Dr. Steve O'Grady was a professional farrier for ten years prior to obtaining his degree in veterinary medicine. He learned the farrier trade through a formal apprenticeship under "Hall of Fame" farrier, Joseph M. Pierce, of West Chester, Pennsylvania. He then returned to school, completed his undergraduate studies at Haverford College and received his DVM degree from the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science in South Africa in 1981. He operates Virginia Therapeutic Farriery in Keswick, Virginia which is a referral practice devoted to equine foot disease and therapeutic farriery. Recently, he joined Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, FL as a consultant in farriery during the Winter Equestrian Festival. He also operates a consulting service where he travels worldwide to lecture and treat complicated podiatry cases.

He has published over 40 manuscripts in both the national and international peer-reviewed veterinary literature, numerous articles in the farrier journals, written 17 book chapters and edited two editions of the Veterinary Clinics of North America – Equine Practice: one on Equine Podiatry and the other on Therapeutic Farriery - all resulting from his extensive work in equine podiatry. He is a member of the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame and in 2010 received the prestigious AAEP President’s Award for his work in farrier education. In 2019, he was awarded the coveted gold medal from The South African Veterinary Association and in 2020 received the AAEP’s Distinguished Educator Award. In 2024, Dr. O’Grady was placed on The Foundation of the Horse’s My Mentor Honor Wall.

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