Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Stand Back
A couple of friends told me a great story at the rabbit show last weekend. That had taken a vacation and had a room in a high-rise hotel. Once they got settled into their room, they decided to take in the view from their balcony. All was well and good until they looked into the parking lot and spotted their car - with his wallet on the roof! I'm sure his vacation money, credit cards, and personal identity all flashed before his eyes. He screamed to his wife to keep her eye on the wallet, though she wondered what she could possibly do from eight floors up had she seen anything. He didn't stop for the elevator but rather ran down eight stories to recover the wallet.
I don't think it was ROLAIDS that spelled relief that day. I'm pretty sure it was reaching the wallet before anyone else noticed!
Now you are wondering how I'm going to tie this story in with rabbits, aren't you?
Well, you know for certain that at one point he was much closer to his wallet than he had been on the balcony. But he was busy with trying to get their luggage out of the car. HIs mind probably went to something else right after he placed his wallet, temporarily he thought, on the roof. Being too close, taking care of routine matters, having seen the roof of his car empty a thousand times, and having his mind on other events made the wallet quite invisible to him.
Isn't that how things go in our barns sometimes? Sometimes we're too close to notice what's going on. Sometimes we're too busy with the routine maintenance to see a particular bunny. Sometimes our minds are on the rest of our lives. Sometimes we've just seen the same rabbits too often to take a fresh look. Whatever the case, we become barn blind.
I have a broken doe that I loved from the time she was small. I liked her better than her sister, that I was able to grand with no trouble. This broken doe didn't do as well on the table, so I decided to sell her. Number one problem: never let judges cull your rabbits for you. I should know better. But I get impatient for results and I doubt my own observations too often. I took her to Convention and was ready to sell her when a friend walked by. He has a good touch with rabbits. I asked him to look at her. He really liked her. That's when my "I do, too!" came back. I just needed some validation on her. I thought I had been too close to the situation, having loved her mother and having seen the resemblance. So I kept her and as I reported on Sunday, she won a leg under a judge whose opinion I respect.
The question is, how do we step back and take an objective view of our barns? How do we clear our minds of preconceptions and see things anew?
I think the ideal is to have some breeder whose opinions you respect come to your barn and go through your animals with you. But for most of us, that's a pipedream. We all tend to live hours from the next breeder of our own breed and that doesn't necessarily mean that the next breeder over would have the time or would be willing - or would have the skills needed for the job.
On the other end of the spectrum, invite someone relatively new to your barn to go over your rabbits with you. You learn more when you teach. To have to verbally describe each rabbit as you show it and answer quesitons can be really revealing.
Taking rabbits to a show just to be examined by competent breeders may be the best bet. I think that many breeders enjoy looking at and evaluating rabbits. Don't be afraid to ask. All they can say is "no."
I also think you might want to consider entering all of your senior bucks into a show with a judge known for being a good handler/poser of your breed. You might hear some comments that you appreciate, but being able to sit back and evaluate your own rabbits from a couple of feet back is a treat. To be able to see them all within a relatively short timeframe handled in the same way can really help you see and compare your rabbits.
We miss so much when we are standing right over our rabbits. You are lucky if you have some that will pose all day for you so you can stand back and get a good look at them, but half or more of mine are always interested in the table or are nervous and feel exposed in the open.
Now, if there are any experienced Holland Lop breeders who are willing to come to my barn and go over my bunnies with me, I'd be thrilled to have you. Or if you are just learning and want to go over bunnies with me, that's great, too. I'm barn blind and I know it. And it's bad enough to be blind, but then to second guess yourself when you are right because you are AFRAID you are blind, is even worse!
Laurie ¶ 10:33 AM
I don't think it was ROLAIDS that spelled relief that day. I'm pretty sure it was reaching the wallet before anyone else noticed!
Now you are wondering how I'm going to tie this story in with rabbits, aren't you?
Well, you know for certain that at one point he was much closer to his wallet than he had been on the balcony. But he was busy with trying to get their luggage out of the car. HIs mind probably went to something else right after he placed his wallet, temporarily he thought, on the roof. Being too close, taking care of routine matters, having seen the roof of his car empty a thousand times, and having his mind on other events made the wallet quite invisible to him.
Isn't that how things go in our barns sometimes? Sometimes we're too close to notice what's going on. Sometimes we're too busy with the routine maintenance to see a particular bunny. Sometimes our minds are on the rest of our lives. Sometimes we've just seen the same rabbits too often to take a fresh look. Whatever the case, we become barn blind.
I have a broken doe that I loved from the time she was small. I liked her better than her sister, that I was able to grand with no trouble. This broken doe didn't do as well on the table, so I decided to sell her. Number one problem: never let judges cull your rabbits for you. I should know better. But I get impatient for results and I doubt my own observations too often. I took her to Convention and was ready to sell her when a friend walked by. He has a good touch with rabbits. I asked him to look at her. He really liked her. That's when my "I do, too!" came back. I just needed some validation on her. I thought I had been too close to the situation, having loved her mother and having seen the resemblance. So I kept her and as I reported on Sunday, she won a leg under a judge whose opinion I respect.
The question is, how do we step back and take an objective view of our barns? How do we clear our minds of preconceptions and see things anew?
I think the ideal is to have some breeder whose opinions you respect come to your barn and go through your animals with you. But for most of us, that's a pipedream. We all tend to live hours from the next breeder of our own breed and that doesn't necessarily mean that the next breeder over would have the time or would be willing - or would have the skills needed for the job.
On the other end of the spectrum, invite someone relatively new to your barn to go over your rabbits with you. You learn more when you teach. To have to verbally describe each rabbit as you show it and answer quesitons can be really revealing.
Taking rabbits to a show just to be examined by competent breeders may be the best bet. I think that many breeders enjoy looking at and evaluating rabbits. Don't be afraid to ask. All they can say is "no."
I also think you might want to consider entering all of your senior bucks into a show with a judge known for being a good handler/poser of your breed. You might hear some comments that you appreciate, but being able to sit back and evaluate your own rabbits from a couple of feet back is a treat. To be able to see them all within a relatively short timeframe handled in the same way can really help you see and compare your rabbits.
We miss so much when we are standing right over our rabbits. You are lucky if you have some that will pose all day for you so you can stand back and get a good look at them, but half or more of mine are always interested in the table or are nervous and feel exposed in the open.
Now, if there are any experienced Holland Lop breeders who are willing to come to my barn and go over my bunnies with me, I'd be thrilled to have you. Or if you are just learning and want to go over bunnies with me, that's great, too. I'm barn blind and I know it. And it's bad enough to be blind, but then to second guess yourself when you are right because you are AFRAID you are blind, is even worse!
Laurie ¶ 10:33 AM
