2025 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Ham follows you on the lead like you are walking a dog. He will happily double-lead with a buddy. 
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Ham took a nap in the crossties while we cleaned him up for his photoshoot. He is also happy to be tacked up for his rides.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Front shoes, normal grain rations- nothing fancy or out of the norm for Ham!
• Riding - Level 1 - One-take-wonder! The hardest part about editing a video of Ham was that we had too much good footage and we couldn't use it all. Ham stands at the mounting block and waits for his rider to climb aboard. He already thinks about reaching for the bit and is learning to use his hind end to push into the bridle. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Just a fun guy to have around! Everyone in the barn can fuss over him and he is happy to oblige. 
• Physical Capability* - Level 3 - There are no riding limitations for Ham. This chill dude should be able to go in any direction.

 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.