• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Oakley is a model citizen to lead and handle on the ground. He leads politely alone or with a buddy in a plain halter and lead rope.  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Oakley absolutely adores his grooming time and will make the funniest faces for his withers and back scratches! He stands politely in the crossties for grooming and tacking, and couldn’t care less about how long the process takes; the more time he gets to spend with his human, the better. 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Oakley is about as uncomplicated as it gets to maintain, wearing basic front shoes and staying plenty plump on our normal grain ration.  
• Riding - Level 2 -  Oakley has a history of getting tense and worried, and so is best suited for a conscientious rider who will listen to his needs. While we could see him in a variety of disciplines, most importantly is finding that special someone who will approach his training with no rush on the timeline.  
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Oakley is a cuddly loverboy, waiting to find someone as affectionate as he is. He’s a kind, honest soul who truly does not want to do wrong by his person.  
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Oakley exhibits some tightness under saddle and is best suited to a home where he can be a beloved companion and enjoy liberty work with his person. With time, patient conditioning, and gradual strength building, he may become comfortable with light riding, but this is not guaranteed. His ideal adopter would be happy to have him as a non-riding best friend, with any future riding ability considered a bonus. 

 click for horse level information 

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.