“With any injury and any ailments, you’re dealing with
some level of inflammation,” Ron explains. “Reduce the inflammation and the body can heal. It really is that simple.” Cytowave treatments reduce the inflammation and swell- ing associated with CPL, and also increase lymphatic fluid and blood circulation, Ron continues, in order to open the blood vessels and lymphatic system. The treatments then allow fluids and nutrients carrying protein into the blood vessels. Emily says treatments with the Cytowave machine have
reduced the swelling in Keegan’s legs since she started using it on him in April 2016 and have also reduced the size of the individual nodules on his legs. In fact, she says, the reduction in swelling can be measured in inches in the diameter of each leg, with each hind leg approximately two inches smaller in diameter at the cannon bone. She was— and is—thrilled with his progress. “Even though it’s not a cure,” she admits, “it’s definitely slowed the progression of Keegan’s CPL way down.” At the start, she explains, she used the Cytowave machine on Keegan daily, with each treatment taking about an hour. Today, he receives treat- ments four to five days a week. “I have backed off on the treatments, just because they do take so long,” Emily admits ruefully. She works with
Keegan patiently stands during a Cytowave treatment on his hind legs.
Cytowave, participating in a CPL trial with Keegan and spreading the word about the company’s product and the help it can offer owners dealing with CPL. She says she is not paid by the company but that they support her by providing a machine for her to use on Keegan.
Emily encourages owners confronting CPL to learn as much as they can about it and to make informed treatment decisions. “Acknowledge that it is what it is. Don’t think the condition will just go away, because it won’t. And then take care of your horse as best you possibly can,” she says. “The more you know, the better off you are.” She adds that, while the Cytowave machine has been very beneficial in Keegan’s treatment, it is also extremely expen- sive. She notes the company offers short-term leases on the machine. In addition, she and Cytowave’s John Dovenmuehle hope to set up treatment centers that owners can travel to in order to access the machines without the financial burden of buying or leasing them.
Breeding Program Changes Emily acknowledges that, as a result of Keegan’s CPL, she has made changes in her breeding program. While the science
Warmbloods Today 41
is not yet conclusive on the subject, it suggests—and she is convinced—that CPL is genetic within the draft-like breeds. As a result, she is open to standing him to mares of other breeds, especially lighter-boned breeds like Thoroughbreds, believing that the resulting crossbreds can make for a heart- ier horse with less risk of genetic issues. “We really value the crosses,” she says. With Friesian mare owners who are considering her stal- lion, she always includes information on CPL in her discus- sions with them. She notes that, in a rare breed like the Frie- sian, the gene pool is of necessity limited and that certain risks result. She wants every mare owner to fully understand those risks. Emily is very proud of the youngsters her breeding
program has produced, noting that they range from dressage horses (including one now schooling Grand Prix) to eventers, field hunters and trail horses. She has also acquired several Andalusian mares, in addition to her three Friesian mares, and plans to expand her breeding program. In the end, Emily is philosophical about the disease she
has been forced to confront. “CPL isn’t a death sentence,” she says. “Some of the other genetic issues in horses are, unfortu- nately.” She is thankful for the treatments she has discovered and for the amazing progress her beloved stallion has made. He’s coming fourteen this year, and she is, she says, simply grateful for every day.
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