Sea Shark is one of those horses who you just can’t pass up! “Bruce” as he is called in the barn, is a 5-year-old gelding who is bursting with personality. He is always the first to greet you in the mornings (always with a nicker) and will happily accept treats and scratches. He has such a kind eye and loves to be hugged on. 

On the ground, Sea Shark is curious in a baby Thoroughbred kind of way! He likes to sniff and check out anything that’s new to him, but has never shown any sort of naughty behavior or spookiness. Bruce stands well in the crossties as well as for the vet and farrier. He goes out at night with four geldings and is happily led in and out each day. 

Bruce started work under saddle but as he progressed it became evident that he needed some R&R time before he would be ready for more work. In the short time he started in transitional training under saddle last year, Bruce really ‘wowed’ us with what an easy-going, fun prospect he could be though! He has very smooth, ground-covering gaits in an arena, but he has also gone out on trails and is not fazed by anything.

More recently, Bruce has been getting time off for some suspensory ligament damage, but he is just now getting back into the swing of things, slowly getting back into fitness and we’re excited to see how he continues to progress in the future! We could see him going in just about any direction (with lots of time) given his easy disposition! 

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

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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.