Here is your Prince Charming!

Tall, dark, wavy-locked Irish Prince definitely gives off royal vibes with his stunning good looks!  Prince is a young and inquisitive pacing-bred gelding who is looking for an adoring subject ... we mean adopter, to guide him through his new life as a riding horse.

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Prince is generally very respectful of his handler and leads in a plain halter and cotton lead rope.  Sometimes he might see something scary and want to walk very, very close to you to make sure he is safe!
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - 2 - Prince stands quietly in the crossties for grooming, tacking, farrier, and vet and is certainly happy to be pampered as royalty should! He will let you know if you found the ticklish spot on his flank, and he is still quite unsure about being fly sprayed. 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Prince is currently barefoot, an easy keeper, and has no vices.
• Riding - Level 2 - Although initially timid under saddle, Prince gets braver by the day. With a quiet confident hand, he is willing and up to try what is asked of him.  Under saddle, he prefers to pace but he will walk, trot, pace, and canter on the lunge line.  Because he can be unsure of scary new things, we think going out with a buddy on trail rides would be a good idea to start. 
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Prince is a young guy who loves to play with his pasture buddies!  He goes out in a group of geldings and especially enjoys taking gallops around the hay field and playing "bitey face". He will be happiest with turnout companions who share his enthusiasm and is not suitable for a mixed herd. 
• Horse Physical Capability - Level 2 - Prince retired after a sesamoid injury to his right hind ankle. He was given appropriate rehab and downtime and is suitable for flatwork disciplines.  He is not suitable for speed or jumping events.  As always, vet records are available to approved adopters. 

 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.