Piocho is a gentle giant! He has a goofy, "big dog" personality, and is nothing if not a personality. He loves attention and is fazed by nothing. Piocho also has quite the family tree!

Piocho retired when a small chip was found in his right front ankle in April 2019. His attending vet said he would be fine for anything but racing, but when he came into our program, we had his chip removed to give him the best possible chance at a new career! Piocho recovered well and doesn't have any residual issue with his right front ankle!

Piocho has gone out to turnout with a couple different groups of horses (our herd is always changing as new ones come in and horses are adopted. He is the "class clown" personality in turnout (and in the barn!), but he generally has a following of minions too! He is not aggressive, but he does like to pester the other horses quite a bit, so less-patient or less-playful horses can get annoyed with him, so sometimes he comes in with marks on him. He is currently out with an older, 24/7 group, and is doing well there! He roams around on his own often, but is happy hanging out in the group too. Piocho is currently barefoot, and doing fine without shoes too.

Under saddle Piocho is calm, cool and collected! He is very brave and doesn't even seem to realize that he "should" be scared by things-- he's acts totally unfazed by potentially "scary" situations or new situations, no matter how long its been since he's been ridden! Piocho has some uneven muscling and has had both bodywork and chiro work done to address that. Despite that, Piocho is still a little “short” in his gaits. His radiographs and ultrasounds look pretty good (just a small spur in his right hind hock), and we’ve had his hocks and stifle injected, so we aren’t sure why he doesn’t look 100% under saddle, but he doesn’t seem to be uncomfortable either. At this time, we’re recommending him for a trail/ pleasure home, but as he gets fitter and with time, who knows what he’ll be able to do!

Piocho would be a great “husband horse” type, or suitable for an experienced intermediate rider who likes a sense of humor when it comes to "horsenality"!

COVID-19 Adoption Fee Update

You might notice some of our horses' adoption fees have been reduced in recent days.  This is solely due to the current COVID-19 situation and not because we've discovered new physical issues or behavioral issues.  We always aim to keep our adoption fees low so adopters can invest more in the future training and care for each horse. The adoption option is truly the most economical option!

In addition, please keep in mind the more horses we rehome, the more retiring racehorses we can welcome to our program. And, with the current uncertainty at many racetracks and training centers, we're hoping to eliminate barriers to help find perfect homes for our current residents so we can continue serving those in need of transitional training. Adopters must still be approved to bring a horse home.

Please feel free to contact any horse's trainer for additional information on his or her adoption fee.

ADOPTION FEE POLICY

New Vocations’ adoption fees are intentionally set lower than the cost of buying most Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds through a private seller. In today’s market, it’s not unusual for horses coming right off the track to be listed for sale at a price between $2,000 and $5,000. At New Vocations, we set a fee that will ultimately help each horse find a home quickly. The program’s facilities are always at full capacity, which means we cannot take in an additional horse until one is adopted. Adopters should be encouraged to know that by adopting a horse through New Vocations, they are actually helping two horses transition to careers outside of racing.

In general, our fees are set at $500, $1,000 or $1,000 with a $1,500 donation.  

• $1,000 with a $1,500 donation: This range is for horses that we consider to be the cream of the crop or “unicorn” horses. They are horses that have few or no limitations and great conformation, movement and size.
• $1,000: This range is for horses that are suitable for a competitive career up to a certain level (for example, cleared for 2’6” but not necessarily 3’). They may have been fully rehabbed from an injury but have been cleared by our veterinarians for most disciplines. 
• $500: This range is for horses that are limited to a flat, trail or companion-type home. These horses are healthy and have been fully rehabbed and evaluated by a vet.

Additionally, adopters get great value for their money: The majority of the horses have been in the program for a minimum of 60 days. During that time, horses are rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, fully evaluated, and in work with a professional trainer. New Vocations fully discloses each horse’s history and provides all available medical records, many of which include X-ray and ultrasounds.

While adoption fees are low, it should be noted that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for each horse after adoption can be high. New Vocations hopes that by helping an adopter save money upfront, he or she will have more funds available to cover the continuing costs of properly caring for a horse.