Selecting your jumping companion
This is the most important part of the process towards rabbit jumping. This sport is not suited to all rabbits, there are restrictions regarding breeds, sizes, coat length and age not to mention the health considerations. Each rabbit will need to be assessed on a case to case basis. You must at ALL times consider the welfare implications for the individual rabbit, this is the top priority and comes before anything thing else.
Here is a breakdown to help aid in your selection and give a clearer understanding of exactly what it is you are looking for in your potential jumper.
DISPOSITION
Firstly rabbits are prey animals and you must always keep this in mind when working with them in any way, If your rabbit is nervous or stresses quickly, panics in strange situations, is shy and likes to hide they are unfortunately not going to be suitable to jump. We are looking for rabbits that are confident and that respond well in a stressful situation. Your rabbit is going to be put in an environment that is unknown to it, with unfamiliar sounds, smells, sights, people, other rabbits and other animals (some of which are natural predators of rabbits such as the domestic dog). If you rabbit is of a nervous disposition, this environment quite simply could kill it.
If your rabbit is aggressive or overly territorial again it will not be in the interest of its welfare to put it in an environment where it will come into contact with other rabbits. This is a safety concern for your rabbit and also for the others that are in attendance.
If your rabbit is part of a bonded combination again it is not really suitable for jumping. The removal of your rabbit from its companion(s) could cause stress to them all additionally re-bonding could be difficult. It has been suggested that a companion could come along and be penned with your rabbit while it is not jumping but our stance is that this will cause stress unnecessarily to the companion rabbits and not in the best interests of rabbit welfare.
To conclude your rabbit needs to be an animal that is confident, easily handled, friendly, able to handle stressful situations with minimal impact on their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
HEALTH
This is just as important as the mental and emotional factors that have just been covered. These relate with one affecting the other but for the purpose of explanation the subject has been divided.
Your rabbit MUST be fit, well and free from disease. You will be required to keep you jumping companion's vaccines current and up to date at all times. This matter is very important as rabbit disease and illness is prolific in the way that it spreads. A sick rabbit needs to convalesce not be placed under unnecessary stress. You also have a duty of care to other exhibitors to refrain from attending with a rabbit in ill health or with questionable health. Failure to adhere to this contravenes the five freedoms and in turn the animal welfare act.
VHD is notifiable to the authorities and should you have the misfortune of your establishment or your rabbits coming into contact with this you will be unable to attend any training or demonstrations for a period of 6 months.
Should your rabbit contract myxomatosis you will not be able to attend any training or demonstrations for a period of 3 months with your rabbit(s).
Rabbits are prone to another prolific and highly contagious illness. "SNUFFLES" is the common collective name for the symptoms that are displayed. It is impossible to diagnose snuffles just by looking at a rabbit. You should take your rabbit to a vet and request culture and sensitivity testing if you note any of the following symptoms: Ocular discharge (eye,), nasal discharge, prolonged bouts of sneezing, matting to the insides of the front legs, lethargy, depression. This is of paramount importance, it is spread from rabbit to rabbit at a rapid rate through bacterial spores resultant of sneezing, direct contact, from human contact and formites. There is an added complication in that these symptoms are usually seen and immediately diagnosed as snuffles (pasteruella) when in fact there is more than one pathogen responsible for the collection of symptoms that present. There is also staphlycoccus which again is prolific and shares symptoms with pasteruella. However with staphylococcus there is usually fur loss on the abdomen and between the hind legs, lesions on the vent which can be mistaken for vents disease and also ulcers and or abscesses on the body primarily the face and ears. Please do not put other rabbits in danger if you know or believe it may be possible that your rabbit has an illness such as this. Also be aware that these are stress induced and although the pathogens are naturally found in low quantities within rabbits, being in an environment that allows the immune system to become suppressed (through stress) allows them to develop into a quantity that is abnormal resulting in illness. Considering that this is an illness that affects the respiratory system and can develop further to become pneumonia please be vigilant and monitor the health of your rabbit prior to a demonstration and particularly following one. It is also wise to have a quarantine area for any rabbits that have been taken and placed among other rabbits that are not known to you to preserve the health of any existing rabbits at home.
When considering the health of the rabbit that are a number of things to include.
1. Age, If your rabbit is under 4 months of age it is not developed enough to withstand the rigor of training and is likely to succumb to illness, disease or injury. If your rabbit is old it is likely to become injured easily, and there would be concerns with the ability of the respiratory system to cope with the strains of physical exercise to the degree required for jumping. At both ends of the spectrum stress is a key factor in the animals welfare and therefore we deem them unsuitable for jumping.
