Meet our Energizer Bunny! Rockaway Girl is a petite pacing-bred mare, by the World Champion stallion Pet Rock.  “Roxy” is your typical mare, always interested in what is going on around her and eagar to be part of the party!

We are told she did well in a group of mares, but since she has been here, she's been turned out solo. As long as she can see others, she does fine on her own!

Under saddle, Roxy turns her focus to you and is a straightforward and pleasant ride.  She will walk, trot, pace and canter under saddle and is happy to adventure outside, even alone. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Roxy is kind and easy to handle on the ground.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Often in the crossties, Roxy will fuss and shuffle around, looking to see what everyone else is doing (it might be more fun!). She does not offer any resistance to saddling or bridling.
• Horse Care - Currently Level 1 - Currently Roxy doesn't need any special care, though she may require joint supplements or possibly injections later in life (see Horse Physical Capability for details).
• Riding - Level 2 - Roxy is fairly level-headed about new situations and is responsive to her rider. If she hasn't had enough turnout for the day, she may require a light lunging session, where she likes to buck and play before buckling down to business.
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Like many mares, we are told Roxy can get quite attached to her friends. We are also told in a herd setting, she tends to be at the top of the pecking order but that she is not mean or agressive. 
• Horse Physical Capability - Level 2 - Roxy retired from racing with a hairline fracture in her left front ankle and had a bone chip removed from her right front ankle. Both have healed well and she is sound to ride and currently maintained barefoot. As she gets older, she may develop some arthritis and require supplements or injections. Additionally, Roxy experiences “inappropriate lactation,” meaning her udder will fill as if she is coming into milk. It comes and goes, but it does not cause her any issues as far as riding. 

 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.