Bongga wins the award for best manners in a baby horse! He is a gentleman through-and-through and doesn't have a single mean bone in his body. He is also a great sport when it comes to being dressed up in accessories! He really seemed to enjoy the extra attention that he got when we put some Christmas decor on him!

He enjoyed some R&R in one of our 24/7 turnout fields with a group of geldings before getting back into some rehab rides. He retired from racing due to a fractured sesamoid left front back in May 2020. When he arrived into our program, our vet advised having a screw placed across the fracture to give him the best possible prognosis for a new career, so that’s just what happened! Bongga had plenty of time to recover from that, but showed some asymmetry left hind, and palpation revealed some mild stifle inflammation. His X-rays were normal, so our vet advised giving him some time off because it seemed likely to be just a product of his rapid growth (over 3 inches this past year and still more growing to go by the looks of it!).

Bongga still needs to take it slow and have time to get back into shape, but he's ready to start back into some light work! He has been exceptionally well behaved, even previously when he came back into being ridden after months off. He is still young so he shouldn’t be expected to act like a totally mature horse, but his future adopter can look forward to some exceptional maturity beyond his years!

Bongga's ideal home is one where he can continue to enjoy turnout and low-key demands while being reintroduced to work with at least an advanced intermediate rider. Bongga would be suited for at least a low-level career, and possibly more, but only time will tell! No matter what, we feel confident that he’ll continue to be an amazingly sweet horse with lots of potential!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - 2
• Horse Care - Level 2 - He wears simple front shoes.
• Riding - Level 2
• General Demeanor - Level 1 
• 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.