A Distinguished Gentleman!

Quality Closer, affectionately called "Q-Bert" in the barn, is a handsome War Horse with over 50-lifetime wins in his 316 starts.  Now that he is retired, Q-Bert is ready for a more relaxing life, but his excellent work ethic shines through in everything he does!

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Q-Bert is easy to handle in a regular halter and cotton lead rope and frequently leads in from the field with a friend.
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Q-Bert is patient and easygoing in the crossties and happily stands for grooming and tacking. 
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Q-Bert is barefoot and stays plump on our regular grain ration.
• Riding - Level 1 - Q-Bert prefers to pace under saddle. In fact, while all his friends are galloping in the field, you will usually see him pacing instead! He can pace smoothly and steadily or take you somewhere in a hurry! Q-Bert is still learning to balance around corners with a rider. He stands quietly at the mounting block and is laid back and happy to do what his rider asks.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - Q-Bert is happy to go with the flow! He is agreeable in turnout and has lovely stall manners. 
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Q-Bert is suitable for a moderate-impact second career. 

 click for horse level information 

Interested in this horse? Already approved adopters may reach out to this horse's trainer at the "Email About This Horse" button above for further information. Still need to become approved? Learn about the process and start your questionnaire at newvocations.org/adopt. Approved applications are valid for 2 years.

ABOUT OUR ADOPTION FEES

New Vocations intentionally sets our horses’ adoption fees lower than the average cost of buying a Thoroughbred or Standardbred from a private seller (in today’s market, horses coming right off the track are often listed at $5,000 to $10,000!).

Our fees range from $0 (waived) to $3,500.

• Fees typically correspond with a horse’s Anticipated Physical Capability. So, horses that are found to be best suited for non-riding careers (our Pasture Potatoes) have waived fees, while the fees for horses assessed to be suitable for high-impact careers will be up to $3,500.

While our adoption fees are low, it’s important to remember that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for a horse 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.

When you adopt a horse through New Vocations, you’re helping two horses; your new family member and the one who takes their place in our program. 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, enabling us to help even more horses transition off the track as stalls open up in our barns!

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've rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, been evaluated by trainers and veterinarians, and have been in regular training with a professional. On average, the monetary value of these services exceeds $5,000. Any medical records (often including X-rays and ultrasounds) and pertinent history we have on each horse are also available to interested and approved adopters.