Be the kookaburra to this Gum Tree! Gum Tree Lane (“Gum Tree”) is a big, beautiful, kind horse with loads of potential as an athlete.

In the stall, Gum Tree has no stall vices, and is very kind when he is approached for attention. He has been turned out in both partial-day and 24/7 setups here, and he has been fairly adaptable to both settings. At this time he is only eligible to go out in partial-day roundpen turnout due to specialty shoeing (discussed below). In full turnout, he was a mid-pack type of horse, so he would play and rough-house at times, as young geldings typically do, but he took care of himself and didn't pick on other horses either. Since he has limited turnout right now, he can be quite excitable in his stall, walking to the roundpens and in the roundpen. He will not be a good option for an intermediate or beginner handler.

Gum Tree was started in work with us, but we recognized a primary right hind lameness. Our vet identified distal cannon bone and sesamoid changes that were thought to be the source of his lameness, so we gave him time off to recuperate. His most recent vet exam showed dramatic improvement! Gum Tree also has some specialty shoes on right now since he was found to have poor angles in his feet, which our podiatrist says are an old issue, not new, and shouldn't affect his performance in the future.

It has been obvious from Day 1 that Gum Tree is a horse with a lot of poise, balance and that ‘x’ factor you look for in a sport horse, but he will need work to rebalance himself so that he comes off the bridle more and engages his hind end. He can be very, very strong through the bit, so he will definitely need to spend time with an advanced rider to get him in better self-carriage, without trying to just muscle him back! Fortunately, Gum Tree has already made progress in that endeavor, and we're looking forward to seeing how magnificent we know he'll be in the future as he develops!

Gum Tree is currently starting back in work slowly. He will need to follow a 'rehab ride' type schedule to get back into shape while monitoring his soundness moving forward. In the future, he could be suitable for many disciplines with time and proper fitness-- we could definitely see him catching an eye in the hunter ring or enjoying jumping in the future-- for an advanced rider/ professional. Eligible adopers must be approved with New Vocations and be experienced working with/ bringing along young, strong horses. 

As with all our adoptions, we try our best to match horses for success based on many different criteria, not just looks (although he is very good-looking!)! Please be patient as we try to work with approved adopters to assess suitability!

ADOPTION FEE POLICY

New Vocations’ adoption fees are intentionally set lower than the cost of buying most Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds through a private seller. In today’s market, it’s not unusual for horses coming right off the track to be listed for sale at a price between $2,000 and $5,000. At New Vocations, we set a fee that will ultimately help each horse find a home quickly. The program’s facilities are always at full capacity, which means we cannot take in an additional horse until one is adopted. Adopters should be encouraged to know that by adopting a horse through New Vocations, they are actually helping two horses transition to careers outside of racing.

In general, our fees are set at $500, $1,000 or $2,500.

• $2,500: This range is for horses that we consider to be the cream of the crop or the unicorn horses. They are horses that have few or no limitations, have great conformation, movement and size.
• $1,000: This range is for horses that are suitable for a competitive career up to a certain level (for example cleared for 2’6” but not 3’). They may have been fully rehabbed from a race injury but have been cleared for most disciplines.
• $500: This range is for horses that are limited to a flat, trail or companion type home. These horses are healthy and have been fully rehabbed and evaluated by a vet.

Additionally, adopters get great value for their money: The majority of the horses have been in the program for a minimum of 60 days. During that time, horses are rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, fully evaluated, and in work with a professional trainer. New Vocations fully discloses each horse’s history and provides all available medical records, many of which include X-ray and ultrasounds.

While adoption fees are low, it should be noted that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for each horse after adoption can be high. New Vocations hopes that by helping an adopter save money upfront, he or she will have more funds available to cover the continuing costs of properly caring for a horse.