Testimonials

Jessica Redman has made Benchmark Sport Horses one of the most successful training and sales businesses in Camden, Delaware, built in no small part on a solid reputation for specializing in young off-the-track Thoroughbreds.

Formerly volunteering with CANTER Mid Atlantic, then founding CANTER Delaware Park, Jessica launched Benchmark Sport Horses in 2012 and sold seven horses. Ten years later, that’s closer to 200 sold a year, nearly all Thoroughbred. Over the course of her life, she estimates more than 1,000 horses have passed through her farm.

“You just evolve as you go,” she says. “We really figured out a way to make a small farm work for a sales operation.”

Helping to make it work, for Jessica and her husband, Ian, a former aircraft inspector who runs their horse shipping service, is The Original NibbleNet®, created and produced by the Florida-based, woman-owned business, Thin Air Canvas, Inc.

“We use NibbleNets exclusively in our stalls and in round pens! I love the XL size. We can fill them twice a day and almost feed a bale of alfalfa hay a day. We have young Thoroughbreds, all right off the track, who can be hard on things. These last unlike any other product.”

Jessica, who was selected as a trainer for the 2013 Thoroughbred Makeover Project and has been involved with the Retired Racehorse Project since its start, estimates that she has been using NibbleNets for nearly a decade.

“They are very easy to fill, and to put up and down when needed. The straps at the bottom are great for those who like to flip their hay bags.”

This is one Benchmark that NibbleNet® is proud to meet.

"I think I have every model! I have bags with large holes and with very small holes for different times of year depending on pasture growth. I've used them for 12+ years and still have some of my first NibbleNets. Maji can destroy a ball in minutes flat but has never damaged a single NibbleNet."
~ Dianne B.

"As an equine veterinarian, horse owner, and FEI competitor, I can't say enough good about NibbleNets. The benefits include tremendous savings on hay."
~ Candace P. & Finn

"Do not hesitate to splurge on this purchase. It is so worth it in the long run."
~ Horsetackreview.com

"I usually put a nag bag on his high line but Cyrus was getting so frustrated that I put a NibbleNet on instead and he was happier, calmer, and eating easier. It's NibbleNets from now on!"
~ Wendy M.

"We had a young gelding starting to crib from boredom despite daily turnout. We put a NibbleNet in his stall and all thoughts of cribbing completely left his mind."
~ Joann D.

"Excellent quality! Huge openings make it easy to fill and built to last, even with a very hungry Oscar tackling it!"
~ Sybil D.

"Here's to minimal hay waste! All my animals have NibbleNets in their stalls, in all different sizes."
~ Aimee K. G.

"Great product! Recommend it highly, at least 30 times a month for the cases presented to me."
~ Dr. Frank K Reilly, Equine Medical & Surgical Associates

"We love NibbleNet hay bags. They reduce so much waste and slow down even the fastest eater. Every horse in my barn has one."
~ Leah W. & Lujo

"Thank you for coming up with such an ingenious and well-made item. I'm sure I will be ordering more."
~ Mary Wanless, For The Good of The Horse

Hi Deb!

Our animals LOVE your NibbleNets! We are currently using them with giraffes, zebras, elephants, and all of our other hoofstock animals. The most recent one I purchased is going to go to our kangaroos. I hope to purchase a few more so each species can have their own net instead of rotating them around. I have lots of pictures but they are at home. I’ll try to send them in the next few days. Thanks so much for making such a great product! You can rest assured that Zoo Atlanta is housing some very happy customers.

-Jodi

Hi Deb,

First, let me offer a huge thank you for your invention/creation of the Nibble Net. As a horse rescue, we must be efficient stewards of all our resources, including hay. This year we have had a large population of horses and a huge demand on our hay supply. The waste became totally unacceptable so I knew we needed a solution. I decided to give the Nibble Net the chance to help us help the horses. AND, help they did. As a result of our experience, I sent the message below to all of my "horsey" friends. One of those thought you might appreciate my words and encouraged me to send the message to your company as a testimonial. Feel free to use it if you see fit. I simply ask that you provide our website address www.rainbowmeadowsranch.com with the use of the information.

Thanks,

Karen Everhart

I want to share a recent discovery with all my 'horse owning' friends. David and I have really been feeding a lot of hay this year, due to the horrid weather and the number of horses here at the rescue. With hay comes an associated MESS, and with all the wet, freezing conditions, we have been wading in MUCK for months. It has been frustrating. So, I started a search for a product which MIGHT reduce the hay waste and the associated mess, and I found it.

