We fell in love with “Tatters” the minute she stepped in the barn! Her soft eye and kind face draw everyone's attention. She’s the kindest, most-appreciative mare! She's always polite, eager to please and pleasant to work with. This girl deserves to be spoiled and will soak up every moment of it!

Tatters turns out well with three other mares. She has no vices and is easy to have in the barn.

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Tatters is a no-nonsense, well-behaved girl who knows the drill!
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - This girl is polite and easy in every way.
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Tatters is barefoot, easy to have in the barn and requires no special care!
  
  
• Riding - Level 1 - 2 - Under saddle, Tatters is straightforward and willing. She has moments of being on the bit and engaging her hind end. She's easy to ride, isn't spooky and has a "been-there, done-that" demeanor. Although she's a trotter, she occasionally starts off at a pace if she doesn't feel her rider is supporting her. Tatters is working on building up muscle after an unknown amount of time off, but it’s easy to tell this little lady had a education in dressage and just needs a refresher and some time.
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - This girl just loves attention. A hand graze, a bath, a cuddle ... it doesn’t matter. She soaks it all up!
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Although Tatters has no known physical limitations, we think she'd be happiest in a lower-level job. We can see her being a perfect partner for a rider who'd like to dabble in some dressage or mosey around on a sunset trail ride.

 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.