Walkies?

[hoosiercheetah]

Have any of you put a harness and leash on a rabbit to take it for walkies in the yard?

 

[SA Farm]

I've used them on pet bunnies - back when I had a Holland Lop for a pet as a kid and with my dwarf and minis, but not my New Zealands. I have an exercise pen for them so they can run around and eat and socialize with me. I've also used it for breeding a time or two. It's big enough that I can sit in there with them, small enough that it's easy for me to carry it around and collapses for storage.
Much easier to deal with than a harness and leash in my experience! Neither can be used without supervision though

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I like the idea of letting them get out and play around now and then. I have a pen just like that, that's made for kids, I think it's about 4' by 8'. It's plastic, but I think with direct supervision the visual barrier should be enough? How much of a hassle is it to move them back and forth? Do they try to bolt every time they get a chance?

 

[SA Farm]

Mine's pretty small, so moving it isn't a problem. Moving them isn't hard to me, but may take practice to learn how to hold them so they don't slice your arms up...I still get scratches every now and then! I have one particular doe right now who just doesn't do well being carried and I have the 'war wounds' to prove it. Brat! lol
Anyhow, I have found they are very easy to catch inside the ex-pen since I'm standing or sitting right there with them. My dogs even go by and they're fine. I also handle and spend time each day with my rabbits, so they know me and aren't afraid of me walking around them.
I have a doe who likes to jump around and would have knocked over a weaker structure, but most of them just explore and eat

 

[Becca'sBunnyBarn]

I have one rabbit, named Chester who love going on leash. he isn't a pet, but he enjoys it so I take him out every once in a while.

 

[Lila.C]

I had pet rabbits when i was a kid, the small ones - dwarfs and mini lops were usually pretty scared and/or nasty but i had 2 lovely NZ whites who were really placid and walked on harnesses. I think my experiences with rabbits making pretty poor pets (at least for children) is why i feel comfortable to breed them for food.

 

[GD91]

watch your rabbit doesn't freak and slip the harness (been there) the slightest thing can set them into "escape" mode.
I personally don't trust harnesses or collars unless fitted very correctly by an experienced person.
One of our rabbits wears a cat collar and bell because otherwise we can't find him (house rabbit) but they do need to be very well fitted to avoid the rabbit catching it on something or getting its leg through it.
Ours had to be modified to be rabbit safe (and makes him feel bigger than his tiny mini lop stature), but he hates his harness with a passion that has to be seen to be believed. I put that on him and he will just try and chew it off.
It never fails to amuse me with some of the things that us supposidly callous people discuss on here for our rabbits I've been told I'm cruel for keeping meat rabbits.
Yeah right, you come to mine spoilt little buggers, they get fresh grass and weeds every day and come running when they see me they rule the roost while their kits feed us.