Our resident “Black Beauty,” Pretty Temple is as sweet to work with as he is on the eyes. You would never guess that this handsome guy is only 4! He is calm, cool and collected at all times. Nothing seems to bother him and he is even sometimes turned out during the day by himself. He’s happy to just be outside enjoying some grass!

“Tempo” does crib, but it is easily controlled with a cribbing collar. The even better news? He cribs less now than he did originally, so he may continue to crib less frequently as he feels better, but any home should be prepared to be able to intervene with a cribbing collar if necessary.

Tempo is still recovering from a suspensory injury in his left hind leg, but his latest ultrasounds showed great improvement already and our vet prescribed a rehab ride schedule to help his ligament heal in the best way possible. He is currently just walking under saddle, but he’s a good sport for the rehab rides, and is happy to just walk around at his own pace.

Tempo is being offered for adoption ahead of our ‘normal’ schedule as an opportunity made possible through a grant from the ASPCA to help these rehabilitating horses find homes with the right adopter. Any interested adopter will be provided with all his medical background, as well as his plan for moving forward with rehab rides. 

Tempo has the disposition to be a more intermediate-friendly type mount, though we have only walked with him under saddle thus far.

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 “unicorn” horses. They are horses that have few or no limitations and 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 necessarily 3’). They may have been fully rehabbed from an injury but have been cleared by our veterinarians 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.