From Heart Felt's Owner: Atticus has matured into a very handsome gelding, despite not being ridden much for the past three years. When I adopted him in 2018 we did a lot of trail riding at Mohican State Park and Malabar Farm State Park in Ohio. This was new to Atticus, but he took to everything like a trooper. He has been highlined overnight while camping and acted like he had done it all his life. He has crossed water, and roads, been ridden in very rocky terrain, and gone up and down many hills. To improve his confidence we always rode with another horse and rider. However, he is always willing to travel away from the barn alone. Atti is a very easy keeper but does best with front shoes. He stands well for the farrier.

Strengths:  

• Atti is very friendly and eager to please. 

• He is a trotter.

• He knows the touch command.

• He is always willing to try new things.

• He ground ties in the barn for grooming and to be tacked up.

• He moves over to the mounting block to be mounted.

• He is easy to tack up and stands quietly to be mounted.

• Atti has the versatility to continue with trail riding or could do lower-level dressage work as well.

Areas for Improvement:  

• Atti can be alone, or with other horses for turnout, but should not be in a mixed herd.

• He will do best with a confident rider who understands contact and can use contact to give him confidence. 

• He has not been cantered under saddle with any regularity.

Suitable home/rider:  

• Atti will do best with a confident rider who has time to spend with him.

• He prefers turnout but enjoys standing under the fan in the barn on hot days.

• He is a special horse who deserves someone who has time for him.

Contact: Shelley Constable
Phone: (419) 289-6433 (texting preferred)
Email: shelley.clements@gmail.com
Location: Loudonville, Ohio

You must be an approved adopter with New Vocations to bring home a New Vocations Graduate. Get started by following the steps at: newvocations.org/adopt

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.