Page 74 - 2021 TAA Magazine

New Vocations Racehorse REHABILITATION

Adoption Program RETRAINING/ADOPTION

TESTIMONIAL:
“We are grateful for
the TAA’s financial
support, which has
made it possible for
us to take in and care
for additional horses
each year.”

FOUNDED: 1992

ADDRESS:
New Vocations at Mereworth Farm
719 Dolan Ln.
Lexington, KY 40511
PHONE:
(859) 252-9574
MAIN CONTACT:
SEL PHOTOGRAPHY New Vocations at Mereworth Farm
Vernet was donated to New Vocations by Juddmonte Farms. He was adopted Kelly Summers
Wietsma and was the 2020 HITS Saugerties Grand Circuit Champion. WEB ADDRESS:
www.newvocations.org
A pioneer in racehorse aftercare, New Voca- with a signed contract stating the horse cannot SOCIAL:
tions leads the nation in retired racehorse return to a racing career or be sold at a public new.vocations1
adoptions, having provided new careers and auction. New Vocations monitors each horse

homes for more than 7,000 Thoroughbreds and closely during the first year in its new home; @NewVocations
Standardbreds since its inception in 1992. New the program offers a lifetime return policy @newvocationsracehorseadoption
Vocations was the first charity to focus solely to ensure the horse always has a safe place if AVERAGE NUMBER OF

on adoption rather than retirement as the needed.
optimal solution for the large number of race- The New Vocations Kentucky location THOROUGHBREDS PER YEAR:
horses leaving the track each year. includes a state-of-the-art training and adop- 320
New Vocations works directly with owners tion facility situated on historic Mereworth
and trainers within the racing industry who Farm in Lexington. New Vocations at Mere-
need a reliable aftercare option. More than worth Farm is part of the Susan S. Donaldson
half of the horses entering the program have Foundation’s 1,200-acre farm, making it the
an injury, ranging from minor soreness to nation’s largest racehorse retirement, reha-
fractures in need of repair. Rehabilitation has bilitation, retraining, and re-homing facility.
become a cornerstone of the program, which Tours are available by appointment.
focuses on retraining and re-homing retired Over the past 28 years, New Vocations has
racehorses. New Vocations has an average of seen a steady increase in demand tor retired
150 horses in its program at any given time. racehorses within the equestrian world.
These horses are in various stages of rehabili- “The homes are out there,” program direc-
tation and retraining, and are spread among tor Anna Ford said. “New Vocations is totally
eight locations in Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, dependent on donations to fulfill its mission.

Pennsylvania, and New York. The program The more funding we raise, the more horses
serves more than 500 horses each year. we can rehabilitate, retrain, and re-home. We
Potential adopters undergo a thorough appli- are deeply grateful to all who have joined our
cation process, with nearly 1,000 individuals effort to provide these horses with a quality
screened annually. All horses are adopted life and career after racing.”

PAGE 72 DAILY RACING FORM