Discreet Fantasy has the personality that lights up the barn! “Steven” is a big 16.2+ hand gelding who will either catch your eye with his light bay coat and jet black mane or his goofy personality. He spends his time sticking his head out of his stall doing whatever he can to get someone’s attention to come and love on him (he loves to smack his lips or bob his head dancing to his own beat in his head). On the ground, Steve knows it’s time for business and sets aside his goofiness. He stands quietly in crossties as well as for the vet and farrier.

Steven retired from racing before he ever started in a race-- in 2017 he kicked himself in a workout (overreaching with his hind legs) in the left front tendon (talk about an overachiever!), causing a lesion that needed a lot of time to heal. He was back on track and everything was good until late summer of 2019 when his trainer noticed some sensitivity to palpation the same tendon (last work 8/25/19). Even though he was never lame after the initial injury, his owners still decided to retire him, and he had months devoted to just healing and growing. 

Discreet Fantasy is currently in 24/7 turnout to give him some more R&R time to heal the suspensory branch desmitis that was discovered in both hind legs. Because he is being posted in advance of our normal adoption schedule, he would do best in a home with someone who is understanding and patient to finish bringing him along to full fitness and recovery! He will require at least an advanced intermediate rider, ideally with a trainer, and he will be suitable for most disciplines after full recovery.

Interested adopters will have access to Discreet Fantasy’s medical records and his current and projected rehab ride schedule.

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.