Athletic and Striking Trotting Gelding Looking for an Ambitious Partner!

Thunder (cue the AC/DC) is a gorgeous, young trotter ready to find his second career!  Earner of nearly $500,000 in 87 starts, Thunder is no stranger to the winner's circle or the work it takes to get there! 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 -  Thunder is a young gelding who is always looking for fun. Some days he may be excited heading to turnout, but is respectful of a chain.  Thunder also thinks it's a lot of fun to put things in his mouth, and frequently needs to be reminded that his handler's clothing doesn't belong to him.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Thunder sometimes gets bored in the crossties, and may entertain himself by pawing or chewing on the crossties. He can be a bit sensitive to grooming his flank area.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Thunder is an easy keeper, barefoot, and requires no supplements!
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - 3 - As mentioned before, Thunder thinks everything in his reach is a toy, which includes anything he can drag into his stall, or sneakily grabbing the coats of those he doesn't feel are paying him enough attention.  In turnout, he likes to play and play HARD.  He adores our rowdy young geldings who spend the day running about and playing "bitey face".  He is not mean to quieter pasture mates as long as he has someone who will engage with him. 
• Riding - Level 3 - Thunder is willing to go to work, but is still figuring out what his new job is.  He can be jumpy at loud sounds outside, or something new or strange in the arena. He will need a rider with quiet hands and legs as he navigates his new career as a riding horse.  Thunder needs encouragement to stay on task and reassurance when something makes him nervous. He hasn't offered any nasty behaviors, he is just green and learning. 
• Physical Capability - Level 4 - Thunder had a screw placed in his left front early in his racing career and went on to be very successful afterward. He is suitable for nearly all disciplines including jumping!

 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.