2025 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Eligible

If you are looking for a horse who will give you a friendly, ears-perked-forward greeting as you walk by, Bronze Kettle is your guy! His playful and charismatic nature makes him a joy to have in the barn.  While "Popcorn" is still green, he is brave and eager to try new things.  He is a forward-thinking boy who can go in any direction for his second career.  

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 2 - Popcorn is generally well-behaved on the ground. He is sometimes eager for turnout; however can be kindly reminded to be patient. He enjoys groundwork sessions and seeks out ground poles and small jumps. 
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 2 - Popcorn loves grooming sessions! He stands nicely ground-tied but can be fidgety in cross-ties.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Popcorn wears steel front shoes. When in his stall he wears a cribbing collar to prevent mild cribbing on his stall gate. He does not seem to crib while turned out.
• Riding - Level 2 - Popcorn is green under saddle. With an experienced and confident rider to guide his willing and confident nature, he has unlimited potential in his second career.  His forward-thinking attribute shows potential for cross-country or endurance.
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - 2 - Popcorn is friendly with other geldings and enjoys interacting in his group. He is an extremely affectionate horse who will bond easily with his forever person.
• Physical Capability - Level 3 - Our vet team is confident that Popcorn will be unlimited in his second career with proper conditioning and training. Popcorn came to New Vocations with a condylar fracture, which was given proper time to heal correctly.  As always, veterinary records are available to interested and approved adopters.

RRP THOROUGHBRED MAKEOVER SPECIAL: Adopt your 2025 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover prospect from New Vocations, compete in the Makeover, and you'll be reimbursed the $350 trainer application fee! This horse is also eligible to receive a $405+ scholarship for the 2025 Thoroughbred Makeover through the 2025 ASPCA Right Horse Scholarship program. Learn more HERE.

 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.