“Mel” is a playful guy who's ready to shine in his second career!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Mel can be easily led with a regular halter and lead and responds well to a confident handler. 
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - He stands patiently on the crossties to be groomed and loved on. Mel does not enjoy his ears being touched, which we have been working on and he continues to improve, but he currently does best when the bridle is detached from the bit and put on more like a halter. 
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 2 - 3 - Mel wears basic front shoes and requires bell boots to ensure they stay on! 
  
  
• Riding - Level 2 - 3 - He can be a quite straightforward, quiet mount, and he can also be a bit more enthusiastic about work than he needs to be! He is learning to have consistent, soft contact and listen to his rider rather than trying to chart his own course in day-to-day riding. He commands attention and tends to thrive with new challenges, always exceeding our expectations. He needs a strong rider who can help him to develop a more collected balance while not letting him get strong and not getting too hard in the hands. It’s a balance with Big Mel: he is a great project for someone who wants natural talent that can be shaped to finish their way! 
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - 3 - While Mel is not generally an anxious horse, he has a macho, playful personality, that can translate to some testing behavior on the ground and some dominant tendencies in turnout with other horses. Big Mel is a young, flashy leader, so he does best in setups with older, mellow but confident geldings, who can keep his ego in check and be a good role model for him! Human handlers should also be confident horsemen so that Mel can get occasional reminders about being on his best behavior.
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Mel has had a long rest period to heal from boney changes in his ankles, a hind suspensory injury and to have special attention from our farrier to help support his healing process. At this point, we are seeing the product of this time off and TLC, and he is doing very well back in work! Mel would be best suited for a low- mid level career moving forward after he gets back into shape, and will need at least an advanced intermediate rider to guide him in his continued transition to his next career!

 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 range around $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.
  
  
• $2,000 - $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 - $1,500: 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.