Easily identified as the sweetest and kindest horse in the barn, Rocky will amaze you with his stellar personality and his overall attitude. He likes to fool onlookers into thinking he's a Warmblood! This gorgeous guy we placed a year ago and sadly due to his adopter's life changes, was returned to New Vocations. Rocky never made it to the races, but was trained for two years until he fractured a sesamoid. He was fully rehabbed, trained to ride and adopted.

Rocky was sound in his first home and has been great to work with and ride. He is up for just about anything and will happily walk and trot under saddle. Outside- no problem! Inside - no problem! He will make an amazing trail and all around family horse. Due to his sesamoid, we would not recommend heavy jumping; but he could do just about anything else. He has a great brain and is very well built. Rocky is wide and comfortable! He is going to keep growing as he is only four years old. He will continue to mature, but with his great brain and gorgeous looks we see him excelling in many ways. He is just getting started!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Rocky walks in and out of his paddock quietly. He is lovely in his stall and sometimes will play in his water buckets in the summer.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Rocky loves attention and will stand on the cross ties well for grooming and tacking.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Rocky wears front shoes, but his feet are very strong! He does not require any additional maintenance at this time.
• Riding - Level 2 - 3 - Rocky is green but so willing and eager to please. He will move forward off your leg and into new situations. He goes in a plain snaffle and has been turning and stopping well. He stands for mounting and dismounting and will patiently stand in the arena for any length of time.
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Rocky is level headed and the kindest guy! He is happy to be snuggled and receive attention.
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Rocky could go on any trail or participate in arena work. We would not recommend him as a full time jumping horse, but an occasional pop over a log or a small jump should be fine.

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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.