Shake it up!

Shook is the kind of mare all horsemen seek: kind, intelligent and athletic. This fancy filly will fulfill anyone’s dreams!

An example of the best kind of mare, Shook is easy to work with on the ground and stands politely in crossties for grooming. She is good for both the farrier and vet. She loves attention and bonds quickly with her handler. 

Shook was well started on the ground, with plenty of groundwork and obstacle work as well. She lunges well at the walk, trot and canter in both directions. She has shown herself to be very brave, never questioning walking over ditches, through water or up and down banks. She shows to have talent over fences and it was evident early on in her in hand arena work over barrels and gates.

A joy to ride, Shook has three lovely gaits and tries really hard to do what is asked of her. She offers a light contact in the bridle and is beginning to understand connection from her hind end to her front. She trots over poles on the ground and also hacks out quietly both in company and alone. She has also begun some work on the barrel pattern.

Alas, she is not perfect: Shook is a cribber. It is her only vice. It is controlled, when she chooses it to be, with a cribbing collar.

She is turned out in a gaggle of gals and does well as a middle-of-the-pack member of the herd.  While in our program, we've found that Shook thrives and is most happy in an environment where she lives outside 24/7. When she transitioned to living primarily in a stall, she experienced some episodes of colic due to her increased ability to crib while inside.  Because of this, she is looking for a home that will allow her the extensive turnout time that she needs.

Shook would be well-suited to a moderate-level athletic career. She does have an old bow from racing, which has been thoroughly rehabbed, and she is clear to move on to a second career as an athlete for another sport. She could be brought along by a patient, and confident intermediate-level rider, working under the guidance of a professional, every ride.

ADOPTION FEE POLICY

New Vocations’ adoption fees are intentionally set lower than the cost of buying most Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds through a private seller. In today’s market, it’s not unusual for horses coming right off the track to be listed for sale at a price between $2,000 and $5,000. At New Vocations, we set a fee that will ultimately help each horse find a home quickly. The program’s facilities are always at full capacity, which means we cannot take in an additional horse until one is adopted. Adopters should be encouraged to know that by adopting a horse through New Vocations, they are actually helping two horses transition to careers outside of racing.

In general, our fees are set at $500, $1,000 or $2,500.

• $2,500: This range is for horses that we consider to be the cream of the crop or the unicorn horses. They are horses that have few or no limitations, have great conformation, movement and size.
• $1,000: This range is for horses that are suitable for a competitive career up to a certain level (for example cleared for 2’6” but not 3’). They may have been fully rehabbed from a race injury but have been cleared for most disciplines.
• $500: This range is for horses that are limited to a flat, trail or companion type home. These horses are healthy and have been fully rehabbed and evaluated by a vet.

Additionally, adopters get great value for their money: The majority of the horses have been in the program for a minimum of 60 days. During that time, horses are rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, fully evaluated, and in work with a professional trainer. New Vocations fully discloses each horse’s history and provides all available medical records, many of which include X-ray and ultrasounds.

While adoption fees are low, it should be noted that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for each horse after adoption can be high. New Vocations hopes that by helping an adopter save money upfront, he or she will have more funds available to cover the continuing costs of properly caring for a horse.