“Gemmy” is as kind as he is tall! Standing over 17 hands, he will take up a taller riders leg very well! Plus, Gemmy is a head turner; with his gorgeous locks hanging over his eyes, it’s impossible to pass by without stopping for a cuddle.

Gemmy is easily handled even by a beginner on the ground with his slow saunter up to the fields for turnout.

Under saddle, he'll need an advanced intermediate rider working with a trainer. He is just a bit more unsettled under tack at the moment, but we see this changing quickly with more miles, exposure and his perfect person. That said, he has three beautiful gaits and we can definitely see him eating up the dressage or hunter arena.

Currently, Gemmy is working to build his hind-end strength after rehabbing from a suspensory injury. He'll need an adopter who can continue this slow and steady work to help him reach his full potential. As always, interested and approved adopters will have access to all the veterinary records we have on him!

Big Gemmy came to New Vocations via the NYTHA Take the Lead program. We're so grateful for their continued support!

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 $2,500:  

• $2,500: 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.