This horse is hot stuff! Gorgeous, huge, and elegant, we love "Richard"! Richard enjoys being in a program and learning new things. He is confident, capable, and an absolute love muffin. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Richard enjoys all attention including grooming, bathing, and hand grazing.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Richard is currently barefoot. After being turned out for the last year, he has solid feet and is doing well barefoot. Richard does have some special feeding requirements and is an alfalfa-only kind of guy.
• Riding - Level 2 - Richard has slowly been restarted with groundwork. He had been off the track for a year before arriving in our program. We have just recently restarted him under saddle and he has been a confident and happy ride. Richard has very large gaits, so will need a balanced rider who is not intimidated by a horse who can trot three steps and already be down the long side!
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Richard loves to bond and connect with people.
• Physical Capability - Level 1 - 2 - Richard is suitable for a flat career. He's a stunning horse with a huge presence and will make an excellent Dressage prospect.

 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.