New Vocations Matrons of Honor Program

If you're looking for a kind soul, gentle heart, and gracefully smooth ride, "Halo" is your perfect partner. Her calm demeanor and elegant movement make her a truly special companion! Formerly a pacer on the track and a dedicated Matron of Honor with two lovely foals, Halo is now ready to begin her next chapter.

Under saddle, she transitions beautifully into a smooth, graceful gait, making her a pleasure to ride for beginners and experienced equestrians alike. Her smaller size makes her especially suitable for smaller adults or confident youth riders looking for a steady and kind partner.

Halo thrives on a simple diet and low-maintenance care — perfect for a variety of boarding situations or home barns. She is a dream to handle on the ground, respectful, calm, and sweet with people.

Halo is adjusting beautifully to her new life after the track, then pasture momma raising her foals, and shows promise as a trail or pleasure riding partner. With her willing attitude and calm nature, she’s an ideal candidate for someone looking to develop a strong bond with a thoughtful, intelligent horse.

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Halo leads with a simple halter and lead.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Halo is an easy “pony” type keeper ... she loves her food! She is also barefoot and requires nothing more than a ration balancer with her hay/pasture.
• Riding - Level 1 - Halo has transitioned into a mare that enjoys an easy going trail ride
• General Demeanor - Level 1 
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Halo is a warhorse (117 starts!) and had two beautiful foals. She has no injuries that would keep her from flourishing in any lifestyle.

 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.