Hmm, the “more to the story” comment is interesting to me - really, not a lot, except that horse had extensive farrier work to hopefully resolve the issues, and when sent to train with a USDF silver medalist and “L” judge, was not worked until further vet evaluation to determine the cause of the lameness, upon which a diagnosis of ringbone was made with a decent prognosis if proper vet/farrier care and limitations were observed, per that veterinarian.
[QUOTE=vxf111;8726143]
I don’t see anything in the listing that indicates he was adopted and returned because he had an episode of lameness. I would, as a potential buyer/adopter, want to know that. It might not make/break my decision but I’d want to know.[/QUOTE]
I agree.
If nothing else put in the ad that there are current X-rays available. That at least gives a person a reason to ask about the X-rays.
As someone casually looking/thinking about an OTTB now… this (and one personal experience re: a CANTER DE horse) have me feeling very discouraged. 
I got my amazing OTTB directly from a trainer 12 years ago, and did a PPE. I’m very pleased with my STB from NV, just really upset now to think NV doesn’t have good oversight of all barns, from all appearances. From other posters on this thread, sounds like the Marysville OH barn is good - so depends on how strongly you feel about an organization’s need to enforce standards at all locations. And sadly, I was thinking of CANTER as the alternative - similar problems there??? Sigh.
[QUOTE=vxf111;8726172]
As someone casually looking/thinking about an OTTB now… this (and one personal experience re: a CANTER PA horse) have me feeling very discouraged. :([/QUOTE]
You could always network with the, idk, bajamillion posters on COTH who have connections :winkgrin: What are your specs? Did you check out Finger Lakes Finest?
[QUOTE=beowulf;8726198]
You could always network with the, idk, bajamillion posters on COTH who have connections :winkgrin: What are your specs? Did you check out Finger Lakes Finest?[/QUOTE]
I’m really only truly casually looking at this point. I am at the point where if there is a perfect creature [B]in my backyard /B I will go get it. Otherwise I’m not really looking. So nothing I would have to ship (which rules out Finger Lakes). If I was actively looking I would be ok with shipping but right now I am in a “it needs to fall in my lap” mode.
Called on one that was initially listed on CANTER DE and marked “sold” but then the same horse popped up on my CL. The CANTER listing had said “sound for any discipline.” The CL ad said nothing (it was basically the horse’s name, height, and that he was a gelding and nothing more). When I called the trainer was VERY VERY VERY honest. The horse is not what I would call “sound” and he’s flatwork-only suitable. And he’s in the same condition as when he was listed on CANTER DE. Same trainer. Same horse. It’s only been a couple months. And trainer said he was fully honest with CANTER. So… why’d they list him as sound? it makes me really leery to even bother with their listings.
And that pretty much ended my searching for the moment because, like I said, I’m not REALLY shopping. SO is on board with the perfect horse falling into our lap and appearing in the pasture but otherwise he says there’s a hiring moratorium here 
I feel compelled to add that I bought my horse from the NV Kentucky facility. Melissa was very honest about every horse we discussed and offered up x-rays when they had them. I bought my horse sight unseen and am thrilled with him.
As they do have a return policy, they have no reason to intentionally misrepresent a horse… because they will just end up getting them back. That’s my take on it anyway, and I would adopt from them again in a heartbeat.
[QUOTE=vxf111;8726219]
I’m really only truly casually looking at this point. I am at the point where if there is a perfect creature [B]in my backyard /B I will go get it. Otherwise I’m not really looking. So nothing I would have to ship (which rules out Finger Lakes). If I was actively looking I would be ok with shipping but right now I am in a “it needs to fall in my lap” mode.
Called on one that was initially listed on CANTER PA and marked “sold” but then the same horse popped up on my CL. The CANTER listing had said “sound for any discipline.” The CL ad said nothing (it was basically the horse’s name, height, and that he was a gelding and nothing more). When I called the trainer was VERY VERY VERY honest. The horse is not what I would call “sound” and he’s flatwork-only suitable. And he’s in the same condition as when he was listed on CANTER PA. Same trainer. Same horse. It’s only been a couple months. And trainer said he was fully honest with CANTER. So… why’d they list him as sound? it makes me really leery to even bother with their listings.
And that pretty much ended my searching for the moment because, like I said, I’m not REALLY shopping. SO is on board with the perfect horse falling into our lap and appearing in the pasture but otherwise he says there’s a hiring moratorium here ;)[/QUOTE]
BTDT, said “not unless it falls into my lap!!” and then find the perfect one, many, many states over. Have you checked in with the rescue that is in Howard NJ? I cannot for the life of me remember what it’s called but Lisa Molloy used to run it…
Sounds like maybe a miscommunication between trainer, scribe, and what was written/put on paper/website, possibly? Full disclosure, I volunteer (or did when Suffolk was open) with CANTER NE and there are times it’s very, very hard to understand the trainers - especially if english isn’t their first language. My second guess would be something happened between the time of listing and now? Certainly worth asking whoever is responsible for that chapter what happened.
This trainer was as good an English speaker as anyone I’ve ever met and very articulate. Trust me that it was not a language barrier with this all American caucasian well-educated non ESL man So something may have gotten lost in translation because he wasn’t difficult to understand.
