“Lo-Pa” brings the party with him wherever he goes!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Lo-Pa has been the sweetest horse since he arrived, both as a colt and following his gelding. He is easy to handle and can be led with a plain halter and lead rope.
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - He is a perfect gentleman on the crossties to be groomed and tacked up.
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Lo-Pa wears shoes on his front feet and is barefoot behind. 
  
  
• Riding - Level 3 - He is enthusiastic when it’s time to ride. He will often walk out to the ring with a slight hump in his back and benefits from some handwalking while you slowly tighten his girth. Once he has acclimated to his tack he's all business. He has lovely gaits and carries himself very well without intervention. 
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - He is generally a love bug and will actually wrap his head and neck around you for a hug. He loves any and all attention and  is not mouthy like most of the young geldings. He has been turned out in a smaller group of geldings at night and enjoys playing halter tag but settles quickly and will graze quietly next to his friends.
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 2+ - Lo-Pa came to us with some changes in both front fetlocks and his knees. We have started him in low level work to improve his fitness and he is doing very well. We believe he would do best in a low-level career, but he could potentially do more with proper fitness and time! 

 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.