• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Swandre can occasionally be pushy on the ground, and is fine as long as you do not let him get away with it.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - He loads and crossties well. He is excellent for the vet and farrier! 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Swandre has excellent feet and is currently barefoot! He was shod when we trail rode in more rocky terrain. He has lived out with mares and geldings and tends to be lower in the pecking order.
• Riding - Level 2 - We have primarily trail ridden. He has cantered on the trails, but we are still learning transitions. He will cross water, bridges, and roads. He has ridden on trails shared with bicycles, runners, walkers, and even strollers! He has ridden in town and an ice cream shop. He is a more forward ride, but has a big-ground covering stride. He has a nice walk and trot in the ring, we have not tried cantering in the ring yet. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1-2 - Swandre is a big, goofy, in-your-pocket guy. He is the first to meet you at the gate.  He is very brave and is happy to lead or follow. 
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Swandre is a big mover. He has a big trot that requires balance. His canter is very smooth. He is very uncomplicated; he can just be a bit green sometimes. In most cases, a confident intermediate rider would be fine. 

Contact: Maria Witlox - mariawitlox@hotmail.com

Location: Church Hill, TN

You must be an approved adopter with New Vocations to bring home a New Vocations Graduate. Get started HERE.

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Interested in this horse? Approved adopters can reach out to this horse's trainer via the "Email Us About This Horse" button above for further information. Not yet approved? Learn about the process and start your questionnaire at newvocations.org/adopt! Approved applications are valid for two years.

ABOUT OUR ADOPTION FEES

New Vocations intentionally sets our horses’ adoption fees lower than the average cost of buying a Thoroughbred or Standardbred from a private seller. In today’s market, horses coming right off the track are often listed at $5,000 to $10,000!

Our fees range from $0 (waived) to $3,500. Fees typically correspond with a horse’s anticipated physical capabilities. So, horses that are best suited for non-riding careers (our Pasture Potatoes) have waived fees, while the fees for horses assessed to be suitable for high-impact careers will be up to $3,500.

While our adoption fees are low, it’s important to remember that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for a horse can be high. New Vocations hope that by helping adopters save money upfront, you’ll have more funds available to cover the costs of properly caring for and training a retired racehorse.

When you adopt a horse through New Vocations, you’re helping two horses; your new family member and the one who takes their place in our program. Our facilities are nearly always at max capacity, which means we can’t take in a new horse until one is adopted. Keeping our adoption fees low helps us find appropriate homes for horses quickly, enabling us to help even more horses transition off the track as stalls open up in our barns!

Another perk of adopting from us: We do all we can to give you the most value for your adoption fee. Most adoptable horses have been in the program for a minimum of 60 days, during which they've rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, been evaluated by trainers and veterinarians, and have been in regular training with a professional. On average, the monetary value of these services exceeds $5,000. Any medical records (often including X-rays and ultrasounds) and pertinent history we have on each horse are also available to interested and approved adopters.