Take 50% off adoption fees when you adopt a horse by December 23rd with our Home for the Holidays Adoption Special! 

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Eligible for Shipping Credit up to $500!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - In a new place, Dunkin can get a little pushy, but is very respectful of correction and will typically re-focus on his handler and mind his manners.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - 2 - Dunkin stands well in the crossties but is still learning boundaries so stays supervised. He enjoys a good grooming session and is very interactive. He is a big fan of his post-ride baths!
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Dunkin is a very easy keeper and loves his food! Care should be taken to ensure he doesn't get overweight for a youngster who is still in a phase of rehab. He wears front steel shoes and is turned out with a small group of geldings. Dunkin is typically towards the top of the pecking order.
• Riding - Level 2 - Dunkin is just getting restarted under saddle and has happily stepped back into a program after some extended time off. He can sometimes be a little sharp or spooky. He notices changes or new things in his surroundings, but has never offered to do anything beyond "looking". A confident rider who encourages him to wander past the "scary" object and get back to work will be a great fit! He is comfortable under saddle and well-balanced, but still out of shape. He will need a lot more long, slow work at the walk and trot before his training progresses to anything more serious. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Dunkin is a sweet boy who is usually the first horse to greet us at the gate. He seems to genuinely enjoy having a job again and loves spending time with people. He often looks to his rider for encouragement and will be an easy one to develop a great, rewarding relationship with.
• Physical Capability - Level 1 - Dunkin is just beginning the riding phase of his rehab for bilateral suspensory injuries. He will be suitable for a low-impact second career. 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 SHIPPING CREDIT 

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.