Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital

Dr. Ruggles, who specializes in orthopedic surgery and lameness, graduated from The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 1987. He completed an internship and residency in large animal surgery at New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He remained at New Bolton Center as a Lecturer in Surgery until joining faculty at Ohio State University in 1992. He joined Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky in March of 1999 and is a partner there. He is active in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (AAEP) and Advanced Osteotomy (AO). Dr. Ruggles is a member of the AAEP “On Call” media program. He has been Co- Chairman of the annual AO Equine Courses on Fracture Repair given in Columbus Ohio since 1996. Dr. Ruggles has authored over 20 peer reviewed papers and 8 book chapters concerning equine orthopedic problems.

Dr. Bonnie Barr grew up in Western Pennsylvania. Her mother and grandfather showed American Saddlebred horses and Morgan horses, so at a young age she followed in their footsteps. Later she showed quarter horses. She was very active in 4-H and worked at the local mixed animal veterinary practice. Dr. Barr graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1991. She earned her veterinary degree at the University of Pennsylvania (1993-1997) and then completed a one-year internship at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital (1997-1998) and a two-year internal medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center (1998-2000). Dr. Barr was a staff member for one year at Texas A&M University before rejoining Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in 2001 as an associate veterinarian specializing in internal medicine. She became boarded in internal medicine in 2003 and in 2014 a shareholder at the practice. Her areas of special interest include equine neonatology, equine infectious diseases and infectious disease control. Dr. Barr is the co-author of Equine Pediatrics.

Dr. Woodie is originally from North Carolina where he attended North Carolina State University for his undergraduate work, and North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine for his veterinary degree. Following graduation from veterinary college in 1995, he completed a one-year internship followed by a three-year surgery residency at The Ohio State University. During his residency, he also earned a Master's of Science Degree. He then moved to Northern Virginia and became a clinical instructor in equine surgery at Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center. During that time, Dr. Woodie achieved Diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Subsequently, he became an Assistant Professor of Large Animal Surgery at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2003, he began working as a surgeon for Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. where he currently resides.

Dr. Scoggin grew up in Boulder, CO, but traveled east to Colgate University in Hamilton, NY for his undergraduate degree, majoring in chemistry and minoring in religion. He traveled back home to attend both graduate and veterinary school at Colorado State University where he obtained an MS in equine reproductive physiology in 2001 and his DVM in 2005. Following vet school, he served a one year internship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute and then was an associate veterinarian at a referral practice in California. Dr. Scoggin then accepted a position as a resident veterinarian at a Thoroughbred breeding farm outside Paris, KY, where he practiced from 2008-2015. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists (animal reproduction) in 2012, and he joined the team at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in July 2015. Dr. Scoggin’s professional interests include stallion reproductive physiology, problem mares, and assisted reproductive technologies.

Dr. Chris Newton is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation from veterinary school in 1997, Dr. Newton began practicing in North Carolina, but returned home to his native Lexington in 2000 when he joined Rood & Riddle. He is a general practitioner with primary interests in equine sports medicine, physical therapy, alternative medicine and reproduction.

Dr. Dale Brown was raised on a cow/ calf farm in Girard, Kansas. After working on a Quarter Horse breeding farm during high school, he decided to attend Kansas State to pursue an Animal Science/ Agribusiness undergraduate degree. He earned his degree in 2001 and continued his schooling at Kansas State obtaining his Veterinary Medicine degree in 2006. Dr. Brown completed his Ambulatory Internship with Rood & Riddle in 2007. He joined Rood & Riddle as an associate in 2007 and in 2013 he became a shareholder. Dr. Brown’s special areas of interest include reproduction, neonatal medicine, herd health, and public yearling sales. When not seeing patients,

Dr. Debbie Spike-Pierce’s passion for horses began at a very young age. Her father and grandfather were veterinarians and she grew up working with Standardbred race horses. She also showed Saddle Seat with her Morgan horse. In 1993, Dr. Spike-Pierce graduated from veterinary school from Michigan State University. She has held previous positions as KAEP and KVMA Presidents and is also very active in the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). Areas of interest for Dr. Spike Pierce are field diagnostic imaging, conformation, lameness and public sales.

