Take $500 off adoption fees with our Spring Fling adoption special when you bring a horse home by March 31!

2024 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Mars is a sweet, intelligent boy who has caught on quickly to our routine. He walks to and from the barn with friends. He stands well with good manners and thinks everyone is his buddy!
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Mars accepts grooming happily in his stall or while tied! He may fidget occasionally, but he is an all-star for his age!
• Horse Care - Level 1  - Mars is barefoot and holds his weight easily with free choice forage and a basic grain ration.
• Riding - Level 1 - 2 - Mars has shown us what a nice prospect he will be! As he has new experiences here, he tends to look to his person (handler/ rider) for confidence but tries very, very hard, and is eager to please. He catches on quickly and grows with each training session. In our trail course, we were wowed by how willing and sweet he was from the get-go! He would do best with an advanced rider who can help him to grow and develop– gracefully guiding him through the moments when he might not be so sure. 
• General Demeanor - Level 2 -  A curious and willing guy, Mars brightens the barn with his kind eye and spirit. He can either be found poking his head out of the stall to greet visitors or having a romp outside with his friends. He has been a versatile member of the barn and has been turned out in several different groups. He seems to get along with everyone he meets!
• Physical Capability* - Level 3 - Mars retired because he wasn’t showing much talent as a racehorse, but we think he’ll make a fine athlete in the sport horse world!

 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.

*Assessments are based on information provided by the donors, physical/ mental assessments done by our professional team, as well as any veterinary examinations done at the farm (as needed). Approved, prospective adopters are welcome to arrange and coordinate a PPE if they choose, after speaking with the trainer at the respective facility of the horse. Adopters may also elect to use the 60-day trial period to thoroughly vet and assess the fit of the horse at their barn to ensure a great match!

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 Capability. So, horses that are found to be 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. 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.

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.