2020 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

Want to jump the moon? Caramel Moon might just be the girl to get you there. "Cara" is that sporty, unlimited horse that a confident, ambitious rider could really excel with! Her pedigree is loaded with horses known for throwing good sport horse prospects, and she has shown us that she's no exception!

Cara is very smart and likes to keep busy. She is quiet in the stall and has no stall vices, but when she's under saddle, she likes to have a job! She is learning to stand still quietly (and learning well!), but she is hyper-focused in work. Even Rambo the dog running circles in the indoor while we were filming her under-saddle video, didn't faze her at all! Cara is a typical redhead in that she likes to be brushed gently, with soft brushes, but she has the most ridiculously soft coat and likes to stay clean, so she doesn't usually require aggressive grooming anyway. She can make faces (put her ears back, turn her head when grooming) so she needs a confident horse person who won't be intimidated by that, but when you establish ground rules, she doesn't push them. You need to earn her respect through quiet confidence though, not an iron fist.

Cara is actually a mid-to-low horse in her group of mares in turnout. She is not bossy to the other horses generally, she just likes to run alongside, hangout and graze with the group. She likes to be with her friends, but she is not super herd-bound, she will go off on her own too. Cara doesn't mind being ridden alone or with other horses too.

Caramel Moon is trained to stand on crossties, though she still fidgets sometimes. She is good to stand for the farrier though, and she wears plain steels shoes on her front feet only. We haven't had any issues with her feet, so she may break some OTTB stereotypes there too!

Caramel Moon has already started over some small crossrails and shows promise already. She's very intelligent and brave, so we could see her excelling in a discipline like eventing or jumpers, which would engage her energy, brain and athleticism. She is working on learning to relax and stretch down still, but she picks up on training quickly, so she would be a fun project for the right person! Cara would do best with an advanced rider.

Caramel Moon is eligible for the RRP's 2020 Makeover, or even the 2021 Makeover if she was just rested until December 2020.

COVID-19 Adoption Fee Update

You might notice some of our horses' adoption fees have been reduced in recent days.  This is solely due to the current COVID-19 situation and not because we've discovered new physical issues or behavioral issues.  We always aim to keep our adoption fees low so adopters can invest more in the future training and care for each horse. The adoption option is truly the most economical option!

In addition, please keep in mind the more horses we rehome, the more retiring racehorses we can welcome to our program. And, with the current uncertainty at many racetracks and training centers, we're hoping to eliminate barriers to help find perfect homes for our current residents so we can continue serving those in need of transitional training. Adopters must still be approved to bring a horse home.

Please feel free to contact any horse's trainer for additional information on his or her adoption fee.

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 $1,000 with a $1,500 donation.

• $1,000 with a $1,500 donation: 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.