Diet and Nutrition

CPL-friendly nutrition

HoofGeek describes a healthy diet as also being barefoot-friendly which is useful for CPL horses due to their potential for hoof problems. Balance is key.

• Good quality food
• Chemical free
• Low sugar
• Good nutritional balance
• Unprocessed

How to balance the diet? Without getting right into the hay and grass analysis side of things (which are important if you suspect a deficiency or overload or sometimes if your horse has metabolic health problems), the easiest way is to find a good broad spectrum balancer. These should provide the recommended daily allowances of most vitamins, minerals and trace elements for your horse by weight. There are also more targeted balancers available.

Supplements; Marigold & Cleavers

We know that in human lymphoedema, clinical diuretics are contraindicated but what about herbs that are thought to be beneficial for lymphatic support? After initially trialling Hilton Herbs’ Marigold and Cleavers supplement on one fairly advanced CPL horse back in 2015, there was an improvement in the condition of the skin, decreased itching and to some degree, speed of leg fill when stabled. As people began to take notice and trial the herbs on their own horses, more and more responses flooded in as owners began to see the same improvements in their own horses. Most active members on the CPL Facebook group cite Marigold and Cleavers or “M&C” as one of the major factors that have helped their horse (along with exercise, compression and diet). Since then, the herbs have also been picked up by the Mallenders and Sallenders community who are finding improvements too. Of course at this stage the reviews are all anecdotal but with any luck future research will look further into dietary recommendations and perhaps the manufacturers will undertake trials of their own.

Be wary of anyone advertising this supplement as helping with CPL specifically, Hilton Herbs don’t and rightly so because there is not a cure and relying solely on a supplement will detract from the real work that needs to be undertaken to manage the progression of the disease. It needs to be made clear that the main element of CPL management is that the horse must not be stabled unless under vets orders (a vet who understand the impact this will have on the compromised lymphatics). CPL horses need the sort of consistent, gentle movement provided by a track system.

Knowing what we do about clinical diuretics and their propensity to remove mostly the water part of the lymphoedema and leave behind waste, plus a concern over diuretics causing sugar concentration (important for CPL horses prone to laminitis), we contacted Hilton Herbs‘ own nutritionist for more information:

“As a Medical Herbalist with over 30 years’ experience of formulating herbal supplements for horses I would like to address this subject. Over the last 30 years I have used Cleavers (Galium aparine) in many formulations, including those specifically formulated to help support horses with Insulin Resistance or Laminitis.
It has been suggested that Cleavers have a diuretic action on the body so should not be used for horses with insulin resistance or laminitis as this may lead to increased concentrations of sugar in the blood and dehydration.
This is not accurate. Cleavers offer a mild diuretic effect on the body, anyone whose horse has been eating Cleavers may have seen an increase in urine output, but this is more due to the herbs “alterative” action rather than diuresis. Of course, it goes without saying that all animals should have access at all times to a good clean water supply regardless of any health concerns.
“Alterative” herbs are used primarily to detoxify the system and help support the elimination from the body of “waste products”, this is why herbs such as Clivers, Dandelion, Nettle are often used for conditions such as Arthritis, Chronic skin conditions and other inflammatory concerns, where they work by helping encourage the removal of inflammatory waste products from the tissues so they can then be processed and expelled by the body’s eliminative systems. Cleavers in particular are used for joint disease, connective tissue disorders, skin conditions or as part of Spring Detox programmes.
Cleavers and Marigold are often combined and are what is known as “Sister Herbs”, in that they are considered to help support the action of each other when combined.
Of course, as with any food or supplement you are planning to use for your horse it is important to follow the recommended feeding guide. It may be tempting to assume that if 2 scoops are good then 8 scoops are 4 times as good! Wrong! we don’t do this with our own food or supplements so why do it with your horse’s food?
Cleavers and Marigold are both extremely safe herbs with centuries of use by both people and animals, that when given access to the herbs will happily “ self-dose”.
Used correctly they can offer great support to horses and ponies of all ages.
Hilary Self BSc. (Hons) MNIMH

It may also be helpful to support CPL horses immune systems to help with the reduced healing, inflammation and hypersensitivities they can encounter as a result of the disease.

Please consult your vet before starting a new feed or supplement and make sure to monitor your horse very carefully for any physical or behavioural changes. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer for more information.

CPL Facebook group favourites

Our members like and frequently recommend the following brands:-

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