2. Living conditions, If your rabbit is used to living a life in a hutch with minimal exercise again it will be unsuitable for jumping. It is well documented that rabbits who spend the majority of their life confined have weak heart muscles. Exercise builds the heart muscles making them strong and this is what you are looking for in a potential jumper.
3. Physical condition, Pregnant and lactating does must never be used for jumping. Equally any rabbit that has had a recent illness needs time to regain their strength and recover from it. You rabbit needs to be of a good body tone that is relevant to its breed and size, you should not jump a rabbit that is obese or that is too thin as this would have serious implications to their health and wellbeing. Nails should be trim. This is a good opportunity to have a good look over your rabbit. Learning what is normal for your rabbit will help you to recognise anything abnormal swiftly so that it can be addressed. Any rabbit with injury new, current or healing should not be considered for jumping. Any issues that affect the eye would also deem the rabbit unsuitable.
BREED
This is very important, the very nature and genetic make-up of some rabbits deem them unsuitable for the sport. The reasons are purely to protect the welfare of the animal.
The following breeds MUST NOT be trained for jumping:
English lop - The ears of the breed are long, easily damaged, are a trip hazard and could get caught in the jumps. This breed is also renowned for their delicate spines which are very easy to damage.
Angora - This breed has a coat that is too long, it is at risk of entanglement and injury. Additionally having so much fur gives an increased risk of heat exhaustion. There are also implications with the hair obstructing the rabbits vision.
Continental giants, Flemish giants, British giants, French lops, and any other large breed exceeding 8lb in weight. - The impact that jumping would have on the joints and bones of these breed compromise their welfare. There will also be considerable strain on the cardiovascular system and they will overheat rapidly.
The following breeds are commonly used for jumping and tend to be adaptable:
Polish, Netherland dwarfs, Mini lops, Dutch, English, Dwarf lops, Belgian hares, Tans and Mixed breeds of the correct size requirements,
Lionheads are a grey area. The RSPCA guidelines for showjumping state that long haired breeds shouldn't be used. Having given this some thought we have settled on a compromise that any double maned or teddy lionheads MUST be clipped to participate. It is recommended that this is carried out by a professional that is experienced with rabbits and able to realize signs of distress.
Once you have made your selection you will need to visit a vet for them to confirm that the rabbit is fit, well and that they will benefit from partaking. Please be guided by the decision that your vet makes, they are only concerned with the welfare of the animal. Alternatively you can seek advice from a rabbit behaviorist practitioner.
Here is a breakdown to help aid in your selection and give a clearer understanding of exactly what it is you are looking for in your potential jumper.
DISPOSITION
Firstly rabbits are prey animals and you must always keep this in mind when working with them in any way, If your rabbit is nervous or stresses quickly, panics in strange situations, is shy and likes to hide they are unfortunately not going to be suitable to jump. We are looking for rabbits that are confident and that respond well in a stressful situation. Your rabbit is going to be put in an environment that is unknown to it, with unfamiliar sounds, smells, sights, people, other rabbits and other animals (some of which are natural predators of rabbits such as the domestic dog). If you rabbit is of a nervous disposition, this environment quite simply could kill it.
If your rabbit is aggressive or overly territorial again it will not be in the interest of its welfare to put it in an environment where it will come into contact with other rabbits. This is a safety concern for your rabbit and also for the others that are in attendance.
If your rabbit is part of a bonded combination again it is not really suitable for jumping. The removal of your rabbit from its companion(s) could cause stress to them all additionally re-bonding could be difficult. It has been suggested that a companion could come along and be penned with your rabbit while it is not jumping but our stance is that this will cause stress unnecessarily to the companion rabbits and not in the best interests of rabbit welfare.
To conclude your rabbit needs to be an animal that is confident, easily handled, friendly, able to handle stressful situations with minimal impact on their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
HEALTH
This is just as important as the mental and emotional factors that have just been covered. These relate with one affecting the other but for the purpose of explanation the subject has been divided.
Your rabbit MUST be fit, well and free from disease. You will be required to keep you jumping companion's vaccines current and up to date at all times. This matter is very important as rabbit disease and illness is prolific in the way that it spreads. A sick rabbit needs to convalesce not be placed under unnecessary stress. You also have a duty of care to other exhibitors to refrain from attending with a rabbit in ill health or with questionable health. Failure to adhere to this contravenes the five freedoms and in turn the animal welfare act.
VHD is notifiable to the authorities and should you have the misfortune of your establishment or your rabbits coming into contact with this you will be unable to attend any training or demonstrations for a period of 6 months.
Should your rabbit contract myxomatosis you will not be able to attend any training or demonstrations for a period of 3 months with your rabbit(s).
