User:Gyldwiz/hutch

Sporting Events for Rabbits are competitive venues for handlers and their trained domestic rabbits  The most common and popular event is called Rabbit Hopping where the leashed pets leap over appropriately sized obstacles. Jumping a miniature course of jumps is sometimes called rabbit show jumping, similar to equestrian show jumping.

Rabbit Hopping began in the late 1970s in Sweden. It was popularized in the United Kingdom following an appearance on the TV show That's Life!. There are more than fifty rabbit hopping clubs throughout Scandinavia. The official world record in high jump for rabbits is 995 millimetres (39.17 in). The official world record in long jump for rabbits is 3000 millimetres (118.11 in). Rabbit Hopping began to include Agility type obstacles and soon Rabbit Agility became its own specialized event. There are now many new courses and events to challenge and entertain. All rabbit sports events require the same basic health requirements for the competitors and share many of the same safety concerns. Other rabbit games include rabbit cross country, duel hopping, point hopping, slalom hopping, figure hopping, and freestyle.

There is a long history of the participation of animals in sport. Horse racing has probably been with us since the animal was domesticated and is probably one of the most popular of all animal sports. Getting the animal more involved in sport as a partner in something besides hunting dogs, more likely evolved with more leisure time. Dogs are a common partner in sports like dog agility, dog racing, flyball, disc dog, and other new sports. Rabbits have long been a domesticated animal, known by many as a source of meat and fancy showing and breeding, but breeders were surprised when they trained rabbits to jump a set course, many rabbits were not only good at it, but they really enjoyed it.

The participating rabbit athletes must be protected from injury or abuse. Many rabbits really enjoy jumping and exploring and usually only need a little encouragement to perform, once they are trained. Handlers are discouraged from rough handling or forcing a rabbit to compete. Most competitions require the rabbit to be wearing a safe harness. Even so, sometimes rabbits run loose and the area must be secured and protected from dogs or other predators. Very heavy rabbits are more at risk for injuries related to stress and heat. Generally, long-haired Angora type breeds, and breeds with very long, floppy ears are discouraged from competing because of the difficulties with agility and vision.

Training an animal, in this case, a rabbit, to perform a behavior for competition, is well researched and complex theories such as operant conditioning can be applied. The simple answer to how to train a rabbit for rabbit sports, is to first train them to the harness and leash. (There is a harness and leash, specially made for rabbits, available in Denmark.) Next, you encourage them to jump in the best way for that rabbit. Rabbits learn voice commands, body language and touch commands. Some rabbits learn to turn right or left, or to climb when told. Not all rabbits enjoy sport. Selection of bold, outgoing and active rabbits is important. If the rabbit doesn’t like it, choose another rabbit.

The sport is well established in Europe, especially in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark and Finland and in the United Kingdom. The Danish ruleshave been completely translated into English and made available to the American Association of Sporting Events for Rabbits and to the general public. The existing rules and certification programs that have been tried, tested and refined in Europe, will be adapted for use on this continent. The Canadian Rabbit Hopping Club,based in British Columbia, has developed an informative website with rabbit agility components described and illustrated. Teams can win titles and awards during events sponsored by groups such as the U.S. Rabbit Agility Association, Rabbithopping-USA, the American Association of Sporting Events for Rabbits, 4-H Club fairs, and other venues. Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom hold local and nationally sanctioned events.

Rabbit Hopping and Rabbit Agility have enthusiastic pockets of participants all over the United States. The county and state 4-H clubs have been instrumental in bringing rabbits sporting events to the public eye. Many counties now have Hopping 4-H projects for the kids to participate in. It is beneficial to have a project that does not require breeding the rabbits, unnecessarily increasing the pet population.