• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Iona is easy to catch and lead. She loves treats and is easily bribed!
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 3 - Iona loves attention and a good grooming session! She enjoys the Tiger Tongue grooming tool and prefers it over any other brush. Iona had an unfortunate incident in her past that involved a set of cross ties. While we do not know the story, it is clear that she is very uncomfortable when restrained on either side of her head. She is good to tie in a stall with a single tie, and she is also working on ground tying. Iona is a magnet for rain rot, so she gets a lot of grooming and bath time! She is easy to tack up and loves to have her face rubbed.
• Horse Care - Level 2 - Iona currently wears shoes up front and as her new career demands it, may need to be shod behind as well. She is usually the first of the herd to get rain rot in our very humid climate, so she is used to getting fungus baths. She can get a little nervous, so we treat her for ulcers as needed. She would do well with a dash of aloe in her feed.
• Riding - Level 3 - Iona has been an easy horse to restart from the track! She has a good brain and has been walking, trotting and cantering well under saddle, in addition to hacking out quietly and bravely around the farm. She is a forward moving mare and at times can be a little nervous under saddle, but does not react. When she's in a nervous moment, she feels tense and can get quick. As she learns to relax and continue reaching with her strides we suspect she will become a lofty mover. She is still working on her balance,  straightness and strength in smaller arenas, but has been a steady partner and fun to work with as she learns new things. 
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Iona is a lovely, kind and sweet mare. She bonds well with her handlers. She is lower on the pecking order in turnout with her group of mares, but is not at the bottom. She is a horse that makes a person smile every day because of her sunny disposition!
• Physical Capability - Level 4 - Iona has old set osselets but they do not limit her.  She can do any job that is asked of her. She enjoys a program and would be a nice restart for any discipline, both English and Western!

 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.