"Doc" is looking for his next person through no fault of his own, his current adopter says. He's a sweet guy who loves attention and loves to be loved on! He enjoys being groomed and will stand all day while you rub his forelock. Doc also knows how to give hugs ("Stand in front of him and hug his neck he will lay his head on your back and give you a hug," his adopter says). He also loves bath time and playing with the water coming out of the hose ("When you give him a bath make sure you wear something you don't mind getting wet, cause you will!" his adopter says).

He stands well in crossties and for the farrier. He's been barefoot since he hasn't been trail riding and wears front shoes when he's hitting the trails. He's up to date on vaccinations and deworming. 

He prefers to turn out alone and is good in his stall (He'll sometimes will lay down and take a nap after his noon feeding," he adopter says).  

Best suited for an intermediate rider, Doc has had about 3 months of professional training and is currently working at the walk, trot and canter in the arena with no issues. He loves going out on trails! His adopter says he has nearly no spook when it comes to deer or much else when out and about, with the exception of trucks with loud mufflers (those make him nervous). His adopter says he's not a huge fan of mud puddles, but he's crossed creeks and wooden bridges with no problem. 

His adopter says Doc's favorite treats are carrots, watermelon and apples but he does not like strawberries ("I made him a fruit salad for his birthday and he picked out the strawberries and threw them on the floor and ate everything else," she says).

Doc is currently located in Harwood, MD.

Contact: Becky Hayes
Phone: (270) 319-2716
Email: bhayesk9@gmail.com

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.