Designed for War could not have a more fitting name! This 8 year old gelding raced 16 times on the track, earning over $200k! Designed for War (War Front) finished second just behind grade 1 winner Sadler’s Joy in the 2017 Pan American Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park.“Desi” as he is known around the barn, is a very seasoned gentleman. You can find Desi either taking his post breakfast nap or happily munching away on some hay. 

On the ground, Desi will let you know you’re interrupting his nap time by giving a mean face, but is all bark and no bite! He quickly warms up and will happily stand to be groomed either in his stall or in crossties. He is turned out at night with our big gelding group and sits comfortably towards the higher end of the pecking order. 

Under saddle, Desi steals the spotlight in any ring. He carries himself in a “been there, done that” kind of way, strutting his stuff and lighting up the ring. 

Designed for War rehabbed from a chips in his left front pastern previously, which had caused fiber damage in the medial extensor branch of his superficial digital flexor tendon at the P1 attachment (inside pastern, where it connects into his hoof). He was cleared to re-start work in mid-May and has been nothing but sound since restarting. He is still working on getting fit, but he is making great progress!

Desi had previously competed in show hunters, so he has both jumped full courses and been in a show environment successfully! He might be okay for very light, low jumping, but he could do some light dressage or even trail riding (he has proven that he's pretty unfazed by most anything on a trail—see attached video in the 'Videos' tab—he's being ridden by Sarah, who was the speaker on the tour!) He would do best with an advanced intermediate rider.

Updated video to be added soon!

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.