Dr. Etta Bradecamp graduated Veterinary School from Auburn University in 1999. She became an Associate veterinarian at Keswick Equine Clinic in Virginia and resident at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital in Victoria, Australia. Dr. Bradecamp joined the Rood & Riddle team in 2011 as an Associate. She has held numerous distinguished positions within the Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners (NAEP) such as serving on the Board of Directors, Vice President and President. Dr. Bradecamp is a member of the AVMA, AAEP, NEAEP, SFT, ACT and ABVP. Special areas of interest include the infertile mare, embryo transfer, assisted reproductive techniques (ART) and the problem stallion.

Dr. Jeff Cook grew up breeding, training, and showing Belgian Draft Horses in Oregon. He attended Oregon State University and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science followed by graduating from veterinary school in 2000. Dr. Cook completed an ambulatory internship at Rood & Riddle in 2000. His special interests include breeding with interest in problem mares and foal medicine.

Jennifer Jordan, VMD is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Jordan completed an internship at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, followed by a large animal surgery residence at the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania. A Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Jordan divides her practice time between Lexington and Wellington.

Dr. José Bras was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico where he showed and bred Paso Fino horses. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Louisiana State University in 2000. In 2005, he graduated from The Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Bras completed an in-hospital internship at Rood & Riddle prior to a surgical residency and Master’s degree at Kansas State University (KSU). After completing his residency, Dr. Bras remained at KSU as a Clinical Assistant Professor/Emergency Clinician until he moved to Lexington, Ky. in 2012 where he worked as an Equine Surgeon at a private practice. Dr. Bras joined the Rood & Riddle team in April 2015 where he works in both the ambulatory and surgery departments. His interests include lameness, sales work, and surgery.

Dr. Paasch is a shareholder at Rood and Riddle. She primarily focuses on lameness, diagnostic imaging, and acupuncture.

Dr. Laurie Metcalfe was born and raised in Madison, WI where she grew up there with her identical twin, Jen, and their Arabian horses. She completed her Animal Science degree from the University of WI- Madison and decided to pursue veterinary medicine only after moving to Lexington and working as an ICU and surgery technician at Rood & Riddle for 3 years. Dr. Metcalfe returned to Wisconsin to attend veterinary school and upon graduation in 2004, came back to Lexington to complete a one year hospital internship followed by a one year ambulatory internship at Rood & Riddle. She has remained an ambulatory veterinarian with the clinic ever since. Dr. Metcalfe specializes in neonatal medicine, enjoying foals as well as herd health and general medicine.

Larry Bramlage is a 1975 graduate of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and received a Master of Science degree from Ohio State (MS) in 1978. He holds a Diploma of the American College of Veterinary Surgery (Diplomate ACVS). Bramlage is an internationally recognized equine orthopedic surgeon, and practices at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. He is a past President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Dr. Lilly Haywood grew up riding and showing hunters in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended college at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and graduated in 2008 with a degree in English and Biology. While at W&L, Lilly competed on the varsity riding team and was team captain her junior and senior years. After college, she spent a year working at a small animal veterinary clinic while finishing her veterinary school pre-requisite classes. Lilly attended the University of Pennsylvania for veterinary school, graduating in 2013 with an equine focus. She joined Rood and Riddle in June of 2013 and completed a year-long ambulatory internship before continuing on with a year-long hospital internship. Her areas of interest include emergency medicine, primary and preventative care, and neonatal medicine.

Dr. Maria Schnobrich grew up in Boston where visits to her grandparents farm and riding lessons at a young age, sparked her interest in horses and large animals. Her interest to become an equine veterinarian was cemented while volunteering at Tufts Large Animal Hospital during college summers. Dr. Schnobrich graduated Magna Cum Laude at Brown University followed by attending veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded the William B. Boucher Award for Outstanding Teaching at the New Bolton Center in 2012 and the 2012 Charles W. Raker Award. Dr. Schnobrich completed a yearlong internship at Rood & Riddle in 2008 where she later completed a residency in Large Animal Theriogenology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenology. Special interests of hers include equine reproduction and mare and stallion infertility.

