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A hoverboard has become an unlikely but essential farm tool for English farmer Edward Towers, who has been unable to milk cows for 12 months due to chronic pain in his leg.
The hoverboard helps the Lanacashire-based farmer zoom up and down the parlour without putting any undue stress on his joints, as this video shows. It also cut his milking down by 30 minutes.
“No matter your problem there is always a solution as long as you have the right mindset!" he said of his unusual strategy.
Towers and his family own Lune Valley Dairy in Farleton, Lancashire. They milk just over 400 cows, around 100 Jerseys and 300 Holsteins, selling their milk directly to local business such as restaurants, coffee shops, butchers and hotels.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Towers explained: “I had Legg Perthes disease (a rare hip condition) as a child and had since recovered.
“Until around a year ago, I would play rugby and farm as much as possible until I began to have severe chronic pain in my leg, generally shortly after working or playing rugby.”
He continued: “Around this time last year I stopped milking altogether and stopped playing rugby. I had been going to physio for several months and they advised me to get a specialist opinion. After x-rays, the specialist diagnosed me with arthritis in my right hip and I expect to get a replacement sometime in 2017.”
The idea of using a hoverboard came to Towers after watching a television programme.
“I had ridden one at a friend's house and thought to myself that this could be used for milking. Then, after watching the BBC TV programme The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve, where they use technology to help much more disadvantaged people than me, I got the confidence to buy one and have a go.
“It went relatively well with a couple of falls like the one in the video but we milked much faster than usual and it was far more of a pleasure than a chore!
“Milking usually takes three hours although this morning with my new wheels it took 2.5 hours,” said the delighted farmer. “I'm looking forward to my father and a few of the other members of the team having a go soon!”
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