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!*

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Buzz is extremely well-mannered and stays attentive to his handler even in a new or exciting environment. A great example: We were walking from the back of the property between multiple turnout fields to move to our training facility. Every horse flew across their paddock towards him and he continued calmly walking down the path before quietly loading on the trailer.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Buzz is just learning to crosstie so stays supervised, but stands quietly and is patient to groom and tack. He has demonstrated that he can be a little uncomfortable about his ears being touched so we take our time putting halters and bridles on while working on desensitization.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Buzz is currently living out with a small group of geldings and tends to be lower in the pecking order. He is shod in front steel shoes. 
• Riding - Level 1 - Buzz is an absolute gentleman under saddle and exceeded all expectations in his first ride (see his video) having a walk and trot around our big grass ring like he’s done it a million times before! That has been the theme with this very impressive young horse. He is naturally well-balanced, very attentive, and very comfortable to ride. It is early to have Buzz step into a full program so an adopter who is willing to keep his schedule light while he continues to mature will be the best fit. He is walking and trotting a couple of days a week and will be turned back out.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - There is nothing but good things to say about our outstanding boy, Buzz. We cannot believe he’s as young as he is. He regularly and consistently demonstrates a maturity and understanding well beyond his years. He is an ‘old soul’ and approaches new situations with quiet confidence and is willing to do anything his handler or rider asks. He has been an absolute pleasure to have in the program and will be a very lucky adopter’s best friend.
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Buzz has an unusual-looking hind leg from how a condylar repair healed but that won’t affect him in a low to moderate-impact second career. He is a roarer so would excel in a discipline where he won’t be penalized. His fabulous brain makes him worth his weight in gold! As always, veterinary records are available to interested and approved adopters.

 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.