New Vocations is testing a new category system to help our trainers make even better horse and rider matches! Learn more about the horse levels and classifications our trainers will be using in descriptions at newvocations.org/horse_levels!

Big, friendly trotter with lots of saddle time!

“Pilgrim” is a big and tall trotting-bred gelding who had a brief racing career and then started working under saddle. He had a few years off living the good life in turnout, but he picked right up where he left off when we began riding him again. Because he's had some time off, he will generally want to look at things when he is in a new environment (you can see the difference between his indoor ride and his first outdoor ride shot on the same day).  Under saddle, he is pleasantly forward, but he doesn't pull or hang in the bridle.  He's riding quietly walk and trot and has offered to canter, but we haven't asked him for that under saddle as he is still getting back into riding shape. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Pilgrim is easy to lead with a halter and regular lead rope.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Pilgrim stands quietly tied or crosstied and will drop his head to be bridled.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Pilgrim is barefoot and has no known issues
• Riding - Mostly Level 2 - Generally Pilgrim is quiet and easy going, but as mentioned above, when he is somewhere new, he will need to see things and may stop to look at "scary" objects or need more reassurance from his rider.
• General Demeanor - Mostly Level 2 - Pilgrim was very anxious the day he arrived to us and spent a lot of time stall walking and calling for his old friends. It only took him about 24 hours to settle in and make new friends, now he acts like he's been here forever.  Also in the field, Pilgrim likes to play and be rowdy, so he will take a group of horses that wants to play along.  He can also be a bit of a prankster when you go to catch him.
• Horse Physical Capacity - Level 4 - Pilgrim has no issues that we have seen and should be capable of any event his owner would like to tackle!  

 click for horse level information 

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.