2024 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Hero leads around the farm quietly in a plain halter and lead rope. In an exciting environment, he may need a reminder to walk with his handler.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Hero stands quietly in the crossties and enjoys a good brushing. He is well-behaved for tacking.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Hero is currently wearing front steel shoes and is happily living out with a buddy. He is a pretty easy keeper and always looking forward to his next meal!
• Riding - Level 2 - Hero has been very enjoyable under saddle. He is balanced, a cute mover, and forward-thinking. Hero has a nice soft mouth and is responsive to his rider. After a wander around the ring to inspect all the jumps and fillers, he goes right to work! He even immediately picked up his canter leads each way the first time we asked for them.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - 2 - This adorable gelding often looks to his rider or handler for encouragement, as he can be a little suspicious of new situations. With a gentle scratch and a reaffirming "good boy", he has been very willing to step up to the task and enjoy life as a wonderful riding horse.
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Hero is best suited for a low to moderate-impact second career. He has a screw in a sesamoid. As always, veterinary records are available to interested and approved adopters.

 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.