News
Buy Me A Coffee for CPL Awareness CIC
November 2025 saw the launch of our first option for donations to the CIC – our Buy Me A Coffee page! Thanks to all who have already donated, please use the QR code below if you would like to add to our funds or just show your appreciation for the work we do for free. Make sure to subcribe or “become a follower” to the BMAC page because there will be digital products available for purchase soon, along with news, views and updates…..
Your Horse Live 2025 ‘How To’ Arena: CPL Awareness CIC talk with Liveryman
Talking about clipping the CPL horse, the best tools for the job, how to identify CPL and why early diagnosis is so important. Demo of clipping.
Dr Marieke Brys BEVA Convention 2025: CPL Scoring
Below are the slides from Dr Brys’ talk.
May – June 2025
Online Show in celebration of 20,000 community members and the CIC launch.
An online ‘Brave The Shave’ show ran for one week on the Facebook group, judged by the Clipper Queen herself, Jillian Scott. Hundreds of entries across 7 classes and a championship. Incredibly prizes totalling over £1300 were donated by our favourite brands Liveryman , Leovet , Mackeys (all under the Irish company Agrihealth) , Thunderbrook , Finer Forage , Hedgewitch Essentials , Hilton Herbs , Equine Evolution Wellness , Hoof Geek , The Natural Way.
Check the group to see pics of the winners with their prizes!
Huge thanks to all involved for their time, generosity and devotion to CPL horses and caregivers.
May 2025
CPL Awareness CIC launched
Aims to fundraise primarily to raise awareness and promote education to the public and professionals, with a long-term view to fund much needed research.
Watch this space!
March 2025
High prevalence of Chorioptes bovis: an important factor in chronic progressive lymphedema in Belgian draft horses
In this study (conducted by M. Brys, E. Clairebout, V. Saey and K. Chiers) researchers looked into the prevalence of feather mites (chorioptes bovis) and CPL in Belgian Draft horses (156) vs Belgian Warmblood horses (142).
The findings indicate a strong link between feather mites and the onset/worsening of CPL. No other mite species were found.
In the draft horses under 1 year of age, evidence of feather mites were found in 85.71% of horses – as early as 6 days old – and the incidence of CPL was found to be 17.86%
In horses over 1 year of age evidence of mites were found in 93.75% of horses and 94.53% of these horses had CPL.
These figures indicate an absolute increase in CPL prevalency in infested horses, whilst also demonstrating the very breed-specific nature of feather mites.
No mites or CPL were found in any of the Warmblood horses.
August 2024
From the 2024 CPL Seminar in the UK with Dr Marieke Brys
CPL type symptoms have been noted in donkeys (poitou, mammoth), alpaca, sheep and cattle. All animals affected by what we know as feather mites – chorioptes bovis.
We know that CPL progression is a combination of genetics and triggers from the horse’s environment and husbandry. This can be broken down into:
14% genetic (not heritability but severity of disease)
86% environment/husbandry
Does CPL affect the whole horse? Is it a generalised skin disease? Are the legs more apparently affected because of the disadvantaged lymphatics below the knees/hocks? Looking at neck crest and tail dock folds. Some horses are born with them.
Regarding the ongoing question “do we really have to clip the legs?” Yes. Dr Brys states “better a healthier clipped horse than a dead one”.
Some vets still think wrinkles/thickening in the legs is normal. It is not normal. It is CPL. Vets need to self-educate.
In Belgium when grading stallions they take xrays to better see the level of CPL so as not to breed from the worst affected. Is this helpful? Probably not. They either have CPL or they don’t. Stallions are scored yearly from 2 years old, for up to 8 times to be awarded lifetime approval.
Cydectin – safe for pregnant mares up to but not including the 3rd trimester. Do not use after that, it can be excreted in the milk.
Foals – not less than 6 months, ideally not less than two years old. Before 6 months the brain barrier is not developed enough to prevent neurological problems.
Is CPPD like sarcoids? No.
No sarcoid virus, structure dissimilar.
Proven: horses on high sugar/starch diets have worse CPL scores. Hypothesised that this may be linked to cytokenes which cause inflammation.
Could there be a link with IR/EMS?
Vitamin B7 (biotin): safe to feed, important for health.
The Fell Pony and The Welsh Section D have been added to the list of affected breeds.
Chronic Progressive Lymphoedema 