• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Nicholas is respectful and quiet to lead even in a new or exciting environment.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Nicholas stands quietly in the crossties and seems to enjoy being fussed over. He had a spa day before his photos and loved being pampered. His favorite part of a post-ride bath is getting his face sprayed with the hose. 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Nicholas gets along very well with many different personalities in turnout. He is currently living out with his BFF four-year-old, Shedevr, and is often the one instigating a play session and halter tag! With all the rain we’ve been getting and him stepping back into a program, we have added front shoes, but he had previously been able to stay barefoot.
• Riding - Level 1 - Nicholas is just what we expected under saddle--sensible and willing. His video is his first ride in a year and he quietly walked and trotted around our big ring with no lunging or prep. He seemed happy to be out for a ride, is responsive to his rider’s aids, and is not spooky or concerned with anything in or out of the ring. He is just starting to get back to work so we will be slowly increasing intervals of long and slow work (W/T) to get him back into shape. His adopter should be mindful of this and plan to do the same.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Nicholas is a true gentleman and a pleasure to have around and work with. He had a very successful first career and we would love to find him a semi-retirement, low-impact, low-expectation second career that he can enjoy with an adopter who appreciates how hard he’s worked in his past.
• Physical Capability - Level 1 - 2 - Although there is no physical reason Nicholas couldn’t have full athletic second career, he would enjoy a low to mid-level job. He has an old condylar repair that wouldn’t require any future maintenance.

 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.