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

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• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Silver leads quietly in a plain halter and lead. In new places, he can get distracted by what is going on around him, so may need a reminder to walk with his handler. 
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Silver stands quietly in the crossties, even though this is a newer skill for a seasoned veteran racehorse. Because this is new to him, he stays supervised at this time. Silver may pick up a hind leg when brushing his hindquarters, but it seems to be out of habit. While grooming, we stay aware when we are working around his hind end, but ignore him and proceed. 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Silver is an easy keeper and is able to be turned out in a mixed herd (mares and geldings). He has been happily barefoot for awhile, but if he returns to regular work, a pair of shoes or hoof boots may be helpful. He is a controlled cribber. 
• Riding - Level 1 - Silver is very dependable under saddle with a lot of experience and many miles under his belt. He has taken everything in stride while getting back into a program. After a few years turned out, he is out of shape and will need some time to rebuild his fitness. He seems to be really enjoying having a job again. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Silver is very personable, loves attention, and is often searching for peppermints (his favorite). He gets along well with everyone, both two and four-legged. He will be the perfect partner for someone wanting a been-there-done-that partner with the zest for a fun second career! 
• Physical Capability - Level 1 - 2 - Silver retired from his long racing career with no known injuries, but would appreciate a lower-level 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.