2023 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

Handsome and sweet “Wingman” has wowed us with his icy-cool attitude, playful Goose persona and Maverick-like confidence.  

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Wingman is easy to handle on the ground! He is curious and kind, with good manners.
  
  
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - 2 - On the crossties, he loves to be groomed and get personal attention! He is a bit more sensitive to brushing so he needs a gentle had at times, but he stands quietly with only occasional moments of impatience (which is to be expected for even the best-behaved 3 year olds!).
  
  
• Horse Care - Level 1 - 2 - Wingman is barefoot and does well without shoes for rehab. An adopter might choose to add shoes when he’s ready to start more work but it’s always good to have a horse who can go back to a barefoot base. As with all horses, a good farrier will play a supporting role in his overall soundness and success moving forward, so while he is barefoot, he’ll still need routine trims (we recommend every four to six weeks)! We also keep Wingman on a gastro-protectant, like many of our horses, but with a consistent routine he likely won’t need that long-term!
  
  
• Riding - Level 2 - Wingman is exceptionally well-behaved. He has three lovely, balanced gaits and shows incredible balance and work ethic for his age. As with most of our young horses, he would do best with an experienced rider to continue to guide him through development.
  
  
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Aside from the occasional baby moment, Wingman doesn’t give us much to complain about! He is happy to cuddle in his stall, run around with a friend in the pasture or just enjoy your company.
  
  
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - 4 - Wingman is rehabbing from a front right tendon injury that came up in his training, but he has shown consistent improvements in his time off. In our experience, horses with similar injuries can have very full, successful athletic careers with the right amount of rest and reconditioning. We can see him being an amazing hunter prospect or pleasure mount!

This guys is ready to be your wingman anytime! Are you ready to be his?

 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.