San Gabriel is a lovely, stunning and well built 3 year old gelding. Standing at 16.2, he will mature into a beauty! Gabe did not have the speed to be a top racehorse, so his amazing owner sent him to New Vocations.  Gabe is a pacing bred, but has shown us he will trot and pace under saddle. Retiring sound, he is a clean slate to develop into a great riding horse. Having received great training at the track, he is super for all the basics and seen plenty. We see him excelling on the trails, in the arena, driving, or all around family horse. He has currently been riding in an indoor arena setting and with other horses. This big, handsome horse will continue to grow, so if you are looking for a tall Standardbred, Gabe is it. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Gabe is young and inexperienced, so he will need someone who can show him the way.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Gabe likes to be fussed over and is well behaved for tacking and on the cross ties.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Gabe is easy in turnout, will get along well with other geldings and is wearing front shoes.
• Riding - Level 2 - 3 - While he is new to riding, after an initial adjustment and some experience we believe he will make a lovely riding horse. At this point he needs someone to confidently lead while in the saddle.
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Gabe is young, so he will need consistency and structure to become the great riding horse we believe he will be.
• Physical Capability - Level 4 

 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.