Indian Companion is a seasoned gentleman with a breadth of experience that stands him apart from other horses. With 67 starts under his girth, he has the adaptability, focus and hard work ethic to show for it, and that has translated to his retraining after the track too!

Indian Companion is a steady, reliable horse in turnout. When the two goofy geldings he goes out with at night now start playing a game of rough halter tag, Indian Companion is not engaging at all, rather he just wants to graze or nap peacefully. He is also an easy guy in the barn-- standing quietly in his stall or on crossties, and an easy handle for the farrier. When he first came into our program he did stall walk, but he hasn’t done that for some time now. He had a full course of ulcer medication and was gastro-scoped before treatment and after to confirm treatment. Since then, no stall-walking!

Under saddle, Indian Companion has energy and sometimes still has a pep in his step for the first couple minutes of the ride, but he has a wonderful, unflappable focus when he’s working, so any anxiousness goes away when he remembers that he doesn’t need to act like a racehorse anymore! Indian Companion is a pretty straightforward, eager-to-please kind of ride. He has three nice gaits and hsa been working on developing more supportive muscle (e.g. topline) to help his ability to stretch down and stride out long & low. He has done a good job of developing muscle as he has put on weight slowly since ulcer treatment. We don’t expect he’ll need continued treatment-- a change in pace/ lifestyle made the biggest difference to help him destress after a long career as a racehorse.

Indian Companion retired with osselets (calcification in his front ankles), but no known soundness issues. I️ndian Companion is suitable for an advanced intermediate rider working with a trainer or advanced rider and is eligible for the RRP’s 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover. He would make a wonderful trail horse or low level riding partner.

Shipping Credit Information

If the adopter is shipping the adopted horse via a commercial transportation company, the following steps should be taken:

1. The adopter sets up transportation with a commercial shipper for their newly adopted horse and pays the shipping bill in full. Adopter will contact the trainer at the facility where the horse is located and provide the pickup date and time, as well as the name of the transportation company.
2. Once the horse has been delivered to the adopter, the adopter needs to submit a copy of the original transportation bill to sarah@horseadoption.com within 10 days of receiving the adopted horse.
3. New Vocations will determine the mileage from the New Vocations facility where the horse was located to the horse’s new home based on Google Maps. New Vocations will mail a check to the adopter for $1.00/loaded mile (up to $500) or the cost of the commercial transportation bill, whichever is less.*

Please note: A commercial transportation/shipping company by this definition is any equine transportation company that has a USDOT number.

If the adopter is transporting the adopted horse themselves or will not be using a commercial transportation service, the following steps should be taken:

1. Arrange a pick-up date and time with the trainer at the facility where the horse is located.
2. New Vocations will determine the mileage from the New Vocations facility where the horse was located to the horse’s new home based on Google Maps. New Vocations will mail a check to the adopter for $0.75/loaded mile within 10 days of the adopter picking up their adopted horse.*

*New Vocations will provide a shipping credit of up to $500.

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.