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!*

2025 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

We give nothing but happy grins when we see this tall hunk of a horse! Grumpy Grin would surely catch a judge's eye in the hunter ring.

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Gio leads well with a plain halter and lead rope.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Gio is well-behaved and stands quietly for grooming and tacking.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Gio wears steel front shoes with quarter clips and stands well for the farrier. He may require maintenance in the future (don't we all?), but as a large-bodied, still-developing Thoroughbred, he could develop into a fine, eager young project for one lucky adopter.
• Riding - Level 2 - Gio takes in his surroundings and is willing under saddle. He aims to please and has a big step. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Gio is a big baby who wants to be in your pocket. He’s still growing and sometimes forgets we are much smaller than him! Gio turns out well with other geldings. 
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Gio ended his short racing career sound and would be great for a low-level Hunter career! An amateur rider working with a trainer would be a great fit!

 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.