Talk about a knockout! “Dreamer” has it all: correct conformation, eye-catching appeal, flashy movement and an easy-going personality! She's been a dream to care for during her time with us.

Dreamer came to us with a tendon injury that was rehabbed slowly and carefully and healed very well. As she returned to under-saddle work, veterinarians identified some mild arthritic changes between her spinal processes; as always, all the veterinary records we have on her, including radiographs, are available for interested and approved adopters. Initially Dreamer was fairly reactive when we placed weight in the saddle. In an effort to determine whether these reactions were behavioral or caused pain, we tried several different saddles and took things very slowly. Currently Dreamer is walking, trotting and cantering around the arena on a loose rein quite happily and without any apparent discomfort (check out the videos on the "Video" tab, linked above!). We will continue monitoring and evaluating her as she progresses, but we're cautiously optimistic that she can have a riding career with the right rider and saddle. Thanks to her kind nature on the ground and lovely conformation, we think she'd also make a fantastic companion/babysitter or sport horse broodmare!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Dreamer is a generally easy-going girl. She can be forward walking to her paddock for turnout, but she leads well with another mare. 
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - 3 - She stands well in crossties and enjoys being pampered with a good grooming session! She can be a bit overreactive picking up her hind feet.
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 2 - 3 - Dreamer was happily barefoot for much of her time with us. We put shoes on all four feet to rule out foot soreness as a pain source (it wasn't a cause of discomfort!), but she should not have to remain in shoes for the long term.
  
  
• Riding - Level 3 - 4 - Currently Dreamer is walking, trotting and cantering around the arena on a loose rein quite happily, but she'll need the right rider and saddle to continue her progress. Her trainer is happy to discuss this with interested, approved adopters!
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Dreamer is a sweet and personable girl who's easy to have in the barn. She previously rehabbed a tendon injury (which healed well and shouldn't limit her in any way!) and was an excellent patient! She has no vices and she's been treated for ulcers.
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level TBD - As we're still monitoring and evaluating Dreamer, it's unclear what her future capabilities might be. The past tendon injury itself, however, healed very well and should not limit her athletic potential.

 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.