• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - 2 - Ike is lead around the farm in a plain halter and cotton rope. In an exciting situation or new location he may need a chain or rope halter until he settles in.
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Ike is usually eager to get on with things but is learning to be more patient standing on the crossties. Most things that are within reaching distance will end up in his mouth as just a way to amuse himself while you’re fetching your equipment! He occasionally will reach around if you’re at his side doing up (or undoing) his girth but it’s playful, not in protest.
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Ike wears front steel shoes, is currently living out with another gelding and tends to be the boss in group turnout.
  
  
• Riding - Level 3 - Ike has quite the sense of humor and likes to keep his rider thinking. He needs to be kept engaged and will do best with an experienced, patient rider that will manage his green moments and continue his progress into the incredibly nice horse we know he will be! As you can tell from the video he is still quite green but other than occasionally losing power steering he has never offered to do anything truly naughty or mean and is not ‘hot’ or spooky.
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 3 - Ike is the class clown of our OTTB kindergarten! He has a ton of personality and some harmless quirks but under it all has a heart of gold and really wants to find ‘his person’. Because he tends to have a bit of a bigger, more dominant personality, he will occasionally need a small correction or reminder. This will be important to encourage him to continue to make right choices and why we feel his best fit for a new partner will be someone confident and more experienced.
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - 4 - Ike came to us with a pretty significant tendon injury and we’ve closely monitored what’s come to be nothing short of an outstanding rehabilitation! Ike has healed up remarkably well and our team feels that with a continued steady increase in work intensity he will enjoy a successful low to mid level second 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 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.