About Us

Chapman’s Premium was founded more than 7 years ago, when Andrea Chapman needed to find an effective natural liniment for her daughter's injured three-day event horse. The injury required the horse to be bandaged, and Andrea needed an anti-inflammatory that would reduce the swelling. At that time, she was unable to find anything on the market that didn't burn the hair off the horse's legs.

Andrea set to work on developing an all natural herbal remedy, based on a tried and true formula originating in 13th century England. The liniment was so effective in treating horses for various injuries and overexertion that family, friends and acquaintances began using it on themselves with great success.

The Chapman family history with horses goes back much farther than a generation or two, however. "My grandfather was an officer in the Royal North West Mounted Police," says Andrea. (All of the photos on this Web site are from his tenure with the RNWMP in Regina.) "And now, my daughter is also working towards a career in the police force."

Read a Langley Times news article about how Andrea Chapman started her business here (PDF)

About the Chapman Breed

A percentage of each sale of Chapman's Premium goes to the Cleveland Bay Horse Society of North America to help preserve the breed.

Chapman is a centuries old name meaning travelling salesmen, originating in the U.K. "Chapmen" travelled the country with pack horses, selling their wares. Thus, the Chapman horse was named after these travelling salesmen and carried the coveted qualities of sensibility, versatility and hardiness.

In 1884, the Chapman horse breed became officially known as the Cleveland Bay due to its signifying color and the Cleveland area from where it originated.

As they all appear very similar, Cleveland Bays have been a favorite of royalty for decades for pulling carriages, as they are relatively easy to match.

Buffalo Bill Cody imported Cleveland Bays during this same era to pull the Concord Coaches in his Wild West Show.

Unfortunately, many Cleveland Bays were lost while hauling artillery on the battlefields during World War I, and the Industrial Revolution all but decimated the rest of the breed.

Today, the Cleveland Bay is still on the critically rare list of breeds. They are the oldest indigenous breed to England and remain the only pure breed warmblood left in the world today. Chapman’s Premium is committed to bringing this and all breeds, the exceptional natural care that they give to their own horses and in helping to return the Cleveland Bay to its former popularity.