You’ll want to open your barn doors right away to let Open Sesame into your barn! Meet Open Sesame or “Oscar” as he is called around the barn. Oscar is a goofy 5-year-old gelding who has settled right into our program and stolen our hearts. 

Oscar keeps us laughing with the tough guy persona he likes to put on, but underneath his act is a sweet and gentle momma’s boy. He likes to show his “toughness” by making grumpy faces and that’s the extent of his act! Once you’ve become a familiar face, he loves to stick his head out of his stall for some scratches and treats. He has no stall vices and is quite a gentleman on the crossties! He goes out at night with one other buddy and they mostly stick to quietly grazing next to each other. 

Oscar retired with only 1 start from the track so he’s a pretty blank slate when it comes to his new career! He has had time to heal from a mild case of suspensory desmitis in his right hind leg, but he has been slowly entered back into work and has been doing great! Under saddle, he at times tries to get away with his tough guy act by avoiding what’s being asked of him, but with a confident and consistent rider, he falls into place and agrees with what is being asked of him. 

Oscar will need to be in a home where he can continue easing back into training. We think he’ll do great in a home with someone showering him in all the love and attention and who isn’t by his signature grumpy guy act!

Make sure you check the recent Stable Pass video in which he was featured in the 'Videos' tab!

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