Swordsman wants to be your knight in shining armor! Tall, dark, handsome and a giant goofball, “Fishsticks” can't wait to find his forever home where his people can shower him with love and attention he desires and deserves!

Fishsticks is a typical young man in that he likes to goof off—he never shows any naughty behavior, he can just be fidgety in the crossties or a little mindless about personal space while being led. He’s on his way to becoming a proper knight, though ... he just needs a home where he can have a consistent routine and clear boundaries.

Fishsticks goes out at night with four other geldings and makes the most of his turnout time! He likes to be a little higher in the pecking order, but doesn’t act aggressively towards new buddies. You can find him in his stall during the day quietly eating his hay or taking a nap. Fishsticks has no stall vices and has been an easy keeper!

Under saddle, the sky's the limit! Fishsticks shows great potential for a number of disciplines and, again, we think a consistent routine and work ethic will do him wonders! We just rode him in our indoor for the first time (where there are a lot of potentially “scary” things!) and he kept his composure very well, stepping over small hedges and poles with very little encouragement! 

We think Fishsticks would do best in a home with an intermediate to advanced rider who can help him develop in his next career. We could see him excelling in a number of different disciplines, but he strikes us as a lovely hunter prospect!

Video coming soon!

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.