Marcia King

Marcia King is an award-winning freelance writer based in Ohio who specializes in equine, canine, and feline veterinary topics. She’s schooled in hunt seat, dressage, and Western pleasure.

Articles by: Marcia King

Bute: How Much is Too Much?

Phenylbutazone (PBZ), commonly known as Bute, can be the horse owner’s (and horse’s) best friend. This popular and economical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) blocks pain, reduces swelling and inflammation, and lowers fever, making it an

Read More

Equine Winter Nutrition

Come the days of long shadows, when the sun lies low in the sky, jeweled leaves crumble and fade away, and the wind’s crispness hints of the cold, gray days on the way. The pasture dies down. It’s time to start getting extra fuel into your

Read More

Vaccination Schedules for Adult Horses

As desirable as it would be to have a national (or even regional) one-size-fits-all protocol for vaccinating adult horses, vaccination recommendations are best tailored to individual circumstances. These primarily include the areas of the countr

Read More

Dental Plan for the Working Horse

Routine equine dental care is important for three reasons, says David O. Klugh, DVM, Fellow in the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry, owner of Equine Dental Associates in Yamhill, Ore.:



  • Making sure deciduous teeth come out and adul

Read More

Vaccinations for Youngsters

Protecting tender immune systems against disease is the surest way to ensure the young horse doesn’t fall victim to either temporarily uncomfortable or life-ending infections.


Even though foals receive some immunity by drinking colostru

Read More

Equine Genetic Disease: Who’s At Risk?

Many DNA sequence variations are fine; they just give rise to the broad spectrum of colors, sizes, and other characteristics we see in the horse population. Some variations, however, cause problems. These might range from a genetic predisposition

Read More

Getting an Equine Nutritionist Consultation

Sure, it makes sense that the owners of high-end performance horses and blue-blooded broodmares find the services offered by equine nutritionists useful. Anything that can give these horses an edge or help them reach their maximum potential is

Read More

Hoof Radiographs

Your horse is limping and a detailed visual exam by your veterinarian reveals a small black spot, suggesting a puncture wound. Your veterinarian radiographs the hoof: The X rays confirm the diagnosis, clearly showing the direction and depth of

Read More

GI Disease in Foals

Despite advances in veterinary medicine, the first few weeks of a foal’s life can still be risky. Many health problems can arise, including myriad gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that can quickly drain a youngster of health, vigor, and sometimes life. Explains Brady J. Bergin, DVM, assistant professor and rural veterinary practice clinician in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon Stat

Read More

Immunity Through Nutrition

If your performance horse does well on a balanced diet, can he do better with some extra, immune-boosting nutrients? What about young horses and aging horses, ill horses and healthy horses, working horses and lightly ridden horses?

For sure, studies show that extra amounts of certain nutrients benefit the immune system–but not in every case. Some horses don’t need and can’t use extra

Read More

Dangers of Vitamin E

Studies have recently found that people taking high-dose vitamin E supplements daily had an increased risk of dying, but equine nutritionists say we shouldn’t extrapolate that to horses.

Study lead author and internist Edgar R. Miller III, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says, “Our study shows that use of high-dose vitamin E

Read More

Seven Deadly Sins

No matter a horse’s talent, if he consistently engages in difficult, damaging, or dangerous behavior, he risks being found guilty of being a “problem horse.” He then will serve time wearing uncomfortable devices designed to break or hinder an unacceptable behavior, being handed corporal punishment by a frustrated handler, or being given capital punishment via a trip to auction and on to the

Read More

A Clean Sweep

There’s a reality show that airs on BBC America called Life Laundry. It’s all about folks who tend to keep lots of clutter piled up and lying around in big, sloppy messes in their houses or apartments. Then our team of heroes arrives, sorting”P>There’s a reality show that airs on BBC America called Life Laundry. It’s all about folks who tend to keep lots of clutter piled up and lying around in big, sloppy messes in their hous”>There’s a reality show that airs on BBC America called Life Laundry. It’s all about folks who tend to keep lots of clutter pile”There’s a reality show that airs on BBC America called Life Laundry. It”here’s a reality

Read More

More From The Horse

Warming Up for Cross-Country
Observation
Horse on meadow
Preventing Pigeon Fever

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How do you decide when to vaccinate your horses?
193 votes · 193 answers

Readers’ Most Popular