2022 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

Despite his royal breeding, “Succo” didn't have much success on the racetrack and his connections opted to point him in another direction after just one start. This flashy guy is a clean slate and full of potential for his next adventure!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Around the farm, Succo leads quietly with a plain cotton rope and has good ground manners. He can get a bit excitable if there's lots of action, but he remains respectful of his handler's personal space.
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Like many youngsters, Succo can sometimes be a bit impatient on the crossties and start to fidget or paw. Most of the time, the ends of the crossties (or unattended lead ropes or reins) end up in his mouth, but he doesn't really chew them ... he just seems to want to hold onto them for you! He stands well to be tacked and quite enjoys a good brush and bubble bath!
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Succo wears steel shoes on his front hooves. He's an easy keeper and hasn't needed any specialized care!
  
  
• Riding - Level 2 - A very enjoyable ride with a super cute canter, Succo has a lovely soft mouth and is learning to accept contact. Each ride, he has more and more moments of working into a very nice frame! He marched around the big grass ring on his first day back to work and didn’t bat an eye at any of the strange jumps!
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Succo is full of personality and we had some good laughs getting him restarted; we're pretty sure he was convinced that his retirement from racing meant retirement, period! He gave us what we imagined was a horsey version of a sigh and eye roll when we first asked him to get back to the grind, but we convinced him it wasn't all bad and won him over ... he’s eager to head to the ring each day and quite enjoying his new job now!
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 5 - Succo came to us with a tendon injury that we've rehabbed slowly and properly, and he won’t have any limitations for a new career! He's still in the process of getting legged back up from his rehab and lay off, so he'll need to continue in a slow and steady program as he transitions to his next job.

 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.