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

*See our social media for details!*

Barnabas is a big thick-bodied gelding whose personality draws you in! He’s been extremely easy to transition to under saddle work. He’s an incredible mover and has shown us a willingness to canter. Barnabas is pacing-bred but trots under saddle. He turns out with other geldings easily. We can envision Barney in the show ring or being someone’s hunt horse! 

Barnabas is by the pacing sire McArdle. McArdle babies are smart and wise and enjoy having a job. Barnabas is no exception!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Barney is led with a plain halter and cotton lead rope often with another horse.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Barney crossties well and stands quietly.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Barnabas is shod in the front with regular steel shoes. He requires no extra supplements or specialized care.
• Riding - Level 1 - Barnabas’ under saddle start has been uneventful, however he is big and has equally big gaits. Barney covers a lot of ground!
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Barnabas is a funny guy always eager to engage! He’ll wait at the door to have his fly mask put on encouraging you to do it faster!  He talks to you at feeding time just to let you know he’s excited to see you. Barney is easy to have in the barn and has no vices.
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Barney is willing and eager to please. He is suitable for a high-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.