Recent radiographs show that Moonlander has relatively little sole depth (but good angles!), so he will do best remaining in front shoes at least in the short-term.

PLEASE NOTE: As a special opportunity to qualified, approved adopters, Moonlander is available for adoption ahead of schedule, for a discounted adoption fee. Ideal qualified homes would give him more time to rest/grow/start work back under saddle very slowly, would be comfortable doing the reconditioning on the ground and under saddle, and have a good working relationship with their vet for rechecks/understanding of the injury. He could be suitable for many disciplines with time and proper fitness—we could definitely see him catching an eye in the hunter ring or enjoying some low-jumping in the future, but of course his ability level in the future will critically depend on the continued progress he makes after he leaves our program as well!

Eligibility for rehab adoptions depends on proven experience with rehabilitation. Adopters must be able to prove past experience with a letter from their vet, or professional riders may have the option to certify their experience and knowledge of the implicit risks of taking on a rehab themselves, at the trainer’s discretion.

Requirement: a letter from their veterinarian stating that the vet believes that the Applicant has the knowledge, resources and experience to properly rehabilitate a horse transitioning from the track. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Being able to handle behaviors that can go hand-in-hand with rehab (e.g. flightiness/ excitability, depression, stall vices, aggression);
• Demonstrating a solid knowledge base about common injuries;
• The ability to perform tasks like administration of medicine as needed; and
• The ability to do/provide rehab rides.

The applicant's account must also be in good standing with the veterinarian and ideally have a proven history of injury care, following veterinary protocols and doing rechecks as needed.

As with all our adoptions, we try our best to match horses for success based on many different criteria, not just looks (although he is very good-looking!)! Please be patient as we try to work with approved adopters to assess suitability!

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.