New Vocations' Pasture Potatoes Program

Eligible for Shipping Credit up to $1,000!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Mickey leads well in a plain halter, stands well for having her feet done, and respects your space on the ground.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Mickey is happiest outside with her friends. She can get a little nervous in a stall and crossties when she can’t see her girls, but we think once she learns her new routine and finds her people, she will be less insecure about "alone time". She enjoys being groomed in a stall where she can see her friends, and is easy in the field!
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Mickey is happiest wearing regular front shoes and has kept them on well while living outside full time. She eats our normal grain ration and lives in a big field with other mares. She hasn’t been bothered by rain, wind, or snow!
• Riding - Level N/A - Mickey is being offered for adoption to a non-riding home as a part of New Vocations' Pasture Potatoes program for companion Thoroughbreds.
• General Demeanor - Level 1+ - Mickey likes to feel secure in her environment and wants to know what’s going on. Conveniently, she prefers the outside Pasture Potato life to being in a stall and is happy to greet us at the fence and come up to us for pets. She becomes much more relaxed in her stall when she is in a routine of coming inside each day. The more comfortable she is with her people and environment, the simpler she gets.
• Physical Capability - Level 1 - While Mickey is not riding sound, she will make a wonderful pasture pet or babysitter! 

 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 PASTURE POTATOES

New Vocations’ Pasture Potatoes program provides those seeking companion horses peace of mind with the following benefits.

• Potential adopters will receive special approval and support as a home for companion horses through New Vocations’ application process.

• A shipping stipend of up to $1,000 for each horse to head to their new home.

• If the adopter can no longer care for their horse, an additional $1,000 shipping stipend will be provided to bring the horse back to New Vocations.

• Additional stipends may be available to the adopters if they need veterinary support as the horse transitions into their new home, or training guidance as they work with their horse in-hand.

• Adopters of Pasture Potatoes will be unable to sell their adopted horse and instead must sign a contract agreeing to return the horse to New Vocations if they cannot, or no longer wish to care for the horse.

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.