Playful and fun, “Dom” is the quintessential boy. This happy-go-lucky gelding loves people, taking great selfies and bossing around his best buddy, Roger, in the field. The two of them enjoy playing wild stallions together!

Despite his delusions of grandeur, Dom is quite easy on the ground and can be handled by just about anyone. He stands well in crossties and for the farrier and vet. Dom does like to stick his tongue out the side of his mouth to entertain himself while in crossties (check out a fun video on his profile!). Sometimes he makes a goofy piggy noise to go with it. It’s hilarious. He absolutely adores any and all attention!

He arrived at New Vocations very physically immature and has spent a few months gaining some weight (and bite marks from his baby buddies in his field!) before we put him back to work. But Dom was quick to show us that he's an athletic type of horse who shows quite a bit of scope. We recently put him through a jump chute and were very impressed with his natural tendencies over the small fences!

Dom isn't what one would refer to as “conformationally perfect” (he kind of looks like he has two left feet and his front legs are a bit crooked), but it doesn’t effect his manner of going and he is a straight mover. In fact, he has three nice gaits and has the potential for any sport. He will need a knowledgeable and experienced farrier, one who will not try to change the way his legs are formed.

Currently Dom is walking, trotting and cantering under saddle and does large and medium size circles and changes of direction like a champ. He is still learning his balance at the canter in a dressage-size arena and is also figuring out his leads. He is fun to ride and really enjoys hacking and trying new adventures!

Dom is well-suited to an intermediate to advanced rider with confidence as he is a young and athletic gelding. But he's full of potential and will make someone a fun, affectionate and fancy partner as he develops!

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.