Take 50% off adoption fees when you bring a horse home by July 15 with our Saddle Up for Summer Adoption Special!

Big and Elegant Warhorse Gelding!

Trial By Fire is a big, classy gelding who turns heads everywhere he goes. Despite his regal air, he is a sweet and cuddly guy, ready for a laid-back lifestyle! "Fire" came to us directly after his last race, but settled in as though he had been here his entire life.  With his statuesque build, we could see him being a great Foxhunter or an attention-grabbing trail mount!

• Leading and Ground Manners- Level 1 - Fire is led easily in a halter and cotton lead rope and is frequently brought in at the same time as a turnout buddy.  He is kind enough to put his head down for our petite staff to halter him!
• Grooming and Tacking- Level 1 - Fire is patient and quiet in the crossties, and enjoys being fussed over for as long as you would like. He is a gentleman to saddle and bridle. 
• Horse Care- Level 1 - Fire is fed our regular grain ration, is barefoot, and requires no special care. 
• Riding- Level 1 - Fire is a straightforward ride. He prefers to take things easy and is generally not in a hurry.  He may stop and check out the occasional weird object but doesn't have big reactions to anything.  Fire raced on the pace and is consistent with that under saddle.  He occasionally offers a few trot steps, but he prefers to pace and it is quite comfortable.  Fire has offered to canter a little as well, and that can easily be developed with time.  He's still learning to use his big body in our arena space, and his gaits will improve as he gains more confidence. 
• General Demeanor- Level 1 - Fire is middle of the pack in the field and gets along well with all our geldings. We do not recommend him for mixed turnout. 
• Physical Capability- Level 2 - After 219 starts, Fire seems most comfortable in a mid-level 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.