Don’t judge this book by its cover or you’ll be missing out on an incredible personality and heart. One More Whim stole our hearts the moment he stepped off the trailer! He has been a very polite and sweet baby two year old as he is learning his new career. 

Whim has been such a brave guy as he has been learning new situations (such as having a cooler on). He is never naughty or aggressive, he’s just figuring everything out! He stands extremely well in the crossties and is learning how to stand patiently for the farrier. Again, he doesn’t do anything naughty, he’ll take a few hops backwards, but he is already showing improvements and patience! He goes out during the day with one other gelding and is a great companion for whoever he is going out with.

Because Whim is only two, we are only lightly working with him under saddle. He has only been walked and trotted and has shown great potential! He is already showing understanding of how to carry himself and has quite a naturally fancy trot! Yes, he has a swayback, but it doesn’t seem to bother him, and you don’t have to worry about your saddle slipping when riding! As he continues to grow and mature, his shape will inevitably change some. With proper fitness, the back and abdomen muscles can help to support his structure and appearance too! Whim is also a little crooked in his legs (especially left front) which leads us to our recommendation for a lower-level career to be on the conservative side.

He would do best in a home where he can continue to just be a horse and have time off with very little work so he can keep maturing and growing. No horse is perfect and many horses with less-than-perfect conformation learn to compensate and go on to do great things, but it is even more important to not push them through training when they have a biomechanical disadvantage. 

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

Shipping Credit Information

If the adopter will be shipping the adopted horse via a commercial transportation company, the following steps should be taken:

1. The adopter sets up transportation with a commercial shipper for their newly adopted horse and pays the shipping bill in full. Adopter will contact the trainer at the facility where the horse is located and provide the pickup date and time, as well as the name of the transportation company.
2. Once the horse has been delivered to the adopter, the adopter needs to submit a copy of the original transportation bill to accounting@horseadoption.com within 10 days of receiving the adopted horse.
3. New Vocations will determine the mileage from the New Vocations facility where the horse was located to the horse’s new home based on Google Maps. New Vocations will mail a check to the adopter for $1.00/loaded mile (up to $500) or the cost of the commercial transportation bill, whichever is less.*

A commercial transportation/shipping company by this definition is any equine transportation company that has a USDOT number.

If the adopter will be picking up the adopted horse up themselves or will not be using a commercial transportation service, the following steps should be taken:

1. Arrange a pick-up date and time with the trainer at the facility where the horse is located.
2. Contact accounting@horseadoption.com and New Vocations will determine the mileage from the New Vocations facility where the horse was located to the horse’s new home based on Google Maps. New Vocations will mail a check to the adopter for $0.75/loaded mile within 10 days of the adopter picking up their adopted horse.*

*New Vocations will provide a shipping credit of up to $500.

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 $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.

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.