This real-life Black Beauty captured our hearts the moment she arrived at our facility on the coldest day of the year. “PB” unloaded near the road and walked quietly up the long snow-covered driveway to the barn—all while we were hosting a horse show!—and didn’t bat an eye or put a foot out of line.

The way PB entered the barn that day is the way she lives her life: confidently, soaking up affection and with impeccable manners! She stands well in crossties, but she loves to get to work and can get a little impatient if she has to wait in the crossties and if her overly attached pasture mate is yelling for her. But whenever her handler is around or working with her, she's all business!

We've ridden PB in both English and Western saddles and she goes happily either way. Under saddle, she has fantastic natural self-carriage and has a great uphill way of going. She's a lovely mover! Although PB paced on the track, she is getting comfortable trotting under saddle and has even offered some steps of canter. We've ridden PB all over the farm and in the snow, which she loved. She's even trotted some poles in the arena. She’s a confident and eager learner.

Of course, we all know that horses can do silly things from time to time, and PB tried to jump out of a pasture when she was much younger. She has some cosmetic scarring from her adventure, but they don't impact her at all! She hasn't tried to leave her paddock since, and she's even gotten better at jumping ... take a peek at how she eagerly pops over a crossrail in her video!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - No chain needed for PB! She is polite at the gate and waits her turn to go in and out.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - PB is good for grooming and tacking and she loves attention, but she can get impatient if she has to wait in the crossties by herself. She's just ready to get down to business!
• Horse Care - Level 3 - While she's currently barefoot, we're having front shoes put on; the New York ground is unforgiving this time of year, and we think she'd be more comfortable in shoes at least for now!
• Riding - Level 2 - 3 - PB is brave and very confident under saddle! She likes to keep her feet moving and is a very forward thinker, though, so she's not the ride for everyone.
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - She's a sweet girl who loves to be fussed over!
• Physical Capability - Level 4 - PB has some freeze firing on both front cannon bones, but this is purely cosmetic and won't impact her future career potential!

 click for horse level information 

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.