Beautiful Pacer Matron of Honor!

Maddy Seelster is a gorgeous girl who is looking for a confident and doting partner to be her best friend! This wonderful mare is a gentle soul (with a smidge of spice) with pizazz in her step! She has a purposeful walk and smooth rack. Maddy is ready to explore the trails with an adventurous partner. Still considered green in her under saddle training, she enjoys a hackamore and has been responding beautifully to leg and seat pressure. She can give you a spunky and forward walk, a smooth and gentle rack, or move those legs in a slightly speedier 4-beat gait that is fun in well-groomed footing. 

Maddy comes with all the life experience of being a 6-time Mom, the athleticism of a former successful racehorse, and the graceful and smooth way of going that would make an exciting trail partner. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Maddy loves attention! She is ready to please and try once she understands the question. She enjoys working on the ground and leads both solo and in small groups of horses. She enjoys turnout with a group of friends, as well as the “alone time” in her stall.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Maddy loves being groomed and cuddled! She is easy to saddle and bridle as well. She much prefers a short-shanked hackamore over a bit. 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Maddy enjoys regular maintenance grain and unlimited hay. She is barefoot.
• Riding - Level 2 - 2.5 - Maddy is a relatively confident mare both under saddle and bareback! Don't let her age fool you into thinking she’s always quiet though - she’s got the occasional spice and energy boost that a playful horse half her age would display! Maddy is never dangerous, but zesty!
• General Demeanor - Level 2.5 - Maddy is an adventurous mare with some strong opinions (We can't blame her. She had to show those babies who was in charge!). She can be guided through them by a rider who is more experienced than her. On the ground, she is generally sweet with everyone, though in new situations will lean on someone for emotional support. 
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Maddy has a lot of confidence in walking over obstacles and playing along in a gentle rack. She is well-groomed for trail riding.

 click for horse level information 

Interested in this horse? Already approved adopters may reach out to this horse's trainer at the "Email About This Horse" button above for further information. Still need to become approved? Learn about the process and start your questionnaire at newvocations.org/adopt. Approved applications are valid for 2 years.

ABOUT OUR ADOPTION FEES

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

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, thereby enabling us to assist even more horses transition off the track as stalls open up in our barns! In that way, when you adopt a horse through New Vocations, you’re actually helping two horses: your new family member and the one who takes his place in our program!

While our adoption fees are low, it’s important to remember that costs associated with the ongoing care and additional training for a horse (adopted or otherwise!) can be high. We 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.

In general, our fees range around $3,500, $2,500, $1,000, and Under $1,000:

• $3,500: This range is for horses considered unlimited in their physical ability or those with exceptional qualities that would make them an upper- or high-level equine athlete.
  
  
• $2,000 - $2,500: This range is for horses we consider physically capable of a mid- to high-level second career. They have few or relatively minor limitations.
  
  
• $1,000 - $1,500: This range is for horses best-suited for a low- to mid-level career. They may have sustained an injury but have been fully treated and rehabbed. These horses have been examined by and cleared by our veterinarians for most disciplines, possibly up to a certain level (for example, suitable for a career jumping 2’0” but not suitable for a 3’6” career).
  
  
• Under $1,000: This range is for horses that could be harder to place in a perfect situation or those with more limited athletic potential (for example, possibly suitable for flat-work only) but are still capable of a successful second career. They have been evaluated by our veterinarians and are otherwise healthy.

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're rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, evaluated by trainers and veterinarians, and in regular training with a professional; on average, the monetary value of these services exceeds $5,000. Any medical records (often including X-ray and ultrasounds) and pertinent history we have on each horse is also available to interested and approved adopters.