There won’t be anything major about deciding to adopt Major Decision! Raced lightly, this handsome guy is an easy choice and checks all the boxes. He’s tall at 16 hh with a thick build. Did we mention he has a great brain, too?

Major Decision is a five-year-old gelding by Heston Blue Chip. He has a smooth trot and is very brave under saddle. Major is ready to hit the trails or be your fancy ring horse!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Major leads in a plain halter and lead rope, often with a buddy.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Major stands well in the crossties for grooming and tacking, even in our busy barn environment.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Major wears front shoes. He wears a wide web shoe on the left front, but can be reshod with a regular shoe next cycle.
• Riding - Level 1 - Major is straightforward under saddle. He trots along and takes everything in stride. He is easy and well-behaved.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Major is pretty easy going. He’s curious and friendly. Willing and wants to please.
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Major is best-suited for a moderate-impact second career.  He sustained a coffin bone fracture, and his radiographs look good, but we feel a mid-level career would be in his best interest. 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.