Calling all adventure seekers! “Sheila” is a spunky, athletic filly who's ready to go boldly into a new career path!  She is looking for an equally-bold rider to be her co-pilot in whatever adventures the future may hold!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Sheila is typically easy to lead. She knows to respect the speed of her handler when being led, though sometimes she can be eager to graze and needs reminding to pay attention!
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - 3 - Soft brushes are Sheila’s favorite! She knows how to stand well in crossties and enjoys getting attention, but she is thinner-skinned and sensitive so she appreciates a soft hand and soft brushes, especially around her flank. She could intimidate a less confident handler when she makes faces to show her displeasure about harder brushing or when she is being tacked up. But with time and the right person, we think she will be less apprehensive about tacking up, too!
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 2 - She wears basic front shoes.
  
  
• Riding - Level 3 - Sheila is an athlete and it shows! She is still adjusting to pleasure-type riding, so she tends to need a couple minutes to quiet down under saddle before she focuses well. As she’s doing more transitional training, she has made it clear that she likes a light, supportive ride. She'll require a very independent seat and hand from the rider!
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Sheila can typically be found quietly resting in her stall during the day and is a mid-ranked member of her overnight mare turnout crowd. While Sheila can make grouchy faces, she is really a sweetheart with some persuasion! On the ground she is quite brave and typically explores a great deal in turnout, even routinely crossing the creek (and leading as other more nervous horses follow her)!
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 4 - Sheila shows a great deal of potential and we think she could excel in any number of disciplines with some time and patience. Given that she will freely leap across the creek in the turnout, she might love eventing! She had a medial suspensory branch injury in 2020 that has healed well. She has had plenty of downtime to recover from it, so now she is ready to embark on a new adventure!

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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.