We sure won't have to tell you about this guy again ... you won't be able to forget him! This classy guy had a fantastic career on the track and we're thrilled that his racing connections asked us to help him transition to his next adventure. 

He came with the nickname “Meatball,” which fits him perfectly as he's a fun guy who loves to ham it up! But he's also a calm, cool and collected guy with years of experience under his belt. A confident guy, he made the transition to riding like a total professional and was easy to restart. He has more whoa than go and, while he raced as a pacer, he prefers to trot under saddle; he's even shown us a canter under tack! Meatball stands quietly for mounting and dismounting.  

He's easy to handle on the ground and leads well, sometimes even as a pair with one of his pasturemates. He can get excited if he’s left on the crossties and doesn't think you're giving him enough attention, but he's happy to stand quietly as long as someone is grooming, tacking or just hanging around with him.

Meatball is a clean slate with no known injuries and no vices. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Meatball is always well-behaved on the ground and hasn't needed a chain in our program.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - He stands like a statue while being worked on but can be excitable if left on the crossties.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - He wears shoes on his front hooves.
• Riding - Level 1 - Meatball is an easy, straightforward ride and hasn't offered any funny business.
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - He's an easy-going, confident guy. He's playful with the other geldings in his pasture, though, and not everyone appreciates his antics!
• Horse Physical Capability - Level 4+ - He has no known injuries.

 click for horse level information 

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.