Should I put my rabbit on its back?

[JK]

So I’m in 4-H and I was planning on showing rabbits cause I had a purebred Holland lop with papers and he had no DQ’s, but (I’m still not sure on this) you have to do showmanship, and in the showman ship you have to hold the rabbit on its back. Now I have heard and researched that you shouldn’t put your rabbit on it’s back because it will trance it. Also I have researched if you don’t keep the rabbit on it’s back for too long and is done from the person who owns or the person the rabbit trusts the most, it shouldn’t be a problem. So what should I do?  I want whats best for my bun but when I do turn him on his back, he doesn’t freak out or kick and his eyes don’t widen or get big which usually is a sign of distress or fear of something.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

How odd that this is a requirement for show-bunnies. Do they have a specific reason why this is a requirement?

I’m sorry that I can’t advice you on showmanship, but I do know that putting a rabbit on its back is never really healthy. Putting a rabbit on its back is very stressful for the rabbit (as a prey species they always want all feet on the floor to be able to run away). When a rabbit goes limp in this stage it’s not relaxing: it’s in terror and losing all control is an instinct which kicks in when they are in mortal danger. Rabbits are prone to heart attacks in these extreme situations.

[Wick & Fable]

Think of it somewhat in the frame as a severe anxiety attack. Humans can live after them, but in the moment, it’s absolutely miserable, so no one would want to purposely put someone through that. The question is, are you comfortable putting your rabbit through that?

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Pei]

I apologize for asking this on Jillian’s thread, but if you aren’t supposed to flip them on their back, how do people with wool breeds brush out the bellies??

Just asking for a friend, of course…

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

You can put a towel on a table for firm footing, let your rabbit stand on its hind legs while he/she leans on your chest. This leaves you one hand free to lift the front paws. This way you can brush a belly without stressing a rabbit too much, but many rabbits still won’t appreciate it. They can be very prudish about which areas they don’t want touched.

[Mikey]

Although I dont have wooly bunnies, I have a nethie who sheds for a month straight each season. I do what Ellie stated; lifting their front half to brush underneath with the other hand. If you have a friend/partner/family member who the bunny trusts as well, they can brush while you gently lift

[Pei]

That makes a lot of sense, thank you for the answers! And again, my apologies for interrupting!

[Pei]

That makes a lot of sense, thank you for the answers! And again, my apologies for interrupting!

[JK]

So I think in showmanship you put the rabbit on its back to show how much control you have over the rabbit. They only do it for 10 seconds then continue with the rest of showmanship. But I don’t think it should be a requirement for many reasons. But my rabbit has never gone limp but I dont feel comfortable doing that because I have a fear of him kicking and then breaking his back. so Im going to research more on rabbit showmanship and share this with y’all

[JK]

Opps I had posted the same thing twice 

[JK]

So I did some research on rabbit showmanship and they said you have to check for certain things like infection on the stomach, so I think you don’t have to put the rabbit on it’s back but I think a lot of people do. Here are the steps, Showmanship Steps
1. Carry rabbit to judging table or removing rabbit from cage.
2. Properly pose your rabbit.
      
2. Examine your rabbit in the following order.  Tell your judge what you are
looking for.            
a. Ears – Check for:
    Ear canker; Illegible or missing tattoo;
    Size and carriage of ears; Torn or missing part of ear
b. Eyes – Check for:
Wall eye (white cornea); Spots on eyes; Mismatched eye color;
Runny or weepy eyes
c. Nose – Check for:
Colds (white nasal discharge)
d. Teeth – Check for:
Malocclusion (buck or wolf teeth); Simple malocclusion (butting teeth);
Broken or missing tooth
e. Chin/Neck Area – Check for:
Dewlap (does); Abscesses
f. Front Legs – Check for:
Bent, bowed or deformed
g. Front Feet and Toenails – Check for:
Missing toenails (5 on each front foot), including dewclaw; Broken
toenails (too short to determine color);
Unmatched toenails; Nail color not meeting breed standard
h. Abdomen – Check for:
Mastitis or swollen teats; Tumor, rupture or hernia;
Abscesses
i. Hind Legs – Check for:
Bent, bowed, deformed, or severely cow hocked
j. Hocks – Check for:
Sore hocks (bloody)
k. Hind Feet and Toenails – Check for:
Missing toenails (4 on each hind foot); Broken toenails (too short to
determine color); Unmatched toenails
Nail color not meeting breed standard
l. Sex – Check for:
Vent disease; Missing testicle(s) on Senior Buck; Junior Buck with only
one testicle showing; split penis
m. Tail – Check for:
Stub, broken or wry tail

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Split yerwhatnow? I think that many male eyes are watering in sympathy upon reading this 

[JK]

Haha ???? I copied and pasted but, do you think I can do the examination without having to flip him on his back, but instead lift his front legs to where he’s standing on his back legs, Idk i’m going to ask my rabbit leader for more info.

[MintJulep]

Hi Jillian! I did 4-H for many years when I was younger and showed rabbits. Flipping them over is a part of showing them because the judges want to see a healthy belly with a good coat of fur. I always did things very quickly and made sure to have a thick towel under my show rabbits. I would flip them over and do a quick run over with my hand on their stomach feeling for any lumps or anything, check their “undercarriage” to make sure things were clean and poops were good. I would also check back nails at that point. It’s not fun for the rabbits but if you do want to show them without getting points off, it is a requirement. For checking front nails and feet I would just lift their front half up with one hand and use the other to check toes. Depending on what age group you are showing in, some judges are more lenient if you talk to them beforehand. You can explain to them you are uncomfortable with flipping your rabbit and give them the reasons. You will still probably get points docked but maybe not as many. 4-H rules might have changed since I was showing rabbits but I’m not sure.

[JK]

Thanks! I was going to check with my rabbit leader about showmanship, but haven’t got a chance too yet, so I’m left with Google.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Nice to see that we’re getting more people with show experience. This forum mostly has people who have buns as housepets, so we can’t always help people with questions like these. Thanks for sharing your knowledge MintJulep ^_^

[Author]

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