From Galileo's Rock's Adopter: 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - "Tango" has great ground manners and leads quietly and respectfully. He is good for the farrier and vet.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - He stands well for grooming and tacking. He has no problems with blanketing, baths, or fly spray.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Tango has lived out 24/7 with a small herd of geldings in a large 15-acre pasture for the past 2½ years. He's currently barefoot, but he struggles in a wet environment with thin, sensitive soles. He currently rides in front hoof boots. He'd benefit from a drier environment and possibly shoes in the future.
• Riding - Level 2 - Tango is handsome and athletic with three lovely gaits. He stands quietly for mounting. He'd be suitable for an intermediate to advanced rider; he's very good natured and willing but has the occasional flighty day. He's only in light work at the moment so would need some legging up to get back into shape. He has a Grade 1 sluggish larynx with a slight breathing noise at the canter.
  I'd hoped to train him as a hunter/jumper, but I have had some health issues and problems with my own back over the past couple of years. So we have had a slow and easy restart under saddle with lots of ground work using natural horsemanship techniques. He walks, trots, and canters well under saddle, with most of the work at the trot working on relaxing, bending, and learning to stretch down and round. He's a quick learner and remembers well even after time off. He trots over ground poles with no problem. I have not started him over fences yet but think he has potential.
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Friendly and curious, he's people oriented, loves having his ears rubbed, and will do almost anything for a cookie! Initially he can be a bit “looky/wired” in new situations and a sudden change in weather can get him on a high, but most of the time he is fairly laid back with more whoa than go. He loves to run and play in the field with his buddies and tends to fall on the middle/upper end of pecking order.
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Tango has a good foundation as a riding horse and is ready to go in any direction.

Contact: Becky Woodward
Email: woodward_becky@hotmail.com
Phone: (804)-441-1917
Location: Toano, VA

You must be an approved adopter with New Vocations to bring home a New Vocations Graduate. Get started HERE.

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Interested in this horse? Approved adopters can reach out to this horse's trainer via the "Email Us About This Horse" button above for further information. Not yet approved? Learn about the process and start your questionnaire at newvocations.org/adopt! Approved applications are valid for two 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 capabilities. So, horses that are 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. New Vocations 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.