• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Woody has been quite the gentleman to lead around the farm. He is mindful of his handler and we haven’t needed to use anything more than a plain halter and lead rope.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Woody is just learning how to crosstie so stays supervised but stands quietly and is patient with grooming and tacking.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Woody is currently living out with a friendly group of geldings and wears front shoes. Since he is a big, actively growing baby, his adopter should be mindful that he may require more groceries than his mature counterparts. He does have a slight parrot mouth so a regular dental schedule will be important. 
• Riding - Level 1 - We are extremely impressed by Woody’s professionalism and maturity for such a young horse. His video is his first ride in a few months and he marched around the ring calmly and quietly. He is still unbalanced from left to right but is very straightforward, understands his rider’s aids, and is very responsive. It is early to have Woody step into a full program, so a patient adopter willing to keep his rides easy, and breezy while he finishes maturing will be the best fit for this guy. He is just walking and trotting a couple of days a week and will be turned back out.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - As always with young horses, ‘baby moments’ can be expected. So far, Woody has blown away with his outstanding temperament; sensibility, mental maturity, and willingness to please. He has been a pleasure to have in the barn and will make a lucky adopter a wonderful partner for any venture!
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Woody has unlimited potential for his second career! He has had a failed tie-back and only makes a slight noise when cantering out in the field. He would be best suited to a discipline that will not penalize him for that. 

 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.