Bloomfield, New Brunswick — World’s first rolling hay net and flexible feeder easily moves hay to where you need to feed it. Tumble Feeder goes where no feeder has gone before.
In 2010, Lisa Boudreau was hospitalized with neurological and cardiac symptoms, couldn’t walk and was unable to care for her horses for months. She and her horse Master had been bitten by Lyme infected ticks a year before advanced symptoms surfaced. Once Lisa got back on her feet, lingering Lyme symptoms inspired her to find an easier way to fed hay.
“I needed a way to get hay out the the horses without making so many trips.” she said. “I was filling a kiddie pool and dragging it, when I got the idea it would be much less effort if I could just roll something out to them instead.” Various feeder prototypes have been developed since 2012, including a unique patent pending “donut design”. It allows horses access regardless of the level of the hay or the feeder’s orientation. It also provides a very fast and effective way to rinse hay of airborne allergens that could cause costly respiratory problems. Equine asthma, or COPD, renders many horses unrideable and sometimes results in a shortened lifespan.
Tumble Feeder’s lightweight flexible framework makes it easy to fill and this “stall size” holds the flakes from an average square bale or equivalent in loose hay from around bale. There are no metal parts other than the snaps, so no sharp edges to harm a horse.
It’s made to be mobile, but can be tethered or hung like a hay net for horses wearing shoes. Tumble Feeder can be used indoors or outside. Fill it just once a day and it rolls from stall to paddock with just ONE hand! It moves easily over mud or snow and rough terrain.
A Tumble Feeder can be used with slow feed netting to reduce the rate of consumption and prevent hay waste and mess. It can be adjusted so horses have free choice access to the hay.
A larger capacity 2 bale feeder will begin production shortly after the 1 bale size and a round bale size is at the prototype stage as well. Tumble feeder uses a modular system with interchangeable parts, so you can adapt size based on your situation.
Tumble Feeder is shipped as a kit and requires no tools to assemble. It can be set up inside your house or tack room and fits through a “people door” when you’re done.
From now until May 25th horse owners and care givers can order the revolutionary Tumble Feeder, through our kickstarter.com campaign, at an introductory price. With the help of this international crowdfunding campaign, horse-tough custom parts and materials can be purchased in bulk allowing us to keep the price of both the units and shipping reasonable.
Discounts are offered for early ordering only and there is an all or nothing goal to raise $50,000. If the goal is not reached by the deadline, pledges are not charged.
Local suppliers are being utilized as much as possible. Production and shipping will be assisted by Key Industries in Saint John, NB. Key Industries provides ‘services to empower persons with a disability to achieve social, community and economic independence’. Lisa was delighted to find a local company to help. Typically she would have to go to a fulfillment house in a larger city for similar services.
Backgrounder
Lisa Boudreau has been living her childhood dream of having horses for over 25 years. Early in her horse experience (1996), she started an equine greeting card company (Feed for Thought) combining her talent as graphic designer and her love of horses and riding. She also sold an innovative line of hoof care tools for several years.
Before the Lyme disease, she used to breed hypo-allergenic curly horses (live cover and artificially) and her stallion would perform tricks and liberty demonstrations at a local horse expo. Barefoot trimming is also something she’s passionate about and she has a keen interest in Equine Osteopathy.
Lisa is limited in some activities that require sustained effort and still requires treatment. She credits the horses as the main reason she is able to do more than many who have Lyme. Mild exercise is a good immune booster. Having horses gets her out of bed in the morning regardless of how she feels and has inspired and motivated her when she needed it the most. They are like family to her and all are the curly stallion’s offspring.
Lyme bacteria spirals into tissues and the inflammation can cause widespread arthritis, neurological and often cardiac symptoms. This creates a lack of energy and the stamina needed for barn chores. Some days she still can’t do all of it, but Tumble Feeder makes it possible for her to feed with much less effort.
Equine Lyme Neuroborreliosis
Lisa’s horse Master was bitten in 2011 and by 2012 had the similar neurological and cardiac symptoms. He had a resting heart rate of 180 bpm – while tranquilized! Normal resting heart rate for an adult horse is around 30 – 40 BPM.
One day she noticed he wasn’t swishing flies like the other horses and then he was having trouble swallowing. He could eat very little and within days he could hardly walk. Then he was lying down a lot and had a hard time getting up. These are advanced symptoms. Early symptoms are usually more subtle.
It took about the same time for him to get back on his feet as it did for Lisa and he seems fine now, but then so does she. If only horses could talk, he might say otherwise, but she hopes he’s truly well.
For more information, please visit the Tumble Feeder website here or contact Lisa.
Contact Information:
Lisa Boudreau
Email: media@tumblefeeder.com
Website: www.kickstarter.com