Dr. Morresey began his veterinary career in New Zealand as a mixed animal practitioner following graduation from Massey University in 1988. Coming from a dairying family, he initially worked in an ambulatory production animal practice that serviced all species. He was then recruited into a renowned equine/dairy practice in Matamata New Zealand in the heart of the Thoroughbred breeding region. Dr. Morresey’s veterinary interests are broad. He is busy all spring with the many and varied problems faced by neonatal foals and high-risk pregnancies. To better the performance horse, he has worked extensively in respiratory and neurological medicine. Studying at the Chi Institute of Chinese of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine to certification level gave him an appreciation of complementary techniques which he has found useful to improve the health of his patients. Seeking to push his boundaries, he recently completed a Master’s degree with a dissertation investigating the current success of stem cells therapies in canine spinal cord injuries.

Dr. Rolf Embertson graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 1976. He also attended Michigan State where he graduated from Veterinary School in 1979 followed by an internship at Illinois Equine Hospital. Dr. Embertson completed a Large Animal Surgery Residency at the University of Florida, followed by an Equine Surgery Residency at The Ohio State University. In 1986, he became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Embertson is a Surgeon and Shareholder at Rood & Riddle.

Dr. Ahlschwede graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and began his veterinary career in Lexington, KY as an intern at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in 1996. He practiced in the Lexington area for 15 years as an ambulatory veterinarian specializing in reproduction, primary and preventative care, and sales evaluation. In 2012 Dr. Ahlschwede moved to upstate New York to develop Rood and Riddle's first practice outside of Lexington, KY. Since the acquisition of the Saratoga Hospital he is enjoying working with the team to provide the very best care for his patients.

Dr. Scott Hopper is a 1993 graduate of the University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine and a shareholder at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. He completed a one year hospital internship at Rood & Riddle in 1994, followed by a surgical residency at Washington State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. He became board certified in surgery in 1999. Dr. Hopper’s interests include performance and sport horse lameness.

Dr. Scott Pierce obtained his undergraduate degree from Northwest Missouri State. He then attended veterinary school at the University of Missouri and graduated in 1983. Dr. Pierce began working at Rood & Riddle in 1985 and later became a shareholder. Special interests of his include working with juvenile Thoroughbreds, upper airway endoscopy, public and private sales.

Dr. Reed earned his DVM at The Ohio State University, followed by a residency at Michigan State University. He started his academic teaching career at Washington State University from 1979-1983, and then returned to The Ohio State University where he spent 26 years as a professor and mentor in the Equine Medicine department. Dr. Reed is a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and is a noted author and editor of numerous scientific articles and textbooks. He has spoken at many state, national and international meetings. His primary research interests include Equine Neurologic Diseases. He is currently an Internal Medicine Specialist and shareholder of the Practice at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Emeritus Professor of The Ohio State University, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Kentucky and is currently the Chairman of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Advisory Committee.

Tom Riddle, the son of a veterinarian, was born and raised in Greenville, S.C., and graduated from Wake Forest University in 1974 and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1978. In 1982, Riddle joined Bill Rood in his ambulatory practice in Lexington and Rood & Riddle was formed. In 1985, Rood & Riddle purchased land on Georgetown Road and broke ground for their new hospital. Riddle currently has a busy breeding farm practice in Central Kentucky and serves as Director of Public Relations for Rood & Riddle.

Bill Gilsenan received his veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Following an internship at Colorado State University, he completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at the New Bolton Center—University of Pennsylvania. He became board certified in large animal internal medicine in 2012. He held a faculty position at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine until joining the staff at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital as an internal medicine specialist in 2015. Dr. Gilsenan enjoys all aspects of equine internal medicine but is particularly interested in cardiology, neurology and neonatology.

Dr. Woodrow Friend graduated from Michigan State University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science. Dr. Friend attended veterinary school at Michigan State University and graduated in 2002. He completed a year-long internship at Rood & Riddle and following the internship, he became an Associate for the practice. In 2012, Dr. Friend became a shareholder at Rood & Riddle. Areas of interest for Dr. Friend are theriogenology and equine chiropractic, where he is certified by the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA).