“Madison” is a classy, experienced guy who's easy to have in the barn! A stakes winner in New Zealand (check out an article about his last Group 1 win here!), we know he'll follow up his success on the track with a stellar second career!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Madison is very consistent and pretty unflappable. He is led easily without a chain and leads well with other horses.

• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - 2 - Like most of the young horses in our program, Madison can act like he needs a pacifier at times, chewing on the crossties or trying to put something in his mouth! But other than that, he stands very quietly and happily for grooming and tacking.

• Horse Care - Level 2 - Madison has front shoes, but he requires no other specialty care.

• Riding - Level 2 - “Consistent” is the best word to describe Madison under saddle. Having been a very accomplished racehorse, he has that sought-after “been-there-done-that” attitude … just without any of the speed! The assistant trainer at our Kentucky facility, Julie, says he rides “just like a couch with legs.” He’s still green in his second career training, but he is pretty unfazed by new environments and situations. Madison has just been working on getting back into shape, so he’s only been walking and trotting under saddle recently. We can certainly see him being a steady, versatile mount for someone!

• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Madison is exceptionally easy in many ways! He can get a bit bored in his stall, so he passes the time by occasionally banging on the stall front, sticking his tongue out or waiting for someone to walk by his stall and putting on a "tough guy" face to show his displeasure if he's ignored. In turnout, Madison is mid-ranked and has been in many different turnout situations here, so he’s well-versed in the social atmosphere at this point!

• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Due to previous injuries, Madison would be best suited for a low-level career path. As always, all the veterinary records we have on him are available for interested, approved adopters.

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.