Gentleman Jim II IR is a true classy gentleman. Jim is special in that he was born and raced in Ireland before being imported to the United States in 2020. He is the first Irish-bred Standardbred New Vocations has had in the program! This very handsome horse made 148 starts and earned over $270,000. Jim carries himself with presence and intelligence, and his racing connections—who also bred him—would love to stay in touch with his new adopter to follow his next chapter! On the track, Jim raced on the pace and shows off a smooth, ground-covering gait that is a joy to ride. While he seems to prefer this over trotting, he is also capable under saddle at the trot. With his high headset, he has all the makings of a fancy show horse.

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Jim is led with a regular halter and cotton lead rope.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Jim is polite and stands quietly. He loves attention!
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Jim does best with front shoes.
• Riding - Level 1 - Jim is straightforward and willing under saddle. He is brave and likes a job! He has been ridden in and out of the arena. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Jim is always alert but not reactive. He is curious and pays attention to his surroundings, although they never bother him!
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - We think that Jim would make a fancy show horse, trail riding partner, or foxhunter! He has the looks and capability to do many things!

 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.