• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1- Sturgill is a good boy for leading and groundwork. He stands politely for the farrier, vet, and PEMF practitioner. 
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Sturgill can be cross-tied for ground-ties. He prefers gentle grooming and will lift a hind leg if you brush too hard or do the girth too fast. He willingly accepts the bit.
• Horse Care - Level 1- Sturgill is barefoot and an easy keeper. He never says no to a horse treat! 
• Riding - 2 -Sturgill can go English or Western with a direct rein. He loves to hack around the farm, down the road, and go on trail riding adventures. He loves to hear "good boy" when you ride him, and willingly walks anywhere. He needs to be reminded to keep trotting and has offered a few canters under saddle. He likes a confident rider. 
• General Demeanor - Level 2 - Sturgill is always happy eating hay, taking his mid-morning nap, and playing halter tag over the fence. He can be bossy in turnout and becomes impatient at feeding time if he is the last to be fed.
• Anticipated Physical Capability - 2 - Sturgill loves to trot and canter in turnout, but his favorite gait is the walk when being ridden. He loves to take in the beautiful scenery when trail riding, and is not in a rush. He also enjoys long lining, and if we had a cart, we would have hooked him up!

Contact: Erin S
Phone: (207) 351-7873
Location: York, ME 

You must be an approved adopter with New Vocations to bring home a New Vocations Graduate. Get started HERE.

 click for horse level information 

Interested in this horse? Approved adopters can reach out to this horse's trainer via the "Email Us About This Horse" button above for further information. Not yet approved? Learn about the process and start your questionnaire at newvocations.org/adopt! Approved applications are valid for two 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 capabilities. So, horses that are 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. New Vocations 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.