Enter the Nibble Net http://www.thinaircanvas.com/nibblenet/nibblenetframe.htm. We purchased 4 of these and have put them to use in a variety of roles around the ranch. In every case they have proven to be VERY effective in slowing the horses down as they eat, reducing hay waste such that the bale lasts twice as long as it has in the past which then means there is virtually no hay/manure on the floor/ground which needs to be cleaned up.

I know these nets are nearly indestructible because we have one where the goats eat and they have not created any damage.

In other words, I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. At over $50.00 per item (get the bottom straps) it was a pricey gamble but one worth taking.

So, if you have:

• A horse or horses which are fed small square bales of hay in any form or fashion (in a stall, from a feeder, in a trailer, etc.) and you would like to reduce the amount of hay that the horse eats in a given time frame OR would like to reduce the hay that is dumped all over the floor, only to be peed or pooped on, please consider the purchase of a Nibble Net. You won't be sorry!!

This is an unpaid endorsement :-)

Karen Everhart MEd
Co-founder and Executive Director
Rainbow Meadows Rescue and Retirement, Inc.
Serving the equine companions who have so loyally served us...
www.rainbowmeadowsranch.com
620-725-3402

Owner/Operator Horse Calls - Equine Management Solutions
Riding Instructor
Distance Horse Conditioning and Training
www.horsecalls.com
316-648-5082

I want to say thanks for your wonderful service and excellent product. I have just received my second NibbleNet. The first was your largest size which was used to keep hay in our Arabian's stall to ward off ulcers. He was recovering after hospitalization, and had just been taken off medication. Our veterinarian recommended The NibbleNet because she had placed him on a hay-only diet and didn't want him to over-eat. The larger net accommodated a bale of hay, which we could fill as needed. He could pull out small amounts of hay at a time, and it prevented him from spreading hay in the stall bedding.

Our second net is smaller in size for our Saddlebred. It provides a healthy activity to prevent boredom when he is not in the pasture.

For our horses, the NibbleNet is a wonderful alternative to soiled hay on the stall floor, an aid to prevent vices which arise from boredom, and a cost-saving alternative to ensure horses who are stall-bound can graze at their leisure. It is simple to hang and easy to fill. A quick spray from the hose keeps it clean and fresh. It is extremely portable and excellent to take on the road for the show season. I like to keep one in the stall when traveling to calm show nerves and the anxiety that arises when horses are away from familiar surroundings.

We receive our orders from you in record time. Your fast shipping caused my daughter to wonder aloud if you have round-the-clock postal workers contracted to get packages to our address ahead of all others.

Thank you for an excellent product and remarkable customer service. I would like to say we will order from you again and again, but alas, the NibbleNet is indestructible; it will be around for years!

Pat Kipp

"As an equine veterinarian, stable owner, and FEI competitor, I can't say enough good about NibbleNets. The benefits include tremendous savings on hay (No more peeing or walking on hay), convenience (Slower intake means fewer feedings. Fill two NibbleNets per horse and night check becomes night check, not late night feed time. There is plenty of hay to last till morning), and healthier horses (horses are not eating dirt and dust, and constant 'grazing' is physiologically much more appropriate for horses' GI tracts). We have devised some creative feeding stations that keep horses moving around to find 'the best' NibbleNet, and this adds interest to the horses' pasture life. Thank you for such a wonderful product. Highly recommended."

Candace K. Platz, DVM
Maine Equine Associates
31 Estes Road
New Gloucester, ME 04260

Hi Deb -

I wanted to let you know that I absolutely LOVE the Nibble Nets!

You sent me two of the XL size with 1.5" openings and they are just perfect for my two horses. I can load them up with nearly a day's worth of grass hay and none of it is wasted.

As a full-time hoof care professional, I work very long days and often return home late in the evening. I never have to worry about my horses running out of food. In the past, if I placed that much hay in a regular hay rack it was pulled out, trampled, and contaminated. Nothing is more frustrating than dumping expensive hay in the compost pile.

These bags save me time and money. They are well worth the cost and are so well constructed that they should last for years.

I took the liberty of posting a short video on YouTube of my TB eating from his Nibble Net. Hope you enjoy it :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uou68UcYtzM

"As a full-time hoof care professional...I am recommending your product to all of my clients"

Sally Hugg
www.bare-hooftrim.com

Hey Deb-

Received my two green NibbleNets last week and had a chance to try them out this past weekend! They are the real deal! For ONCE my guys did not have a pile of good hay under their feet in the trailer and tied up to the trailer! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! What a great product! I'm going to show and tell to all my horsey friends! Thank you for a wonderful innovation in hay bags!

