• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Ivan leads around the farm in a plain halter and lead. He sometimes needs a reminder that he is not in charge on the ground but is respectful of corrections and learns quickly what his boundaries are.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Ivan enjoys attention and stands quietly for the grooming and tacking process as long as it is reasonably efficient. If standing for a while he will start to become a little impatient.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Ivan is turned out with a small group of geldings and is in the middle of the pecking order. He is a very easy keeper and has been happily barefoot.
• Riding - Level 1-2 -After a period of rehab Ivan was quite certain he was retired for good and just hasn’t been happy back in a training program. We have gone to great lengths with our veterinary team to rule out any physical causes and have decided to offer him to our adopters as a pleasure partner- that’s what he’s telling us he wants to do. He is happy as can be to wander around at his leisure, is very comfortable to ride and would enjoy hitting the trails.
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Ivan is a personable, friendly gelding but he also has a sensitive side and some of his own opinions. If you enjoy a good mare- he might be the gelding for you!
• Physical Capability - Level 1 - Physically Ivan could enjoy a level 2, low- moderate impact career but mentally he’s telling us he would be happier in an easy, low impact second 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.