This pint-sized powerhouse is ready to find his perfect person!

“Chili” is small in stature, but big in personality! While he looks a bit like an overgrown pony, he has a big and bold way of going and is very brave in all situations. He has been enjoying trail riding adventures around the property and down the road, happily goes through water and riding past traffic.  He has also worked over obstacles in the arena, including small crossrails. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Chili is quiet and easy to handle on the ground. He's been led and handled by children and husbands!
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Chili stands quietly in the crossties for grooming, bathing, clipping, farrier work, etc. ... all the things! He has no issues with saddling or bridling.
   
• Horse Care - Level 1 - 2 - Chili is an incredibly easy keeper (think Shetland pony!)  He is currently on a ration balancer and grass mix hay. He gains weight extremely easily and could run the risk of developing metabolic issues if overfed. Currently Chili is wearing front shoes, but we do think he could go barefoot, depending on his work load. 
  
  
• Riding - Level 1 - Chili wasn't entirely sure about the mounting block his first couple of rides, but as soon as he figured it out, he was ready to go on adventures!  He will happily mosey along in a trail or arena setting and is happy to ride out alone or in company.  Though he raced as a pacer, he prefers to trot under saddle. He has shown willingness to canter on the lunge line and should pick that up under saddle, as well. 
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Chili is a very "go with the flow" kind of guy.  He has gotten along nicely with all of the geldings he has been turned out with, is easy to catch and has no vices or issues.  We were told he is not a fan of large dogs, but loves cats and children.
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - 4 - Chili has no known issues that would prevent him from a variety of disciplines.  We can see him being a fantastic youth show horse or a great trail buddy, but we know whatever his adopter wants to try, he will give it his all!

 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.