“Princess Adrian” retired from racing when she was believed to have the beginning of a small/hairline condylar fracture right front leg and some bone bruising in her fetlocks. Her racing connections wanted this sweet, sporty gal to have some time off before transitioning to a new career.

Our veterinarians re-examined Adrian after she'd arrived to our program and had some time off and couldn’t find any issue with the right front, but found that she was sore on her left front foot. Our farrier has worked diligently to help her get off the heel and rebalance her foot, and she's beginning to feel more comfortable on it! She also has some areas of close dorsal spinous processes; which we've been addressing this by strengthening her topline and frequently assuring proper saddle fit, but we haven't seen it bother her in work with us. Adrian will benefit from staying in condition to keep her back muscles strong to help prevent potential issues from arising. When she is out of condition, she can carry tension in her back muscles and does best when her muscles are adequately warmed up before working (she doesn't like to be cold-backed). She'll need an experienced rider.

Adrian has done well in lots of different turnout setups, but she prefers to be in a "top dog" position in the herd. Overall, she shows a tremendous amount of maturity for her age, especially through her focus and bravery in the light under saddle work she’s done already. Adrian is also usually very good on the crossties and for the farrier.

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2
• Horse Care - Level 2  - She wears slight mechanical front shoes.
• Riding - Level 3
• General Demeanor - Level 2
• Horse Physical Capability - Level 3+

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ABOUT OUR ADOPTION FEES

We intentionally set New Vocations’ adoption fees lower than the average cost of buying a Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds from a private seller (in today's market, horses coming right off the track are often listed at a price between $2,000 and $5,000!). Our facilities are always at full capacity, which means we can't take in an additional horse until one is adopted; a lower adoption fee means horses are more likely to find appropriate homes quickly and we can welcome more horses into our barns. And just think: By adopting one horse through New Vocations, you're actually helping two horses (you new family member and the one who takes his place in our program) transition to careers outside of racing. 

In general, our fees are set at $2,500, $1,000, $500 or waived:

• $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.
• Waived: This is for horses that have significant limitations for a riding career or are otherwise difficult to place. These horses are otherwise healthy and have been evaluated by a veterinarian.

Another perk of adopting from us? We do our best to give you the best bang for your buck. Most adoptable horses have been in the program for a minimum of 60 days,  during which they're rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, fully evaluated, and in work with a professional trainer. We're also happy to share the history and any medical records (often including X-ray and ultrasounds) we have on each horse with interested and approved adopters.

While our adoption fees are low, please remember that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for a horse (adopted or otherwise!) can be high. We hope that by helping an adopter save money upfront, you'll have more funds available to cover the continuing costs of properly caring for and training a horse.