Judy Hadley
Zebulon, North Carolina

Received THE NIBBLENET® yesterday.

Totally blown away by the quality, design, and size of the hay bag. It was double the size I was expecting (looked quite small in the picture next to the horse) and the workmanship is unlike anything I've seen before in a hay bag.

I was going to order a cheaper version at first—luckily my spouse talked me out of that!!!

My horse (who is used to evaporating a mound of hay in 10 minutes) must have spent a good deal of last night prying the hay out of it. Usually when I come in in the morning there are bits of wood chewed in the stable from him being bored—this morning: Nothing!

I think come summer, when the paddocks go sandy from the lack of rain, this net is going to be fantastic to prevent sand colic (which is a real problem in Australia).

So thanks so much for a great product!

~ Kim

I can only say that THE NIBBLENET® is absolutely BRILLIANT!

I have a grouchy old appy gelding that is rough and tough and eats his hay like a pig, he just inhales it and then spends his time destroying his stall! I tried your THE NIBBLENET® and at first he was not happy...he flipped it around and was pulling and biting at the straps, he even kept trying to look behind it thinking that surely there is an easier way to get at this stuff! He finally settled down to working at pulling out small mouthfuls, and I could see the concentration he was using, which translates to me as keeping him busy mentally as well as keeping him busy for a long span of time! I could not be more impressed with the innovation as well as the quality of construction! I had expected it to be well made, but even with my high expectations I was so totally impressed—if my appy couldn't hurt it, it is above and beyond quality of workmanship! I could not be more thrilled, and I will be sending an order for another one for my Arabian soon! My advice to anyone who is considering THE NIBBLENET®...you will NOT be sorry, I promise you will be as happy and impressed as I am!

~ Lee Francis, Florida

I've been meaning to email you. I LOVE IT!!

I have one horse that is on stall rest for a torn ligament; we are on month 2 now. During the stall rest, she has become very overweight. I use THE NIBBLENET® to stretch the little bit of hay she gets so she can "graze" longer. I also use it for my gelding whose name is Hoover and for a very good reason. He can go through a flake of hay in less than 20 minutes. I use THE NIBBLENET® when he gets turned out; he doesn't play well with others so he goes out in a sand paddock by himself. THE NIBBLENET® keeps him from eating more sand than he would if he was fed the hay on the ground. With the price of hay what it is, it's been a lifesaver; I like to keep hay in front of my horses so they don't get bored but I can't afford to do it—with THE NIBBLENET® I can. Thank you so much for coming up with such an ingenious and well-made item! I'm sure I will be ordering more in the future.

"Fear almost always arises—in horses as well as people—from concern about what might happen, and much more rarely from what is happening."

~ Mary Wanless, For The Good Of The Horse
Meaghan Fleetwood, Florida

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. IT WAS A GREAT IDEA AND WORKS BETTER THAN ANY NET OR BAG I HAVE TRIED. I HAVE AN ANDALUSIAN WHO INHALES HIS HAY AND THIS IS PERFECT. HE IS NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT WORKING FOR HIS FOOD SO MUCH BUT IT KEEPS HIM BUSY WHEN IN THE STALL. THANKS FOR A GREAT IMPROVEMENT AND I HAVE RECOMMENDED IT TO MANY OF MY FRIENDS!!!

~ Mary Stanton, Florida

I just love these NIBBLENETS®. I bought 6 of them and they are the greatest. My horses were quite put-out at first but now they realize this is a more natural way to eat. Thank you for developing these.

~ Beverly, California

Thank you, Deb, for the wonderful Nibble Nets! My girls really love them. They are so well made that even after almost 6 months of continuous use, they look as good as they did when they were brand new. They also save me a lot of time and I don't need to hand-deliver hay around the clock anymore. I no longer worry about them running out of hay during the long night especially in the winter. They always have food in their bellies, and there is no more wasted hay being used for a bed or a bathroom. Thank you for providing such a wonderful, well-made product.

~ Michelle, Connecticut

Hi Deb:

Just wanted to say you can add my name to the VERY SATISFIED customer list. We have a picky 16 yr old Arab/Saddlebred who can gain and lose weight in a weekend, a greedy 2 yr old ISR filly and a 25 yr old OTTB. All three are happily munching on the NibbleNets and I’m able to afford much nicer more expensive hay since the baby isn’t peeing on it all the time and the Arab/Saddlebred is actually eating all day instead of gobbling, rushing to the window to see what’s happening outside and getting ulcers from being Mr. Stressful.

