Big, Athletic Young Mare!

Calling all mare lovers!  Promise is a big, elegant daughter of Well Said. She didn't take to racing and is a clean slate with no limitations.  Although she is pacing bred, she has a nice sweeping trot that would be ideal for a variety of performance events, and has offered to canter on the lunge line.  We've been taking it slow with her retraining because of her age, but she is very willing and enjoys her training time. 

• Leading and Ground Manners- Level 2 - Generally Promise is quiet to lead, but she's an inexperienced young horse and will sometimes react to new objects in her surroundings. She leads quietly without a chain, but may stop to look, or bow away from "scary" things.
• Grooming and Tacking- Level 2 - Promise is good about being cross tied, but will fidget if she's left standing there for too long. She will occasionally lift a hind foot when tightening her girth.
• Horse Care- Level 1 - Promise is barefoot and is an easy keeper. 
• Riding- Level 3 - As Promise is just a baby, she will need a rider who is experienced with young horses and their behaviors. She has never offered to be nasty, but will occasionally startle, and notices when an object in the arena has been moved. She will need someone to keep her on task with her assignment and focused on her job rather than outside stimulus. 
• General Demeanor- Level 2 - Promise is generally an easy going mare, she is in a turnout group with several other mares ranging in age from weanlings to seniors and does well.  She does bond with her friends, and the first few minutes of bringing her in from turnout can be a bit hectic while she calls for her buddies.  We have found letting her settle in a stall for a while before going to work is helpful for her. 
• Physical Capability- Level 5 - Promise has no known limitations and could go in any direction.  We do not recommend her as a driving prospect however, as she retired from racing due to her fondness for kicking at the sulky. 

Like a lot of mares, Promise wants to size up the people in her life, but once she gives you her heart she will give you her all!

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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 range around $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.
  
  
• $2,000 - $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 - $1,500: 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.