• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Vander is a forward thinking gelding who does well being handled by a similar minded individual. He marches to and from turnout and does not dawdle. He does best with handlers who have some horse experience.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 3 - Vander enjoys being groomed and handled, and generally enjoys his time with his people. He can get a little antsy in the cross ties while settling into his environment. He prefers a quiet atmostphere rather than a busy barn. 
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Vander is blind in his right eye, but he does not require any special care for it other than a fly mask at turnout. He wears front shoes on his big, lovely hooves.
• Riding - Level 3 - Vander does great in a western saddle, exploring the trails and checking out the fence lines. He is also happy to be ridden bareback through the fields! We believe he prefers this cowboy lifestyle, as he can be nervous, tense or strong when riding in a covered arena. 
• General Demeanor - Level 3 - Friendly and handsome, it's hard not to enjoy your time spent with Vander. He is currently turned out with a small group of geldings and does very well with them. He has a middle-of-the-pack personality.
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Vander is blind in his right eye. It does not limit his abilities, however, certain things bother him such as lunging to the right. Personality-wise, he is best suited to a trail or ranch lifestyle, as he's showed us he enjoys this the most. He has three, big gaits and is a very handsome gelding!

 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 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.