Friday, April 20, 2007
The Rear View
I know that Holland breeders get really mad when a judge won't pose their rabbit correctly. It's the same in most breeds. The difference is that the Holland pose is pretty unique and fewer judges get it right. Still, you might take some comfort in knowing that a judge can still correctly evaluate quite a bit from a Holland posed in the more common on-the-table pose. We like to think that our rabbits are unique in every way, but they are not.
Today, I want to talk about looking at our rabbits from the rear. This view might actually be a little easier with your Holland resting on the table. And the same things that make a Holland hindquarter good also apply to all other breeds (except maybe Harlequin, which is all about the markings).
Take out your Standard of Perfection (alternately, go to www.arba.net and order a copy!). Turn to page 37 and let's really look at those pictures. I'm talking about the second picture in each pair, which shows the tail side of the rabbit. These pictures sum up very nicely what we are looking for in the shape of our hindquarters.
The first picture shows a rabbit whose spine is protruding and does not have the fullness to carry the rounding over the top of the hip. The shape is almost like a red barn with the gambrel roof. Here's one caution - I often see this shape in young Hollands, but it does not mean that they won't fill out as they mature. If you really like the rabbit otherwise, give him or her a bit of time to see if that portion fills in.
I have to admit that the second picture - of an undercut hindquarter - is a little harder to make out. But remember that you do not want a hindquarter that curves under as it approaches the floor. Fullness to the table is very important.
I do not actually see the valley or low point at the center of the hips in the next picture - I guess that's what the black squiggly line is supposed to be. But obviously, any hindquarter that takes sudden dips anywhere is a real problem.
I love the next picture. This is one of protruding hipbones. It also shows a flatness across the top of the hindquarter. This is something we see pretty frequently on the table. You can feel this by running your hand from shoulder to hips. Your hands will catch on those hips. You can also put the edge of your hands down in the valleys created by protruding hips. Although this can be caused by poor condition, usually it is just the structure of the rabbit. You want to cull these.
Next we tackle the hindquarter that is flat over the top of the hips. These rabbits are much wider than they are tall over the hindquarter. While we do not have the requirement that the depth equals the width as many other breeds do, we still do not want rabbits whose width far outstrips the depth. "Flat over the hindquarter" is a pervasive problem with Hollands and is one of my pet peeves. No, I haven't conquered it, but I do cull strictly for flat hips.
The last picture shows the ideal hindquarter. It looks like a nice rainbow with plenty of room at the base for two pots of gold. When you get a Holland with this sort of hindquarter, it is worth holding onto, even if there are some problems on the front end.
If you do not have a Standard of Perfection, I highly recommend that you get one. There's so much valuable information in it. This page of diagrams is just one of the tools available to you.
You've spent hundreds of dollars on cages, shelter, rabbits, feed, and show travel, you definitely do not want to scrimp on the $15 for the book that tells you what you are working toward!
I think I should started taking a look at my hindquarters from the rear at least once a quarter. I should know which rabbits in my barn have the strongest hindquarters. If they don't have strong hindquarters, then I should have a pretty good reason for keeping them anyway (there are legitimate reasons since many rabbits are here for their parts). Maybe I should start photographing all of them from the rear so that I can compare them when I make breeding plans. I think it's a very good idea.
We tend to look at our Hollands from the top when we are posing them. If we step back, we are often looking at them from the front. But really, we also need to step back and look at them from the rear. It's a really important part to get right.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:38 AM
Today, I want to talk about looking at our rabbits from the rear. This view might actually be a little easier with your Holland resting on the table. And the same things that make a Holland hindquarter good also apply to all other breeds (except maybe Harlequin, which is all about the markings).
Take out your Standard of Perfection (alternately, go to www.arba.net and order a copy!). Turn to page 37 and let's really look at those pictures. I'm talking about the second picture in each pair, which shows the tail side of the rabbit. These pictures sum up very nicely what we are looking for in the shape of our hindquarters.
The first picture shows a rabbit whose spine is protruding and does not have the fullness to carry the rounding over the top of the hip. The shape is almost like a red barn with the gambrel roof. Here's one caution - I often see this shape in young Hollands, but it does not mean that they won't fill out as they mature. If you really like the rabbit otherwise, give him or her a bit of time to see if that portion fills in.
I have to admit that the second picture - of an undercut hindquarter - is a little harder to make out. But remember that you do not want a hindquarter that curves under as it approaches the floor. Fullness to the table is very important.
I do not actually see the valley or low point at the center of the hips in the next picture - I guess that's what the black squiggly line is supposed to be. But obviously, any hindquarter that takes sudden dips anywhere is a real problem.
I love the next picture. This is one of protruding hipbones. It also shows a flatness across the top of the hindquarter. This is something we see pretty frequently on the table. You can feel this by running your hand from shoulder to hips. Your hands will catch on those hips. You can also put the edge of your hands down in the valleys created by protruding hips. Although this can be caused by poor condition, usually it is just the structure of the rabbit. You want to cull these.
Next we tackle the hindquarter that is flat over the top of the hips. These rabbits are much wider than they are tall over the hindquarter. While we do not have the requirement that the depth equals the width as many other breeds do, we still do not want rabbits whose width far outstrips the depth. "Flat over the hindquarter" is a pervasive problem with Hollands and is one of my pet peeves. No, I haven't conquered it, but I do cull strictly for flat hips.
The last picture shows the ideal hindquarter. It looks like a nice rainbow with plenty of room at the base for two pots of gold. When you get a Holland with this sort of hindquarter, it is worth holding onto, even if there are some problems on the front end.
If you do not have a Standard of Perfection, I highly recommend that you get one. There's so much valuable information in it. This page of diagrams is just one of the tools available to you.
You've spent hundreds of dollars on cages, shelter, rabbits, feed, and show travel, you definitely do not want to scrimp on the $15 for the book that tells you what you are working toward!
I think I should started taking a look at my hindquarters from the rear at least once a quarter. I should know which rabbits in my barn have the strongest hindquarters. If they don't have strong hindquarters, then I should have a pretty good reason for keeping them anyway (there are legitimate reasons since many rabbits are here for their parts). Maybe I should start photographing all of them from the rear so that I can compare them when I make breeding plans. I think it's a very good idea.
We tend to look at our Hollands from the top when we are posing them. If we step back, we are often looking at them from the front. But really, we also need to step back and look at them from the rear. It's a really important part to get right.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:38 AM
