Eligible for a Shipping Credit of Up to $500

“Kevin” is a striking horse who is equal parts good looks and personality! Despite having had surgery on both his knees and a sesamoid fracture in the past, he's always looked pretty sound with us! He plenty of R&R before restarting training, which also helped improve the quality of his hooves!

While he was initially a more testing turnout buddy, Kevin has settled into be a happy pasturemate. In fact, the horse he goes out with during the day is now the “boss,” and he's has learned to respect that he isn’t always a top dog. He never showed any aggressive behavior, he just had a bit of an ego!

While Kevin can be a class clown at times, he has surprised us all with his generally good manners for the farrier ... he likes to doze off during his pedicures! When being groomed, he can be a little impatient, though, so we’re still working on that!

Under saddle Kevin is clearly an athletic type! He does test his rider, so he would not do well with someone who's easily intimidated. For the right rider who can set firm boundaries while riding quietly with patience and authority, he seems like he’ll mature into a steadfast mount! Even with the wind howling in the indoor, Kevin didn’t bat an eye! 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2-3 - Kevin is learning to be more polite but he can be mouthy and pushy. He has historically been quick to rear, but he is learning to be quieter and more respectful.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 3 - He can be mouthy and paw, but is getting better and is generally well behaved on the crossties.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - He has front shoes on and is an exceptionally easy keeper as far as body condition goes!
• Riding - Level 2 - 3 - Kevin is exceptionally brave! He will occassionally will test the rider by getting strong, but has the makings of a very nice mount for the right rider!
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - 3 - Occasionally he's excitable, but he's usually very brave; he just has a dominant personality around people and other horses. He is submissive in his current turnout situation but does challenge/play tougher than many. 
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Because of the maintenance he has needed for higher intensity activities like race training, we think he would do best in a lower-level career.

 click for horse level information 

Shipping Credit Information

This horse is eligible for a shipping credit of up to $500! Here's what you need to know.

If you're using a commercial shipper*:

• Arrange shipping with the transporter of your choice and inform the New Vocations trainer you're working with of your shipping plans and the quote you've received. The New Vocations trainer must approve the shipping quote via text or e-mail before the horse ships to receive the shipping credit.
• Pay the shipping bill in full.
• E-mail a copy of the original transportation bill to accounting@horseadoption.com within 10 days of the horse arriving at your farm or boarding facility. Please include the address of the facility to which the horse was delivered along with your mailing address.
• New Vocations will then mail you a check for up to $500.

If you're picking up the horse yourself or otherwise not using a commercial shipper:

• Arrange a pick-up date and time with the trainer at the facility where the horse is located.
• E-mail accounting@horseadoption.com within 10 days of transporting the horse home. Please include the address of the facility to which the horse was delivered along with your mailing address.
• New Vocations will determine the mileage from the New Vocations facility at which the horse was located to the new farm or boarding barn, based on Google Maps.
• New Vocations will then mail you a check for $1.00/loaded mile (up to $500).

^{*A commercial transportation/shipping company by this definition is any equine transportation company that has a USDOT number.}

ABOUT OUR ADOPTION FEES

New Vocations intentionally sets our horses’ 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 $5,000 to $10,000!).

Our facilities are nearly always at max capacity, which means we can’t take in a new horse until one is adopted. Keeping our adoption fees low helps us find appropriate homes for horses quickly, thereby enabling us to assist even more horses transition off the track as stalls open up in our barns! In that way, when you adopt a horse through New Vocations, you’re actually helping two horses: your new family member and the one who takes his place in our program!

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

In general, our fees are set at $3,500, $2,500, $1,000, and Under $1,000:

• $3,500: This range is for horses considered unlimited in their physical ability or those with exceptional qualities that would make them an upper- or high-level equine athlete.
  
  
• $2,500: This range is for horses we consider physically capable of a mid- to high-level second career. They have few or relatively minor limitations.
  
  
• $1,000: This range is for horses best-suited for a low- to mid-level career. They may have sustained an injury but have been fully treated and rehabbed. These horses have been examined by and cleared by our veterinarians for most disciplines, possibly up to a certain level (for example, suitable for a career jumping 2’0” but not suitable for a 3’6” career).
  
  
• Under $1,000: This range is for horses that could be harder to place in a perfect situation or those with more limited athletic potential (for example, possibly suitable for flat-work only) but are still capable of a successful second career. They have been evaluated by our veterinarians and are otherwise healthy.

Another perk of adopting from us? We do all we can to give you the most value for your adoption fee. 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, evaluated by trainers and veterinarians, and in regular training with a professional; on average, the monetary value of these services exceeds $5,000. Any medical records (often including X-ray and ultrasounds) and pertinent history we have on each horse is also available to interested and approved adopters.