Heart Of It All Has it All!

Known around the barn as "Buckeye", Heart Of It All is the total package!  Young, big, sound, and lightly raced, the sky is the limit on his future endeavors!  His sweeping movement and good looks make him an excellent candidate to be an ambassador for the Standardbred breed in the hunter, eventing, or dressage rings. He has already demonstrated his cantering abilities under saddle.

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Buckeye is easily led in a regular halter and lead rope and is mindful of his handler's space (unless you're walking through mud - yuck).
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Buckeye stands quietly in the crossties for grooming and is a gentleman to saddle and bridle.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Buckeye is barefoot and eats a standard ration. 
• Riding - Level 2 - Buckeye is a young guy with only 28 starts, so is not as worldly as most of his counterparts.  He has taken to riding well but looks to his rider for support and to keep him focused. He is just learning to use his big body in our indoor arena and will need time to develop balance and bend, particularly in circles and corners. Buckeye is forward and eager to please, and is happy to show off his canter under saddle. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Buckeye is an agreeable, "go with the flow" type with great stall manners.  He has turned out with our "quiet" gelding group and our "rowdy" gelding group just fine.  We do not recommend him for turnout in a mixed herd. He is friendly, curious, and always happy to greet guests!
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Buckeye wasn't cut out for racing life and retired sound with no known injuries.  He is suitable for all disciplines and we know he is ready to show the world what Standardbreds can do!

 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.