“Matty” (or has his racing connections called him, “Chooch”) is a true warhorse even by Standardbred standards with 259 starts and 44 wins. A pacer, Matty raced for 10 years and even at 19 years old we can believe it! He still has all the fitness, beauty and drive of a much younger horse! Unfortunately, through no fault of his own, Matty has not really transitioned well to riding, mostly because he has never been in the kind of consistent program with an advanced rider that he would need to make that transition safely and, most importantly, happily. 

Therefore, we think Matty is best suited to a home where he can enjoy a well-earned retirement.  Matty has good ground manners so long as you establish early on what “personal space” means and will stand in cross ties beautifully for grooming, the farrier, and vet visits. He is good in a pasture but also doesn’t mind a little stall time, if needed. He has no stable vices (unless you count repeatedly smiling for treats!). In the pasture Matty is always the lowest guy in the herd—he will not fight for food, space, or anything else—to the point that we keep a close eye to make sure no one else is stealing his food because he will let them. Matty has always had a scar on his left hip—it doesn't bother him, it's just cosmetic.

We have really enjoyed having Matty as part of our family and hope that he can find the kind of retirement home he deserves. He is best suited for an experienced horse owner.

Matty is currently located in Summerfield, NC.

Contact: Kelly Neal
Please e-mail first as Kelly cannot take calls during work hours
thesaucepan@gmail.com
(336) 251-5773 

You must be an approved adopter to bring home a NV grad. Find all the information you'll need at newvocations.org/adopt.

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.