Tradewar is a tough mare looking for the right partner to build a solid relationship with. While she has made improvements with consistent work, she would do best with a partner who has experience with reactive horses. When she first entered our program, "Bear" had a history of pushiness, but was kind and sweet. Upon her return, she has unfortunately developed a defensive demeanor that we are continuing to work through. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 3 - When being led, Bear requires a chain and firm directions at this time. Occasionally she is led with another horse, but her handler must be aware when doing so.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 3 - Bear does best with structure. When being tacked up for a ride, we keep a lead rope on her for easy corrections.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Bear is a barefoot lady!
• Riding - Level 3 - Bear is not always well-behaved under saddle, presenting with counter bending and reactivity. She wasn’t always this way, previously being a more relaxed ride.
• General Demeanor - Level 3 - Bear does best with a confident handler who is assertive and clear with instructions. We have found Bear is best in a turnout situation where she isn’t the boss mare. She can be food-aggressive with her grain, but this has significantly improved with time.
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Bear is suitable for a moderate-impact second career with an experienced rider and trainer willing to build a trusting foundation.

 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.