Shaftesbury is a handsome guy with the sweetest personality! This in-your-pocket kind of guy has an inquisitive mind and gentle heart. With only 6 starts on the track and his young age, Shaftesbury is eagerly waiting to see what his next career holds!

On the ground, Shaftesbury is very easy to handle; in fact, his handler will usually have to ask him to walk a bit faster to his turnout field! He has gone out at night both with a few geldings and also with just one friend and does great in both situations. He’s a middleman in the pecking order but will try to be rambunctious with his buddies until he realizes grazing is the way to go. He stands very well in the crossties and for the vet and farrier. When he's in his stall during the day, you'll most likely see Shaftesbury catching a mid-morning nap or playing with his toy apple.

Be sure to check out Shaftesbury’s free-longe video to see his very cute and lovely trot and canter! While he's only just begun work under saddle in our retraining program due to a stubborn abscess, he is very easy-going and willing with a brave mind in new environments and situations. Shaftesbury retired from the track with a few chips in his fetlocks that have since been removed, but some arthritis developed in his front fetlocks so he'll would do best with a rider with low-level ambitions. We see Shaftesbury coming out of his shell even more once he finds his forever home and are excited to see what he will tackle in his next career!

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

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ABOUT OUR ADOPTION FEES

We intentionally set New Vocations’ adoption fees lower than the average cost of buying a Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds from a private seller (in today's market, horses coming right off the track are often listed at a price between $2,000 and $5,000!). Our facilities are always at full capacity, which means we can't take in an additional horse until one is adopted; a lower adoption fee means horses are more likely to find appropriate homes quickly and we can welcome more horses into our barns. And just think: By adopting one horse through New Vocations, you're actually helping two horses (you new family member and the one who takes his place in our program) 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.

Another perk of adopting from us? We do our best to give you the best bang for your buck. Most adoptable horses have been in the program for a minimum of 60 days,  during which they're rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, fully evaluated, and in work with a professional trainer. We're also happy to share the history and any medical records (often including X-ray and ultrasounds) we have on each horse with interested and approved adopters.

While our adoption fees are low, please remember that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for a horse (adopted or otherwise!) can be high. We hope that by helping an adopter save money upfront, you'll have more funds available to cover the continuing costs of properly caring for and training a horse.