“Skippy” is just an adorable baby, but has stolen our hearts for many other reasons. If you follow us on Instagram, you might have seen Skippy making his debut with his pool noodle friend honoring Star Wars Day. He has kept us laughing with his goofy and inquisitive personality! 

Skippy goes out during the day with our resident babysitter, Ranger, and quietly grazes until it is time to come inside. He is still learning that he’ll be okay when his friends go out at night without him and they will, in fact, return in the morning! Skippy doesn’t exhibit any naughty behavior, he just has a lot to say and will call out to his buddies to make sure they’re still there. Otherwise, Skippy has no stall vices. He is only a baby, so his tendencies are sure to change as he matures and figures out what being a horse is all about!

For only being 2, Skippy has a great amount of respect for his handler when on the ground. However, he will need the occasional reminder to be respectful of personal space and to refocus on what is being asked of him. 

He will do best in a home where he can have time off to just be a horse and keep growing, both mentally and physically. We see Skippy turning into an amazing gentleman of a horse with all the potential in the world! 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 3
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2
• Horse Care - Level 1
• Riding - Level 3
• General Demeanor - Level 2 
• Horse Physical Capability - Level 4

 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.