Wasabi Ventures Stables recently did an interview with Anna Ford at the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. Learn more about them at http://newvocations.org/.
Where is New Vocations based?
We have two locations in Ohio and also are in Kentucky, New York, and Pennsylvania. We also just opened a location in Louisiana in March.
How long has your group been active?
We were formed in 1992. Over 6,000 horses have been rehomed via our program. We retire both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. The majority of our retirees, over 75%, are Thoroughbreds.
What happens when a horse is accepted into your program?
We try to have as much info as possible before. Every horse is evaluated: what sort of rehab does it need, does it need letdown time, is there an injury, how long of a transition to the new pace will it need. Once the horse is physically/mentally sound, we transition it to being ridden. We learn who/what the horse is with the goal of promoting it accurately. Rehab can be 30 days to 1 year.
What is next?
We put the horse on our website. Some might have their new owner hand-selected. Most owners are via our website. It typically takes 60 days to rehome a horse once it’s ready.
How many farms do you work with to retrain your horses?
We do the retraining ourselves. The biggest farm is in Lexington, which we own. We have trainers at all of our farms to work with the horses.
Do you have a story about a horse?
There are a ton of success stories on our website. One story that comes to mind is Sam P. He was a contender in the Kentucky Derby in 2007 and came through the program. He went on to be a successful dressage horse. Many people don’t think about horses at this level needing another career, but it happens to many horses.
What makes your program unique?
We are unique due to the fact that we’ve been around the longest and are the largest. We aim at not just flipping horses. We are with them for a great bit of time. We take pride in having horses assessed and getting what they need. We track retirees for the first year and require 3 updates (3rd,9th,12th month). Applicants are screened by the veterinarian (needs vet reference). We also will take horses back if the pairing doesn’t work.
If people want to help your program, what can they do?
A: Funding is number 1, so we’d love it when people make a donation. We also appreciate social media promotion of what we’re doing and spreading the word on available horses. To make a donation, please click here.
New Vocations is TAA accredited.