became the foundation upon which his entire career would be built.

That early training shaped both his technical skill and his understanding of the profound impact hoof balance, mechanics, and conformation have on a horse’s entire musculoskeletal system. This knowledge would later become the driving force behind his transition to veterinary medicine.

A Determined Path Toward Veterinary Science

Having developed a deep interest in the medical side of hoof problems, Steve O’Grady made the unconventional decision to return to school after ten years in farriery. He completed his undergraduate studies at Haverford College and then pursued his veterinary education at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science in South Africa.

He graduated with his DVM degree in 1981 and immediately entered an equine internship in Cape Town.

This blend of farrier training and veterinary education would eventually become his signature. Few people in the world have such comprehensive training in both disciplines, and even fewer have used it as effectively.

Building a Career Focused on the Equine Foot

After returning to the United States, Steve O’Grady joined Georgetown Equine Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he worked alongside Dr. Dan Flynn. Over ten years at the hospital, he refined his skills in sports medicine, lameness evaluation, and therapeutic foot care. His ability to interpret radiographs through the lens of a farrier and vice versa, gave him a unique diagnostic advantage.

In 2003, he founded Northern Virginia Equine, a practice dedicated exclusively to hoof-related disease and therapeutic farriery. Years later, he relocated to Keswick, Virginia, where he opened Virginia Therapeutic Farriery, continuing his referral-based work with complex foot cases from veterinarians and farriers across the country.

His clinics became known as places where difficult cases finally found answers.

A Leading Voice in Equine Podiatry

Steve O’Grady’s contributions to the field extend far beyond clinical work. He has authored dozens of peer-reviewed papers, numerous farrier-focused articles, and multiple book chapters on equine podiatry and therapeutic shoeing. He also served as editor for two highly regarded issues of Veterinary Clinics of North America, both dedicated to the equine foot.

His writing, teaching, and lecture tours have brought him to audiences around the world, making him one of the most recognizable authorities in his field.

Recognition and Awards

Over his distinguished career, Steve O’Grady has received several of the profession’s highest honors, including:

• Induction into the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame (2003)
• AAEP President’s Award (2009) for his commitment to farrier education
• Gold Medal from the South African Veterinary Association (2018)
• Additional accolades recognizing both his academic work and global impact on podiatry education

These awards reflect not only his expertise, but also his longstanding mission to build stronger collaboration between veterinarians and farriers.

A Lifelong Advocate for Collaboration

One of the central themes of Steve O’Grady’s career has been fostering communication between the medical and mechanical sides of equine care. His work emphasizes that the best outcomes occur when veterinarians and farriers approach the horse’s foot as a shared responsibility. His lectures, consulting services, and mentorship continue to spread this philosophy across the industry.

Steve O’Grady: A Legacy Defined by Helping Horses

Despite his international reputation, Steve O’Grady’s motivation remains simple: improving the lives of horses. Whether he’s diagnosing a complex lameness, crafting a therapeutic shoeing plan, or teaching the next generation of practitioners, his work is rooted in the same passion that began at the forge decades ago.

Today, Steve O’Grady stands as one of the world’s most respected voices in equine podiatry, a clinician, educator, craftsman, and visionary who has transformed how the equine industry understands and cares for the foot.

Steve O’Grady is a faculty speaker in the Equine Lameness Program. If you wish to elevate your lameness diagnostic skills and learn directly from him, Dr. Michael Schramme and Kyla Ortved, make sure to explore the Equine Lameness Program. This the most comprehensive, case-based training pathway designed to help veterinarians make a measurable difference to the horses in their care.