Loveable and Charismatic War Horse!

"Baker", as Mayfield Hanover is known around the farm, is a trainer-favorite son of the incomparable Dragon Again. Like so many others in his family, Baker is a kind, personable, and handsome gelding who picks up new things quickly.  With plenty of downtime after his racing career, we know Baker is ready for wherever his next adventure takes him!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Baker is easily led in a plain halter and cotton lead rope. He will happily follow along and is kid and husband-friendly on the ground!
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Baker stands quietly in the crossties for grooming and tacking, and will let you brush and dote on him as long as you'd like (especially if a treat or two are involved).
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Baker is barefoot and an easy keeper!
• Riding - Level 1 - Baker has had plenty of riding and pleasure driving experience in his post-track life and is an agreeable and easy mount.  He willingly moves forward when asked and has good brakes. Under saddle, he will trot, pace, and canter.  He is willing to ride out alone, even when encountering a weird or scary obstacle, and listens to his rider.  We could see him having a successful career as a trail or lower-level show horse.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Baker is an agreeable guy who settles in quickly.  He is mid-range in his turnout group of geldings and is content to live inside or out. He enjoys "people time" and has no vices.
• Horse Physical Capability - Level 2 - Baker has some filling in his left hind fetlock from his time on the track, but it is purely cosmetic.  He is suitable for a low to mid-impact 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 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.