Smokin Willie is a gorgeous 6-yearold pacing gelding by Art Official. Willie raced 78 times and was regular at many county fairs around Ohio, so he's seen many things and is used to the noises, crowds, standing in the crossties and the hustle and bustle that comes with the racing at the fair. 

Willie transitioned easily to riding and has shown that he is a very quick learner. He can offer up a pace (if you sit) and a ground-covering trot under saddle (he's still figuring out what he wants to do!) and will canter on the longe line. Willie will need a confident leader who understands some of his baby personality traits and can remind him what he is supposed to do. He has learned to move off your leg pressure and is responsive to both leg and rein pressure.  We see him excelling in dressage or in the hunter arena as well as foxhuntting and trails.  We also think he'll have a smooth pace or rack.

This gelding has so much potential and has no lameness issues, so the sky's the limit! He also would look beautiful as a driving horse for someone wanting to drive.  With his natural self carriange and presence, Smokin Willie will be a very fancy horse! 

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.