The chunky 2 yr old was eating all her allotted hay in about 10 minutes then pawing and complaining inside or ripping tree bark from the poor trees in the pasture. The 25 yr old was getting bored and not eating but now he has something to amuse himself with. So everyone is happy. I have told all our friends to look you up on the internet and suggested local shops try to work something out to carry your product. (We live in the Southern Pines area of NC)

Best wishes
~ Suzanne Mullen

I wish everyone that had to stall a horse had one of your Nibble Nets! I saw it for the first time in an article in "The Horse" magazine. I ordered one for my mare that is stalled at night and she immediately stopped walking her stall all night—because she now had something to do!! GRAZE! I just ordered one for my gelding that is out 24/7 but eats his hay way too fast and then has nothing going through his system all night!! Others at our boarding barn are seeing the difference in Bella and hopefully will get a Nibble Net for their horses! Thank you so much for this fantastic product!!

~ Gail Smith
Athens Equine Massage, LLC
www.athensequinemassage.com

Hi there,

Just wanted to let you know how satisfied I am with my nibble net. I purchased it early in May and have been using it since. My horse, Gryffin, had started to lose weight, but now I'm able to keep his weight stable and him happy. And, there is no waste.

Thank you for such a wonderful product. I'll never be without a nibble net!

~ Luann Urban
Roseburg, Oregon

We have been having so much rain that I can't get my horses out on pasture or dry lot because it's too wet... I quickly purchased two of your nibble nets and hung them in the stalls....the horses took to them immediately and I now don't have to worry about boredom or them over-eating from me throwing them hay throughout the day. It's the best thing since ''hot chocolate''... thanks for the neat invention.

~ Patti Lang

Hi Deb,

My 4 nibble nets arrived yesterday. Wow!! They are fabulous—so sturdy and well designed.

We filled them last night and attached them to the eye hook in the bottom of my big buckets. All the horses and ponies came over to investigate.

This morning one was almost empty, one was about 2/3 empty and the other two were 3/4 full. Yay! I only had to fill two this morning. They are so much easier to fill than the hay nets I was using.

When I finished my barn chores three were out in the pasture and one was happily pulling little tufts of hay out to eat from one of the nibble nets in the shelter. I'll be recommending them to all of my friends!

Thanks,
~ Anna, Flak, Zippy, Skipper, and Capri
College Station, TX

Hi Deb,

My Nibble Nets arrived yesterday—perfect timing. We had such a storm. Heavy rain and wind with gusts up to 100 km (we live right by the ocean). The horses won't be able to go up to their grazing field as it's too exposed and my electric fence blew down. They will be stuck in their paddocks for a few days and this wild weather is supposed to stick around so I'm so happy to be able to stuff the bags and know they will be kept busy for hours.

I have to say, Deb, I was really happy and impressed with your workmanship. The nets are so sturdy—the vinyl is super thick—thicker than I expected. And the sewn-in snaps on the littlest feeder are excellent! Great job. So nice to have a product surpass your expectations!

I'm part of a very active horse forum and there is an ongoing thread about slow feeders. That's where I read about the Nibble Nets. A few of the gals have bought them already and were singing their praises. Other folks are making homemade slow feeders. They look a little sketchy—they are on the ground fishnet-type styles that look like a foot could get caught. Other styles look like they won't stand up to much rough treatment. The Nibble nets will be around for years. Totally worth the $ (and I just posted to say how happy I was with mine).

fyi, for a treat, I stuffed handfuls of my mare's 2nd cut in through the pony's 1st cut in his bag. He's out there wuffling across the net surface searching out the 2nd cut nuggets. Think I'll do the same with my mare's alfalfa when I get some in.

Thanks again!
~ Deborah, Flare, Flash, and Burrito!

Hi Deb,

I have had my nibble nets for several weeks now and do not know what I would do without them... they are great. The horses can't trash the hay and it keeps my fat horse (which is on a diet) busy and he is doing great on this. This is a great product and very heavy-duty, my guys can really put things to a test and these pass with flying colors.

