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
Getting an Equine Nutritionist Consultation
September 01, 2005
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
Age-Defying Equines
June 01, 2005
At some point senior horses exhibit slower, stiffer gaits, dull coats, or subtle signs of disease. Read More
Hoof Radiographs
May 01, 2005
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
Pasture-Associated Heaves
May 01, 2005
What owners can do when faced with recurrent airway obstruction in their horses. Read More
GI Disease in Foals
February 01, 2005
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 Read More
Immunity Through Nutrition
January 01, 2005
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 Read More
Dangers of Vitamin E
December 06, 2004
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 Read More
Seven Deadly Sins
December 01, 2004
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 Read More
A Clean Sweep
October 01, 2004
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 Read More
Tendons: Keep Them Moving
August 01, 2004
Like keeping the pistons of an engine lubricated for smooth, easy movement, the tendon sheaths of a horse function similarly by providing a friction-free environment in which tendons can move. Read More
Hidden Treasure: Retraining Racehorses
July 01, 2004
"A prize in every box." While that phrase refers to the little toy one finds in a box of Cracker Jacks, adopting a former racehorse is not so different: You're not quite sure what you'll get, but often the experience is fun and the horse can be Read More
Prepared for Battle?
May 01, 2004
Yes, it's a very tired joke. "Question: Where does a 1,000-pound gorilla sit? Answer: Wherever he wants." But that's the way it can be when trying to medicate an uncooperative horse. When the horse knows what's coming, he pulls back, clamps his Read More
The Other Cancers
May 01, 2004
Is there an uglier word in medicine than "cancer?" This is true in human and veterinary medicine. Many of us view cancer as invasive, debilitating, and fatal. But those who know horses know that while cancer occurs in equids, most of these Read More
Breathe Deep
April 01, 2004
Lower airway disease is all too common among the horse population--the occasional cough in the young racehorse that belies serious disease, the wheezy horse which can't tolerate his barn, the backyard horse which always seems to have a cough or Read More
Pest Control: The Death Squad
April 01, 2004
When it comes to pest control products, the safest choices lie with EPA-approved chemical formulations developed for horse use, such as DEET, pyrethrins/pyrethroids, and organophosphates, or the EPA GRAS ("generally regarded as safe") Read More
Dogs and Horses: Predators and Prey
March 01, 2004
There they are: Your two best friends. Fred has been your buddy since you were a teenager, sharing your victories and disappointments, always steadfast and reliable. Bonnie has only been part of your life for a couple of months, but you've hit i Read More
Heavy Horse Health Problems
March 01, 2004
Draft horses are enjoying a comeback. Not since the days when they were required to move the nation have the "gentle giants" been so sought after as riding and driving competitors. Draft crosses are found worldwide, competing at many levels and Read More
Creative Purchasing
March 01, 2004
The standard means of providing for the horse farm is to pick up or have delivered bales of hay and sacks of grain when you run low, to purchase outright your horses and equipment, and to pay for your labor. But there are alternative ways that Read More
Feeding the Masses (Managing Multiple Horses Part 2)
February 01, 2004
Day after day, dollar after dollar, much of the cost and labor in horsekeeping is seeing that your horse gets the proper kind and amount of nutrition for his individual needs. Offer too much or over-supplement and you're throwing money away at Read More
Prevention for the Masses
January 01, 2004
Veterinary care doesn't come cheap. While conscientious horse owners realize that disease prevention is ultimately cheaper than disease treatment, when you have five, or 15, or 50 horses to care for and limits on your budget, you need to look Read More
Bursitis and Synovitis
December 01, 2003
A swelling on the limb that might or might not be accompanied by lameness could be the first sign of bursitis or synovitis. These are similar, moderately common inflammatory conditions of the structures that produce synovial (joint) fluid. Read More
Feeding The Older Horse
November 01, 2003
No doubt you've crossed paths with men and women in their 70s and 80s who are healthy, energetic, and active. I know of an 87-year-old woman who lifts weights at the gym twice weekly and volunteers each Wednesday to help familiarize new, fellow Read More
A Pain in the Hock
October 01, 2003
The hock is a complex joint of the rear limb situated between the stifle and the ankle that consists of six bones and four joints. Similar to the human ankle--but elevated and bending backward--the hock works in concert with the stifle, flexing Read More
Hunter's Bump
October 01, 2003
Named for the sport in which it often occurs, hunter's (or jumper's) bump is a sometimes painful pelvic condition that affects performance and gait. It's tricky to diagnose, occurs in horses which do many different disciplines, and can be an Read More
Dealing With EPM Today
September 01, 2003
While West Nile virus continues to dominate headlines when it comes to equine health, researchers are working to unlock the mysteries of that other, not-quite-so-new disease--equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). High on the list is Read More
