“Tiz a Pleasure” is a big, 16.3hh gelding who will catch your eye with his big white blaze and kind eye! It’s only fitting that his barn name quickly became, “Meatball,” because of his build, but also because of his goofy personality! Meatball is seven years old with no starts so he is a blank slate as far as transitioning to a new career. He spends his time goofing off with his neighbor or sticking his head out of his stall to get any attention he can. 

Meatball shows his maturity on the ground, being easily led in and out of turnout and standing well for the farrier. He knows the drill in the crossties and patiently stands while getting tacked up. He’s the type of guy who just enjoys being a horse! He has fun out in the field at night, but is by no means a bully to other horses. He has been very respectful of his handler since the second he has been with us and is nothing but a gentleman.

Under saddle, Meatball shows great potential. Because he had a bit of time off, he is a little out of shape, but was excited to get back into a working routine! He is the type of ride who floats you right along and has more of a “couch” feel. He did have a few screws put into his right front sesamoid five years ago, but has not shown any signs of lameness. He has been working on getting back into shape and also evening out his hind end muscles. We could see Meatball being an excellent equitation prospect, because you feel nestled right in with an easy, "sticky seat" through his comfortable gaits. He could truly go in many different directions with his next career though! 

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.