Fun-Sized Trotting Gelding!

Solferino has a lot of spunk packed into his little body! This trotting gelding quickly decided riding was better than racing, and has shown his trainer a ton of potential for a variety of disciplines.  With his size and cute way of going, we could see him as a successful Pony Club horse or doing Dressage and Mini-Trials with a petite rider! He is currently sporting a "haircut" from his former pasture mates and is giving fuzzy pony vibes, but we know in the spring he will blossom into something beautiful!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Solly is led with a regular halter and cotton lead rope, and is respectful of his handler.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Solly stands quietly in the crossties and enjoys his grooming sessions.  He is easy to saddle and bridle. 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Solly is barefoot and an easy keeper.
• Riding - Level 1 - After some initial apprehension with the mounting block, Solly took quickly to riding and has been eager to please ever since.  He moves quietly off of leg and is responsive when asked to slow or halt.  Under saddle, he is currently riding walk-trot, but routinely canters for us on the lunge line. We don't anticipate any issues teaching him to canter under saddle. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - 2 - While Solly is generally a low-key and accommodating guy, he does enjoy his turnout time and can occasionally be a bit challenging to catch if he thinks he hasn't had enough time out with his friends. 
• Horse Physical Capability - Level 5 - Racing just wasn't Solly's calling! He has no known limitations for his second career.

 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.