“Verne” is a quiet, kind guy with classy bloodlines and a great deal of potential!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Verne is a gentleman with great ground manners. He minds his space and listens to his handler well.

• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - 2 - Verne is typically very calm and quiet on the crossties while being groomed and tacked. 

• Horse Care - Level 2 - He wears basic front shoes and doesn’t require any “special” care. 

• Riding - Level 2 - 3 - We get the sense that Verne is on his way to becoming an outstanding mount. He is still green so he can be antsy or test his rider at times by tossing his head up at times, but we see those behaviors diminishing with a gentle, patient hand. He's already becoming more comfortable with a more relaxed, lower, stretchier body carriage. He would do best with at least an advanced intermediate rider at this time.

• General Demeanor - Level 1 - 2 - Verne is generally calm and confident. He might look to his handler a little in new situations but he is neither a dominant nor an anxious type. As he continues to be exposed to more new things, we think his confidence will only grow. He is turned out with one other horse in a paddock overnight right now. The other horse is a dominant-type and Verne is great at being a play buddy while keeping boundaries. He would likely be a mid-ranked horse in a bigger herd.

• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Verne is looking forward to a low-level career path! We think he'd be a superb dressage prospect! Having rehabbed from previous bowed tendons (once on each front leg), he would do best without the demands of a heavy jumping career, but he might be suitable for some crossrails sometime in the future; for now, though, he'd be quite happy to keep his hooves on the ground.

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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.