~ Karen

Deb, I recently bought the 12" NibbleNet with the 1.5" netting for my injured horse. He bowed his tendon and is on strict stall rest. The only way I found to keep him happy was to feed him hay all the time. I ended up wasting a lot of hay, worrying I could overfeed him, plus he went through it so fast he was still bored. I read about your NibbleNet on the Ultimate Dressage website. What prompted me to buy the NibbleNet was the solid vinyl back so hay does not fall out the back.

It is working just as you described. I pack it full in the morning and when I come home from work 8 hrs later there is still a little bit of hay left in there for him. He used to get excited when I would get home because he knew I was going to feed him again and the last thing I want him to be is excited on that leg. Now he is a happy and contented boy, glad to see me without being excited and trying to jump and buck. I make him clean the hay up out of the NibbleNet and he gets every last bite. Yep, there is some discards strewn about in the stall, he is somewhat discerning about his hay, but no real waste. I couldn't be more pleased.

Thanks for designing such a well-made, well-thought-out product. And by the way, I love the name of the product. NibbleNet. So cute.

Hi, I just wanted to tell you that this is a fantastic product. My horse is IR and on stall rest due to an injury. I was already soaking his hay which helped to keep his weight down while he was in work, however with the stall rest my vet and I are both worried about him gaining weight.

The nibble net entertains him and allows him to munch for hours at a time. Without it, I was constantly at the barn doling out small flakes at a time to keep hay in front of him at all times and yet not let him wolf it down.

The Nibble Net is very well made and durable. I would recommend the bottom strap for most horses as securing both the top and bottom prevents them from 'playing' with it too much!

Thanks for a great product,
~ Marge Cole

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. IT WAS A GREAT IDEA AND WORKS BETTER THAN ANY NET OR BAG I HAVE TRIED. I HAVE AN ANDALUSIAN WHO INHALES HIS HAY AND THIS IS PERFECT. HE IS NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT WORKING FOR HIS FOOD SO MUCH BUT IT KEEPS HIM BUSY WHEN IN THE STALL. THANKS FOR A GREAT IMPROVEMENT AND I HAVE RECOMMENDED IT TO MANY OF MY FRIENDS!!!

Hi Deb,

I ordered a large NibbleNet with 1.5" openings a month or so ago. My hope was to slow down my hay vacuum, easy-keeper Arab gelding and the NibbleNet has done the job wonderfully. He was frightened of it for about 2 seconds until he realized that it was filled with hay. He has presented us with challenges though since he's a smart guy and first figured out that he just needed to shake the heck out of the net to get the hay out and then how to eat most of the hay from the top openings. The NibbleNet is hung from a fence rail and we've secured the bottom (got the one with top and bottom rings), added another strap to close off one side of the top, and always fold in the side that is still open—with these mods, he's got to eat through the mesh openings. Interestingly enough, he prefers to eat from the NibbleNet and passes up the little bit of extra hay that's on the ground. And he always has hay to nibble on many hours after all the other horses are done (he's in his own paddock). Thanks for a great product! I'm sure we'll be ordering others.

~ Susan Falcone

Wow, that is fantastic, Deb! I'm so glad to hear that you have increased business, I think you have made a wonderful product. I couldn't be happier with my nets. And believe it or not, they have been in use for almost a year now, and they look great! I have had no breakages or wear at all. They are dirty, yes, and I power wash them every few months, but otherwise they are in excellent shape. I've noticed less chewing difficulties with my horses too. The ones that were quidding are no longer doing so, or greatly reduced. I think them being able to bite the hay with their incisors simulating grazing has helped realign their mouths, rather than their standard "gobble, gobble" of gobfuls of hay without biting.

I would love to see the changes you've made in the nets though. How is the vinyl holding up? I'm really surprised that the Sunbrella is holding up so well, but it sure is! Of course I have them clipped down on all 4 rings, so they don't swing around (other than when they toss them clipped to the pallets all over the paddock)!

~ Michelle
http://www.shellyct.blogspot.com

Thank you for the Nibble Net!

Hi Deb,

I recently ordered a Nibble Net for my Thoroughbred gelding, Lucky, and he absolutely loves it! He had a bad episode of colic in November, largely stemming from ulcers in his stomach and his incessant cribbing—so the Nibble Net has helped take his attention away from chewing and biting everything he can find to snacking slowly and happily throughout the day. Not only is the Nibble Net a smart investment for trailering, feeding, shows, and other all-around uses, but it provides peace-of-mind for horse owners concerned about cribbing, eating too quickly, and other digestion issues. It's been a great, easy, and enjoyable stall accessory for him and I am so glad I purchased one.

Many thanks,
~ Anna Stone
Menlo Park, C