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Stephen O’Grady

Dr. Steve O’Grady is a veterinarian and a farrier. He operates Virginia Therapeutic Farriery in Keswick, Va., which is a referral practice devoted to equine podiatry and therapeutic farriery You can read informative papers by him at Equipodiatry.com. He is a member of the International Equine Veterinarians Hall Of Fame and the American Farriers Journal Editorial Advisory Board.

Articles

ARTICLES

How to Identify and Treat Thrush

This article provides an overview of the causes, diagnosis and treatment of thrush

By Stephen O’Grady posted on November 29, 2018 | Posted in Diseases, Trimming

Thrush is a degenerative condition of the central and lateral sulci of the frog generally caused by a bacterial infection. The disease begins when bacteria penetrate the outer horn or epidermis of the frog and is characterized by deterioration of the frog and the presence of black necrotic exudate with a foul odor.

How To Treat Hoof Abscesses

Farriers and veterinarians often deal with abscesses. Here is some practical advice for understanding and treating these

By Stephen O’Grady posted on September 5, 2018

Hoof abscesses are probably the most common cause of acute severe lameness in horses encountered by veterinarians and farriers. A hoof abscess can be defined as a localized accumulation of purulent exudate located between the germinal and keratinized layers of the epithelium, most commonly subsolar (beneath the sole) or submural (beneath the hoof wall).

An Overview Of Equine Canker

This article provides a summary view of the diagnosis and treatment of this foot disease

By Stephen O’Grady posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Diseases, Therapeutic Shoeing

Equine canker is a disease in search of a definition since the cause has not been determined. It could be described as a pathological response to an insult to the foot’s horn-producing tissues. Equine canker has been defined as an infectious process that results in the development of a chronic, hypertrophic, moist pododermatitis of the horn-producing tissues, generally in the palmar / plantar sections of the foot.

Reprinted with permission from Equine Veterinary Education (EVE). Original published in Equine Veterinary Education Vol 28 June 2016.

Various Aspects Of Barefoot Methodology Relevant To Farriery

This thorough review will help you analyze and plan for transitioning a horse from shod to barefoot

By Stephen O’Grady posted on November 7, 2016 | Posted in Anatomy, Trimming

The structures of the equine foot have the unique ability to adapt, change shape and restore. There are multiple beneﬁts in shod vs. barefoot or in allowing the horse to be without shoes for a given time period to improve the palmar section of the foot.

Sheared Heels And The Correlation To A Quarter Crack

A quarter crack repair will be of little value unless the cause of the defect is not identified and rectified

By Stephen O’Grady posted on May 8, 2015 | Posted in Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming

The strong association between sheared heels and a spontaneous quarter crack is hard to ignore. Although inappropriate farriery may play a role, limb conformation and the landing pattern of the horse appear to be the dominant factors causing this type of hoof capsule deformation.

Thoughts On Farriery Associated With The Hind Limb Of The Horse

Understanding hoof distortions and conformation of the hind limb allows a farrier to apply the appropriate footcare options

By Stephen O’Grady posted on December 1, 2014 | Posted in Anatomy, Shoeing

Pain causes many changes in hind limb movement. These changes affect flexion of joints, strain on ligaments, hoof and limb flight, hoof landing/loading and muscle tension.

How To Evaluate The Equine Hoof Capsule

Understanding the mechanism of hoof capsule distortion allows the farrier to formulate a treatment plan

By Stephen O’Grady posted on September 1, 2014 | Posted in Anatomy

The hoof capsule comprises the hoof wall, sole, frog and bulbs of the heels; which, through the unique continuous bond between its components, form a casing on the ground surface of the limb that affords protection to the soft tissue and osseous structures enclosed within the capsule.

Farrier Input Needed For The Ohio State University Survey

By Stephen O’Grady posted on July 28, 2014 | Posted in Business Practices

Source: Virginia Therapeutic Farriery

We all know the importance of a good vet-farrier relationship...we also know that this relationship between the two professions is often quite strained.

Web-Exclusive Feature

Managing Hoof Abscesses

By Stephen O’Grady posted on May 12, 2010 | Posted in Diseases, Lamenesses

Stephen O'Grady gives options for dealing with this frequent and frustrating cause of equine lameness.

Vet's Corner

Managing Quarter Cracks

There’s more to dealing with these defects than just patching them — you need to identify and correct the cause as well

By Stephen O’Grady posted on July 1, 2008 | Posted in Therapeutic Shoeing

Quarter cracks are a common type of hoof capsule defect. Quarter cracks often cause foot lameness and/or decreased athletic performance in race and sport horses. They typically originate at the coronary band in the quarter of the hoof and progress distally

View All Articles by Stephen O’Grady

Current Issue

American Farriers Journal

American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.

Equine Reciprocating Systems: Connecting Tendon to Bone

Using Clips as Needed, Not as Trends Dictate, Will Enable Farriers to Improve a Horse’s Hoof-Health and Performance

Shoeing Mackinac Island’s Horses With Limited Resources

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Mapping the Equine Hoof

Lubbock, Texas, farrier Blane Chapman demonstrates Professor William Russell’s hoof mapping technique, which he utilizes on each of the horses that he shoes.

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