Rabbits are prone to another prolific and highly contagious illness. "SNUFFLES" is the common collective name for the symptoms that are displayed. It is impossible to diagnose snuffles just by looking at a rabbit. You should take your rabbit to a vet and request culture and sensitivity testing if you note any of the following symptoms: Ocular discharge (eye,), nasal discharge, prolonged bouts of sneezing, matting to the insides of the front legs, lethargy, depression. This is of paramount importance, it is spread from rabbit to rabbit at a rapid rate through bacterial spores resultant of sneezing, direct contact, from human contact and formites. There is an added complication in that these symptoms are usually seen and immediately diagnosed as snuffles (pasteruella) when in fact there is more than one pathogen responsible for the collection of symptoms that present. There is also staphlycoccus which again is prolific and shares symptoms with pasteruella. However with staphylococcus there is usually fur loss on the abdomen and between the hind legs, lesions on the vent which can be mistaken for vents disease and also ulcers and or abscesses on the body primarily the face and ears. Please do not put other rabbits in danger if you know or believe it may be possible that your rabbit has an illness such as this. Also be aware that these are stress induced and although the pathogens are naturally found in low quantities within rabbits, being in an environment that allows the immune system to become suppressed (through stress) allows them to develop into a quantity that is abnormal resulting in illness. Considering that this is an illness that affects the respiratory system and can develop further to become pneumonia please be vigilant and monitor the health of your rabbit prior to a demonstration and particularly following one. It is also wise to have a quarantine area for any rabbits that have been taken and placed among other rabbits that are not known to you to preserve the health of any existing rabbits at home.
When considering the health of the rabbit that are a number of things to include.
1. Age, If your rabbit is under 4 months of age it is not developed enough to withstand the rigor of training and is likely to succumb to illness, disease or injury. If your rabbit is old it is likely to become injured easily, and there would be concerns with the ability of the respiratory system to cope with the strains of physical exercise to the degree required for jumping. At both ends of the spectrum stress is a key factor in the animals welfare and therefore we deem them unsuitable for jumping.
2. Living conditions, If your rabbit is used to living a life in a hutch with minimal exercise again it will be unsuitable for jumping. It is well documented that rabbits who spend the majority of their life confined have weak heart muscles. Exercise builds the heart muscles making them strong and this is what you are looking for in a potential jumper.
3. Physical condition, Pregnant and lactating does must never be used for jumping. Equally any rabbit that has had a recent illness needs time to regain their strength and recover from it. You rabbit needs to be of a good body tone that is relevant to its breed and size, you should not jump a rabbit that is obese or that is too thin as this would have serious implications to their health and wellbeing. Nails should be trim. This is a good opportunity to have a good look over your rabbit. Learning what is normal for your rabbit will help you to recognise anything abnormal swiftly so that it can be addressed. Any rabbit with injury new, current or healing should not be considered for jumping. Any issues that affect the eye would also deem the rabbit unsuitable.
BREED
This is very important, the very nature and genetic make-up of some rabbits deem them unsuitable for the sport. The reasons are purely to protect the welfare of the animal.
The following breeds MUST NOT be trained for jumping:
English lop - The ears of the breed are long, easily damaged, are a trip hazard and could get caught in the jumps. This breed is also renowned for their delicate spines which are very easy to damage.
Angora - This breed has a coat that is too long, it is at risk of entanglement and injury. Additionally having so much fur gives an increased risk of heat exhaustion. There are also implications with the hair obstructing the rabbits vision.
Continental giants, Flemish giants, British giants, French lops, and any other large breed exceeding 8lb in weight. - The impact that jumping would have on the joints and bones of these breed compromise their welfare. There will also be considerable strain on the cardiovascular system and they will overheat rapidly.
The following breeds are commonly used for jumping and tend to be adaptable:
Polish, Netherland dwarfs, Mini lops, Dutch, English, Dwarf lops, Belgian hares, Tans and Mixed breeds of the correct size requirements,
Lionheads are a grey area. The RSPCA guidelines for showjumping state that long haired breeds shouldn't be used. Having given this some thought we have settled on a compromise that any double maned or teddy lionheads MUST be clipped to participate. It is recommended that this is carried out by a professional that is experienced with rabbits and able to realize signs of distress.
Once you have made your selection you will need to visit a vet for them to confirm that the rabbit is fit, well and that they will benefit from partaking. Please be guided by the decision that your vet makes, they are only concerned with the welfare of the animal. Alternatively you can seek advice from a rabbit behaviorist practitioner.
Copyright © Rabbit Jumping Great Britain all rights reserved