A walking slalom suits a Rex and its feet
A Rex rabbit does its best thinking at a walk, so a wide two-cone slalom makes an ideal first trick. The breed is known for its dense, plush, velvet-like coat, a calm and intelligent nature, and feet with thinner fur padding underneath, which makes sore hocks a real risk on hard or rough ground. Set two soft markers, such as cushions or cardboard cones, well apart on a thick rug, and plan for the rabbit to amble between them, not race. Check the underside of the hind feet before a training week begins and skip floor work if you find red, bare patches.
Lure the first pass, then let the rabbit solve it
A Rex will understand the slalom if the first pass is made almost obvious. Stand beyond the gap with a favourite leaf visible in your open palm, let the rabbit walk between the markers to reach it, and reward on arrival. Repeat from the other side so the rabbit learns the route works both ways. After several guided passes, hold your palm a little less visibly and let the rabbit choose the gap on its own before you treat. That moment of choosing is the mental exercise: the Rex is remembering a route and testing whether it still pays.
Narrow the puzzle, never the surface quality
Challenge for a Rex should come from spacing and sequence, not from faster or harder work. Over sessions, bring the markers modestly closer, add a third marker to make an S-route, or pause the rabbit briefly between markers before signalling onward. Keep every version on the same forgiving surface, and end any session where the rabbit starts favouring a foot, sits hunched, or loses interest in rewards it normally loves. A Rex that associates the course with sore feet will refuse it entirely, and rebuilding that trust takes far longer than protecting the feet costs.
Put a word to the route once it flows
When a Rex walks the slalom smoothly in both directions, say a cue such as through just as it enters the first gap. Pair the word with the same palm signal each time, then gradually make the signal smaller so the word carries more weight. Because Rex rabbits are generally steady learners, resist adding a second new trick in the same week; depth on one route builds the remembering and problem-solving this exercise is for. One polished trick practised happily is worth more than three half-learned ones.
Rotate the course through the week
A Rex stays mentally engaged when the familiar course reappears in slightly new arrangements across the week. Mirror the S-route, start from the far end, or place the markers in a different part of the exercise pen on the same soft flooring. Ask for a single clean run at unexpected moments, such as before an evening feed, rather than drilling many runs at once. Noting the current layout and any foot concerns in KinsLe through Care Teams ensures the next person sets the same course and checks the same Rex feet before starting.