He was at a loss to explain the listing. He was adamant that he had given CANTER DE very good disclosure about the horse and that they had added “sound for any use” to the listing and it was not something he had asked them to put in. In fact, he said he told them the same issues/limitations he disclosed to me (which he disclosed IMMEDIATELY and without prompting). In every other way what he told me was a match for the listing-- except for the added commentary about the horse being listed as sound.
:(:(
There were details in the listing that could have only come from him. But the limitations were totally whitewashed.
I just looked at FLF and really like one. So you’re a terrible influence. He’s a little cheapy plainish bay one that probably no one else is eyeballing. You’re a VERY bad influence.
1 Like
I need to correct. I re-checked and it was CANTER in DELAWARE not PA. Sorry. My fault.
For future searches I’m going to link the thread on the Eventing board
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?494633-Done-with-New-Vocations!!!-Misrepresenting-horses-with-ringbone!!!
My experience as a NV adopter
I think it is only fair that adopters are able to share their experiences both good and bad and the thread asks for experiences so here is mine.
I adopted a horse in June of 2015 that was advertised on the New Vocations site for an adoption fee of $1000 with no limitations on jumping etc. Months after adopting, I found a previous New Vocations ad for my horse from ~ 2 years earlier. He was listed as suitable for flatwork only and his fee at that time was $500.
NV did not disclose in the ad or in phone conversations prior to adopting, that the horse had been previously adopted and returned.
I was surprised to find this information and had questions. Why was he returned? What accounted for the change from being limited to flatwork only to no limits 2 years later?
I contacted New Vocations about this and they answered my questions. I don’t think that this information was omitted on purpose, but when I called there was no acknowledgement that I should have been given this information prior to adopting. Because we have different views on the importance of this type of information, I won’t adopt from New Vocations in the future. This is just my experience and opinion. The information given to me after I inquired should have been given to me prior to adopting.
I have friends of a friend who have had very good experiences - I have no idea if they adopted from different facilities or not.
*edited to add: the whole point of this for me is that it would take only a minute to indicate that the horse was returned by a previous adopter in the re-listing ad. I wish this were done on my horse’s re-listing.
vxf111-you do realize that canter doesn’t own those horses and it is only a listing service correct? The trainer very well could have told you whatever he wanted but I volunteered with canter and ran the Delaware Park program for a long time and I will simply say that many times when you go to take pictures and list a horse you get VERY limited information. I will also say that most volunteers are limited in horse experience. I can very easily see a horse with a big knee, ankle, tendon, suspensory etc and press the trainer a bit to figure out what the underlying issue is but other volunteers simply write down what is told.
I personally know who heads up canter DE and simply could call her and update the ad. She is very responsive and excellent to deal with so I am not sure what happened but it sure isn’t typical. You see many of the other ads that do have full disclosure of issues on them. That is why it is important to speak to the trainers and have a PPE done since volunteers are often given limited info at times.
Now CANTER owned horses are a different story as they are owned by canter and not the trainers.
[QUOTE=Jleegriffith;8741871]
vxf111-you do realize that canter doesn’t own those horses and it is only a listing service correct? The trainer very well could have told you whatever he wanted but I volunteered with canter and ran the Delaware Park program for a long time and I will simply say that many times when you go to take pictures and list a horse you get VERY limited information. I will also say that most volunteers are limited in horse experience. I can very easily see a horse with a big knee, ankle, tendon, suspensory etc and press the trainer a bit to figure out what the underlying issue is but other volunteers simply write down what is told.
I personally know who heads up canter DE and simply could call her and update the ad. She is very responsive and excellent to deal with so I am not sure what happened but it sure isn’t typical. You see many of the other ads that do have full disclosure of issues on them. That is why it is important to speak to the trainers and have a PPE done since volunteers are often given limited info at times.
Now CANTER owned horses are a different story as they are owned by canter and not the trainers.[/QUOTE]
I realize that. But according to the 100% articulate owner, somehow a pretty specific statement “listed as sound for any discipline” got added in by someone. And it wasn’t true. That makes me leery to take what’s in the listings at face value. Even if it got in there by mistake/miscommunication-- it got in there. And it’s not a small thing- the difference between (1) sound for anything and (2) currently not sound and probably not even going to be sound for anything but flatwork.
Maybe the trainer lied to me. But he was otherwise VERY VERY forthright, so it seemed odd that he was over-disclosing to me but then lying about the fact that he really told CANTER a lie about the horse previously? I mean, I suppose it’s possible but it didn’t seem like it.
There’s no CANTER listing to take down/amend. The gelding is no longer listed by CANTER at all. He’s marked “sold,” though he DIDN’T sell-- he’s with his same trainer as when he was on the track/listed with CANTER. Or he was when I called on the CL ad, by now he may have actually sold.
1 Like
I had what I consider an ideal experience when I adopted my horse from NV. My process was a bit different from many, because I worked directly with his former NV adopter who wished to rehome him, but everything went incredibly smoothly. I asked a million questions, watched the former adopter ride, and brought home an amazing horse.
Huge respect to NV for how thorough the application requirements were, so that their horses have the best chance of going to excellent homes. They called my references and asked me several questions about my fencing before I was approved.
I adopted a Standardbred gelding. He’s a hoot and I love him to death! He was exactly the horse they represented to me and I would adopt from them again.
