Recognise CPL symptoms in horses

The Natural Way - specialised in itching and skin complaints and the natural treatment of sweet itch, mud fever and CPL.

Do you have a horse with thick skin on its lower legs, which sometimes itches and flakes? Then there is a good chance that it has Chronic Progressive Lymphedema (CPL).

A good start is half the battle, and a tailor-made treatment therefore begins with identifying which complaints are present NOW.

Take a look at our CPL Scoring Table:

CPL Scoring Table*  © The Natural Way
*Inspired by the scoring table developed by veterinarians K. De Keyser and J. Colman.

Not clearly legible? Here is a summary of the different classes:

CLASS AA: PERFECT
Anatomy: /
Clinical symptoms: No symptoms, normal diameter of lower legs, supple skin and hair

CLASS A: MILD
Anatomy: Below the fetlock
Clinical symptoms: 1-2 skin folds in the pastern cavity, normal diameter of lower legs, sometimes slight skin thickening and flaking, possibly hair standing upright at the fetlock

CLASS B: MODERATE
Anatomy: Up to the fetlock
Clinical symptoms: > 2 in the pastern cavity, normal diameter of lower legs, moderately hard swelling and flaking, sometimes wounds and lumps, hair on pastern and fetlock standing upright with moderate injury, possibly discharge at the fetlock

CLASS C: SEVERE
Anatomy: Beyond the fetlock
Clinical symptoms: Skin folds at the back and/or front, increased diameter of lower legs, hard swelling, wounds, flaking and lumps, slight movement impairment, open fetlocks with hair standing upright and discharge

CLASS D: EXTREME
Anatomy: /
Clinical symptoms: Skin folds and lumps climbing up the entire leg, increased diameter of lower legs, wounds, flaking, pus and blood, strong odour/smell, severe movement

CPL AND / OR MITES?

CPL also goes hand in hand with a mite infestation. This causes itching on the lower legs, causing your horse to scratch and bite, sometimes until it bleeds.

Be sure to contact your vet, who can take a skin scraping and examine it under a microscope, after which they can advise you on a suitable treatment.

Our 100 % natural CPL Oil is an effective treatment for all stages of this chronic, progressive condition.

CPL oil has been specifically designed for daily and long-term use, at all stages:

• Stimulates lymphatic function
• Soothes the skin and itching
• For the care of the skin and (open) wounds
• Ensures supple skin and fewer folds
• Reduces, stabilises and slows down the progressive course
• Specifically for stocking horses such as Tinkers, Friesians and draught horses.

 

NEED HELP?

Laura Cleirens from The Natural Way specialises in the natural treatment of itching and skin complaints in horses, such as sweet itch, mud fever and CPL. 

Discover our 100 % natural range here: Sweet Itch Lotion, Mud Fever Oil, CPL Oil, Nature Shampoo and Zoem Spray, as well as e-books on Primal Food, Itch and Horse Herbs. 

© Laura Cleirens: 2025.09.09
Last update: 2026.01.28